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Re: Roo Pads

Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-04-08 11:26

I was always against leather pads. Not just for leaks, but for the soft feel. However, my opinion changed completely with the Yamaha leather pads. The upper registers seal well and feels fine, but I recently did change the pads on the lower registers of both, the Bb and the A clarinets to the firmer GREEN BACK Valentino pads from Jlsmith. (800) 659-6073. They are synthetic I believe, seal well and when you press down on the keys you get that very firm "Feel." There isn't that play or that give which leather do have. I found that the leather pads on the Yamaha's often resulted with a squeak with fast passages and I had to press a shade harder. (Lower register only) The leather pads did seal very well on the lower joints, but that "Feel," was too soft for me.

I'm not a pad junkie, meaning I will try something new. However, the Yamaha CSVR horns play a lot better for me with harder pads. I want to hear that firm click feel, not a sponge or give when pressing down on a key.

After making this minor change the Yamaha's feel even better and as some of you know I've loved these horns right from the beginning. They are amazing horns. I have now played them at the Kennedy Center in Washington and Orchestra Hall in Chicago. The sound fills the halls. For those that have not played at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC the hall kind of sucks.

This is why my postings lately have been kind of limited. Traveling a lot.

Most of you may be perfectly happy with the Yamaha leather pads that come with the horns. They don't leak at all and help with the sound.

My advice is go with the leather pads and see what happens. The pads surely warm up the horns. But I must say the GREEN BACK pads were also warming. This is great news. Please note that I said warming and not deadening. The sound carries.

Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces

Yamaha Artist 2015

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