 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2018-12-12 00:07
I have a Malerne-built hard rubber alto clarinet that is going in for service soon.
There's currently a mixture of white bladder and brown leather pads installed on the left-hand stack.
I've seen a post on the Sax On The Web forum to the effect that going with all bladder pads on the left-hand stack up to the neck joint on a bass clarinet can open up the response. I opt for cork pads on the normally-closed tone holes on soprano clarinets for the same reason.
QUESTION: Does anyone here have a preference for not going with all leather pads on an alto or bass? I'd like to hear about what works for you.
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2018-12-12 00:35
I use all leather. Prestini makes great thin bass/alto clarinet pads that work very well on larger pad cups. For smaller pad cups I just use standard clarinet leather pads. You can also use cork pads on some keys like the register vent and the LH1 key. Pad type has very little influence on response, pad opening is much more important. This is why you should be using around a 3mm or thinner pad on alto clarinets.
I personally don't like using standard skin pads as they tend not to be as durable or forgiving, which is very important on the lower clarinets.
-Jdbassplayer
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2018-12-12 00:52
Thanks, Jdbassplayer--do you have a preferred specification for pad opening height/venting on alto?
I was already considering cork pads on the register vent and vented LH1 key. This alto has a single register vent and needs all the help it can get there.
Post Edited (2018-12-12 01:26)
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2018-12-12 04:38
Pretty much just go as high as you can go. It's virtually impossible to make the pads too high unless you start cutting metal and bending keys in my experience. Malernes need all the help they can get.
With Malerne alto clarinets, I also find that drilling out the register tube to 7/64" will greatly improve the clarion register without sacrificing the intonation. Also don't forget to level the toneholes, I've had problems with the toneholes on both wood and hard rubber instruments.
Good luck!
-Jdbassplayer
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2018-12-16 22:45
Ferree's Tools #B-32 tan leather pads have always been my favorite for every size of clarinet from soprano to contrabass. Occasionally use cork pads (also from Ferree's) for small toneholes such as upper register vents or oboe upper stack keys.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2018-12-17 01:58
Leather pads for the most part, but you can use cork pads on the top joint in the speaker vents, thumbplate, open G vent and the perforated LH1 fingerplate.
Also cork pads in the side F# key, side and LH3 Eb/Bb keys and C#/G# key if you want more cork pads in critical locations (where condensation can damage some types of leather pads), or cork pad the entire top joint provided the toneholes are put into top form.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2018-12-17 13:01
Thanks for the insights, everyone.
I imagine this will be a multi-phase process. It doesn't look to me to need a full overhaul. We'll fix the leaks first, see how it responds with good regulation, and then build from there.
A few years ago, taking Mr. Spiegelthal's great advice, I had the Ferree's B-32 leather pads installed on my B&H 1-10 in pad locations where I didn't specify cork. They are absolutely wonderful on that clarinet.
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