 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jan
Date: 2001-08-09 16:09
hi
i got a bundy off of ebay for $50 to use as a practice horn for repair. it ended up being in better shape than i expected. it plays fine except for low E becuz the pad on the lower joint is chipped.
i successfully took all the keys off and put them back on. the horn played as before. good except for the low E. i ordered some new pads, took off a couple keys and put on the new pad. while it still plays better (E plays fine with both hands) the R hand low E is not playing well because the pad isnt completely covering the hole. i took the keys off and put them back on but it is the same and now im not sure if it always was that way or if i did it by taking it apart. is there something else i can do before having to take it to a repair tech? maybe i should have taken it there in the first place huh
thanks
jan
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-08-09 16:19
It sounds like the pad simply isn't correctly seated in the cup (the large pads for the low notes are difficult to get right) or that the keys are slightly out of adjustment. This is a simple and inexpensive thing for a repair tech to do but tricky for the amateur to get right. Go ahead and take it in. It's cheap and you'll save yourself a lot of frustration.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-08-09 16:20
Jan -
It's repair tech time.
If the rim on which the pad seats is chipped, it needs to be filled in, which takes special tools, supplies and training. Even adjustment of the pads so they seat properly takes training. Also, the low E key has to work in conjunction with the low F key, which means the "crowfoot" attached to the right-hand low F key may have to be bent or have the thickness of the cork adjusted. The metal used on Bundys is very stiff, and you don't want to risk breaking it.
So -- it's repair tech time.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: ron b
Date: 2001-08-09 18:18
Jan -
You say that... the pad isn't completely covering the hole, then you say low E will play if you use both hands. I understand that to mean that the pad isn't seating but does in fact cover the hole. This is a common problem when repadding a horn, even for seasoned instrument mechanics. Those lower, larger pads, as Dee states, give all of us fits at times. It may be a simple step, as Ken says, to adjust the crows foot but sometimes, for me anyway, the only way to get it right is to start over with a new pad. Why? I don't know. If they don't seat well, make a good seal, you'll have a continual problem until it's corrected... one way or another. Good idea to double check the key corks too. At this stage I would agree with those above who suggest you take it to a tech. Ask to watch how it's done ( pssst... offering to pay for the tech's time, to show you, would be a nice gesture
You don't tell us where the 'chip' is. If it's a small chip in the tenon, no problem. If the tone hole is chipped you'll need a tool (tone hole reamer) to smooth it. If the chip is big you may need to fill it before you can fix it. You can fill the chip with epoxy or Jet Magic but then you're getting into some major work. Most shops have the equipment on hand to make the job fairly simple and painless. It's not something generally attempted by home variety repair folks.
- ron b -
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Author: jan
Date: 2001-08-09 18:42
the chip was in the pad itself that was in there. i removed the chipped pad and put in a new one. the new one almost seems like its not thick enough so it doesnt cover the hole completely. almost but not quite making the sound delayed and distorted.
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Author: willie
Date: 2001-08-10 04:47
Pads come on different thicknesses, so you may just have too thin of a pad. A good tech can float the pad in, but it would be just as well to have the right pad installed a the key adjusted to that one.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2001-08-10 07:32
Jan -
I've been quite successful using medium thick double skin pads, as large a diameter as comfortable, on Bundys.
Do you mean that the pad is not coming down far enough to contact the seat? Or, do you mean the pad is too small a diameter to cover it?
I'd recommend that, whatever thickness you decide to use, follow Willie's advice and make the four large ones all the same. You may need to replace all of them if your new one is a different thickness than the present ones. The final adjustment will be easier that way.
- ron b -
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-08-10 12:31
Ken said it all. I have nothing more to add. 99.5% of players would mess around for hours and still not get area of a clarinet this right, even if they THINK they have.
A 'chipped' pad? Strange terminology. It is only brittle materials that 'chip'. Perhaps it was moth-eaten.
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Author: jan
Date: 2001-08-10 13:54
i know i know, "chipped pad" ...but when i couldnt make the low E come out i checked the pad and saw that a huge chunk was torn off around the edge.
looks like i will be bringing it to the clarinet doctor. i have new respect for you repair techs geez i couldnt even replace 1 pad. lol
thanks for all the responses btw
jan
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-08-12 18:22
The small pads that are not associated with any linkages are far easier Jan. You started with the pad that is probably the biggest challenge, but at least it only affects 2 notes.
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