 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Clarineteer
Date: 2015-12-13 04:39
I have a Bb soprano clarinet that has resonators on all of the large pads on the lower joint. What exactly do they do.
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Author: Klose ★2017
Date: 2015-12-13 04:50
Selmer Privilege and St. Louis use these kind of pads. The purpose is to improve the resonance of these long tube notes.
Lee
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-12-13 07:16
What they DO, is add a more reflective surface for the the sound to bounce off. You get a similar result from Gortex pads or cork. I use the Valentino Masters pads on my horn and the smoother, flatter surface of the pads allows the horn to play a little louder and perhaps a tad brighter.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: Una
Date: 2015-12-13 08:48
I had a Selmer St. Louis with resonators as my main clarinet for jazz/pop gigs and while the sound was "different", it wasn't what I wanted from a clarinet. What I found that the resonators did, was make the sound "brassy" thinner and "tinny". Kind of like a clarinet trying to be a sopranino sax but failing. Needless to say, it's difficult to explain but it felt like there was less "wood" to the sound. They are great on saxophones but I think I can do without them on clarinets.
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Author: Clarineteer
Date: 2015-12-13 11:07
My clarinet with the resonators is a 1920's Buescher 730 Tru Tone Bb metal clarinet.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-12-13 12:32
Leblanc Opus also use them in the largest pad cups.
They also prevent the centres of the pads from sagging into the toneholes which can compromise the venting which can make low G and F stuffy.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: jim lande
Date: 2016-01-04 11:08
Is there a tiny screw or rivet in the middle of each pad? I have seen those on a few old metal clarinets. I'm not certain whether they are intended as resonators or if they simply allowed pads to be installed without glue/shellac. That would make it easy to adjust pad height by adding paper between the pad and the pad cup.
PS, note that there is a tiny screw intended to stop the adjustible barrel from adjusting. You may have to loosen that screw to get the barrel to twist. The truetone was a pro model but possibly the least expensive pro model offered back in the late 20's/early 30's. Personally, I like some other models better but I love Trutone saxes.
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Author: el gitano
Date: 2016-01-04 20:44
Hi,
of a King "Silver-King"
ps the foto was to large
Post Edited (2016-01-04 20:53)
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Author: el gitano
Date: 2016-01-04 20:46
Hi,
of a King "Silver-King" metal clarinet. The 4 lower keys has a system like a flute
Claus
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Author: Clarineteer
Date: 2016-01-04 21:40
Jim,
My Buescher True tone 730 with the gold wash bell in mint condition plays amazing. it has tan leather pads on the entire instrument. The resonators are smooth with no screw or rivet. I am having a Silver King with the sterling silver bell overhauled and will do a comparison later this week. Unfortunately some previous tech removed the resonators from the Silver King.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2016-01-05 06:06
Resonators produce aerodynamic turbulence at the leading edge of the standing wave pressure pulse which interacts with the magnetic field of the Earth and, in conjunction with Coriolis acceleration and the ambient gamma ray solar flux, can either intensify the higher partials of the clarinet sound, or provide a mid-bass 'hump' in the 150 Hz region, or do absolutely nothing -- depending on whether one lives in the northern or southern hemisphere (where water in toilet bowls spins backwards, as you know).
In summary, resonators on pads provide a stunning placebo effect on clarinets, much as they do on saxophones. They will change the sound however you perceive it (or not at all if you're a skeptic like me). If they make you happy, use them.
The one truth is that, as Chris P (one of our most rational contributors) points out, they prevent the centers of (larger) pads from sagging.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2016-01-05 06:18
That's why you should only play metal clarinets. Then the entire clarinet is a resonator.
......
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2016-01-05 07:11
"That's why you should only play metal clarinets. Then the entire clarinet is a resonator. "
This is only true if the instrument body has been cryogenically treated. Treated instruments will exhibit discrete harmonics, whereas we all know that clarinets are extremely indiscreet when left in groups.
Tony F.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-01-05 10:10
Whenever I've fitted pads with screw in resos on clarinets (and on older English oboes and cors anglais from the '20s to the '60s) I shellac the pads in and seat them first, then screw in the reso afterwards. Then check how they're seating once the reso is in place and adjust where necessary.
I don't tend to work on flutes as a rule (as I don't want to be inundated with Chinese and B&H/Buffet flutes!), but their pads aren't glued in at all. It does help on flutes to fit a small diameter paper washer between the underside of the screw head and the top of the reso to make sure things are all sealing as metal on metal isn't the best idea (and when fitting oboe 8ve inserts into their metal wells, install them with a tiny amount of molten wax to seal them instead of leaving them dry).
Buffet bass clarinets have screw in resos on the LH2 and E vent key pads.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Clarineteer
Date: 2016-01-05 14:48
These were snap in resonators and I did in fact use shellac first and then snapped them in and it works perfectly as far as the seal. Thanks again Chris.
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