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Re: Clarinet pads

Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-08-20 21:41

I just measured the thickness of the various leather pads I have - they range in thickness from 3.5mm (Pisoni), 3mm (Glotin), 2.5mm (Glotin) and 2mm (Martin Chanu).

The 2mm ones are used on Marigaux oboes - the pad cups being filled level with shellac and the pads floated on the surface, so sitting flush with the pad cups instead of being sunk into them.

If you've got sheet cork of varying thicknesses, then use them as a gauge to see which thickness is best, then order pads of that thickness.

The reason why I'm championing leather pads for use on clarinets is they are more forgiving and can take into account any minor nicks or chips in the tonehole rims due to the nature of the leather.

But in every case, always aim to tidy up any toneholes that are damaged and level them to be sure pads will seat successfully on them. Your repadding work will only be as good as the toneholes they seat onto - especially when using cork pads where you have to tart up both the face of the cork pads and the toneholes to remove any blemishes for a perfect seal.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

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