 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: moolatte
Date: 2010-08-11 20:10
I've noticed that my Eb/Bb key's pad is beginning to rot, because it fell out today. It's also turning excessively brown.
lots of spit has been getting stuck in it constantly these last couple of days as well.
I'd like to order my own set of replacement pads because taking my instrument to the repair shop just for a pad replacement takes up to a week (especially it being so close to school starting, everyone's getting instrument adjustments and such)
not to mention, 1 pad can cost up to $20 to replace.
Looking on WWBW, I found a set of clarinet pads. Has anyone had any experience with these? Are they advisable? How have they worked for you?
Post Edited (2010-08-11 20:12)
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Author: Drakiej
Date: 2010-08-11 20:21
I have used valentino from wwbw and have had good success with them.
I have used them sparingly in my yamaha custom only as a temporary
measure and still use them in my vito. the ones i purchased were the all weather kind so I dont have to keep replacing them as they tend to hold up well and only used them on keys prone to getting saliva on them a lot.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2010-08-11 21:13
Yep. If the p[ad is rotting out due to excessive moisture, a cork pad would be a good idea. I have most of the upper joint on each of my instruments done in cork for just that reason.... the side trill keys, the register vent key and the A/Ab keys could all be done in cork. Then you don't have to worry about them.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2010-08-12 01:02
Often the brown on your pads are the oils from the clarinet wood. It doesn't always mean you have to replace the pad, but if the pads are rotting as you described, needless to say you need to replace them.
Since you are starting school I'd suggest using cork as well. Not all repairmen take a week to repad a horn. I do my own work and it takes about 4 hours. I've been doing this for many years and it's something you don't want to try yourself. Not even 1 pad, because of the chance of a leak. One leaking pad in the upper register can effect the whole clarinet.
If you are replacing just that 1 pad Valentino pads will do the job.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2010-08-12 05:25
Did you really mean rot or do you just mean the pads deteriorate, which is normal for pads to happen eventually. Rot reminds me of a moldy fruit or meat in the sun, I've never seen pads anywhere near that bad. Do you actually see mold? Turning brown can happen a lot of times and sometimes mean nothing about the condition of the pad.
If the pad fell it was most likely from poor gluing (assuming it was glued). I see this happen occasionally on original pads from factory but with good gluing I've never seen it happen. I guess it could also be whatever you blow into your clarinet getting behind that pad. If you didn't notice any problem before the pad fell then most likely it was fine until the glue failed.
I don't personally like Valentino pads much for a couple of reasons. For synthetic pads, I like Omni pads best from all synthetic pads I've tried. I also don't especially like cork pads.
The Eb/Bb pad can sometimes be trickier than most others to replace, so especially if you use cork, and try to do it yourself, maybe you could have problems. Especially if all is needed is to replace one pad, I would almost always do it on the spot. Can't your repairer do this, if you schedule when to come in advance?
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2010-08-12 18:39
Putting in pads yourself is a good skill to learn especially when you come up against a time crunch with no tech in sight.
I have just started a prolonged period of experimentation with the Kraus Omni Pads and must say that they may be the best pads for clarinet period!!! They have a plastic, beveled backing making them very easy to float in to a seat (if you don't know what this means.....you will need someone to help you with installing your first do-it-yourself). The Omni pads are synthetic like the Valentinos but have the superior backing to Valentinos oversized, flat cardboard backing. Omnis also feature an internal layer of stiffer foam that makes them flatter, less spongy and much more cork like (and yet SILENT like felt!!).
...............good luck,
..........................Paul Aviles
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Author: Ron
Date: 2010-08-14 09:42
Where can the Kraus Omni pads be purchased? Thanks.
Ron
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2010-08-14 09:52
Only from Kraus Music. They only sell to registered instrument repairers and repair shops, etc.
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