Superpads for Clarinet.

What are Superpads?

Superpads are for the clarinet & are individually custom hand-made for the instrument to which they are to be fitted.  They're unaffected by moisture & temperature & last 20 to 30years, maintaining a consistant performance over that period.

WHY ARE SUPERPADS® SO MUCH BETTER THAN ORDINARY PADS?

 

  • Superpads, when set properly, seal perfectly

  • Adjacent places on the pad surface are unaffected by each other.

  • They're impervious to moisture & temperature changes which cause a conventional pad to alternately swell, dry out, harden & shrink, which destroys the regulation & adjustment between connected keys.

  •  They are very quiet in operation.

  • As no force or stress is introduced at any stage of manufacture or fitting, Superpads are exceptionally stable.

  • Superpads are compliant enough to be forgiving, yet firm enough to be accurate.

 

As a result of all these features:

 

  • They produce an airtight seal which is demonstrably better than that of any conventional pad - and which stays that way for its entire life (25years +).
  • Sound quality is considerably enhanced, cleaner and richer.
  • The whole instrument is enlivened and becomes responsive in much the same way as when that elusive "perfect" reed is found.

 

Where to get Superpads & how much?

Superpads are only available from Eddie Ashton at Woodwind & Co.

Superpads are positioned in the key in a non-conventional way. Skin pads are traditionally glued into the cup and 'bedded' into position using heat and pressure. Another word for bedded is ‘forced’ and anything forced into a position will eventually revert to its restful state. One of the great benefits of Superpads is that they are set in their rest position without any bedding being applied and so they have no reason to move and destroy fine regulation between keys.
So to supply 'sets' of Superpads, as I'm often asked to do, would seemingly earn good revenue (for 'good' read 'easy'), but the unsatisfactory results brought about by poor self fitting/workmanship in a lot of cases, would be blamed on the pads themselves & I am naturally protective of the high reputation which they have justifiably gained over the years. 
Incidentally, they happen to be vegan too.


A complete overhaul of a Bb, A, Eb, C or D clarinet, including Superpads  is currently £395 and usually takes approximately 2-3 days.

 Alto & Bass Clarinets are of course more, as are Bassoons. They are not suitable for either Oboes or Flutes.