Silver Throat clarinets

[windydankoff]

Saw your picture. You got a later model one with nickel plated keys, and very clean. Forget what I said about polishing!

Wishing you a happy project. Keep us informed of your progress. If you don't get wonderful tone from it, let us know. We will coach you further.

Yours!   Windy • New Mexico Chapter, Cult of the Silver Throat

[bobphoenix]

Thanks Windy,
So, this is a later model with a strange serial number... Okay, that helps a lot.

I went to Instrument Clinic with your numbers for the new pads and I think I gave them fits...
So, went back and pulled a few of the old brittle pads and I measured each pad and the numbers seem odd to me..
All of the upper joint pads measure 10mm, but the inside of the cup part of the pad measured 9mm. Same for the lower joint... 13mm and 17mm but the cup is about a mm smaller...
Here's what I pulled out... Is this normal...?

BTW: The guy at the local music store said this instrument had "Pad Mites" and I should just leave it there, with him, (and buy a newer instrument). The gouge in the pad is from being brittle (dry rot) and a piece breaking off.





 

[windydankoff]

They are measuring the pads by the outside diameter of the cup. I was giving you the inside diameter. I think their website shows how they measure. If you give them both ID and OD, they should serve you right.

[DaveLeBlanc]

Pad mites are a type of small insect that devours the felt interior of the pad.

If you work with enough instruments, you will end up seeing dead bugs, bug shells, and if you're lucky - a real live pad mite!

[GrumpyMiddleAgedMan]

OK my turn.
I picked up a pair of prefers a while ago, they have been sitting in a box while I decide what to do with them. I had bought them as parts and figured I could cobble one together. Poor shape with one set of the serials matching and one mismatch. Both have barrel liners on the upper and Carl fisher bells, everything is stamped.
Matching serials, the upper joint has a piece that is almost cracked off, the cork is holding it in place right now so the liner is over top inside. Lower has some of the material flaking off where the thumb rest was mounted. One key snapped. I am guessing CA can take care of body damage?
I would say the mismatch pair is in a little better shape expect the bottom looks like someone took a saw to move posts or something. Not digging that.
Obviously I'm not worried about resale. By the looks of the problems is it worth fixing one of these up or am I wasting my time?

[DaveLeBlanc]

Well, considering that Silver Throats are generally not the greatest clarinets, you may well be wasting your time.

However, if you got the time, and the interest, then you may enjoy the uniqueness of the silver throat inner sleeve.

[windydankoff]

Pruefer Silver Throats are NOT the greatest – UNLESS they are treated specially, to reveal their unique qualities.

I just posted my mini-treatise "The User-Friendly Clarinet" at
http://clarinetpages.info/smf/index.php/topic,1864.0.html

It documents my experience with the ebonite metal-lined Pruefer (AKA Silver Throat), and how it fits the desires of some musicians, myself included. It took a couple years to investigate why "some swear by it and some swear at it" and I did my best to present my thoughts on the matter.

Grumpy - You have the classic older (most desirable) versions of the PST. The s/n mismatch doesn't matter because the upper joint never changed significantly through its entire history. I wouldn't hesitate to mix up as you wish to produce one good instrument, if you so desire.