Experimenting with the effect of different surface facings - on the pads of oboes and clarinets - led me to an interesting improvement in the tone quality of the entire instrument. I've been using this new idea on professional instruments for over two years, to the happiness and enthusiasm of all my clients.
Due to recent developments, I've decided to make this information public, especially after receiving Mr. A. de Gourdon's opinion. To quote: "This process is a real improvement... indeed a revolution in the manufacture of oboe cork pads."
Some specifics: first of all, all pads HAVE to be cork pads! All the way down to the B-flat. The basic change I make is best summed up by the term Mr. Joseph Robinson used: "hollow pads". The idea is to "hollow out" the entire inner circumference of the imprint circle on the cork pad. There are probably numerous ways of doing this; I myself prefer a round cutter on a Dremel tool. It is very important to smooth all cut edges, to cut down on air "hiss" noises.
For those who are interested in trying, I recommend beginning with the bottom C, B, and B-flat pads. These make the greatest difference. Trying the oboe after these three have been hollowed out will give a fair idea of what to expect. You may well decide to experiment for a while with changing reeds to better appreciate the change, before going on to hollow out all the other pads on the instrument. I myself exclude the octave pads and both trill keys; I think they are not significant in this sense.
What is the change? First of all, the instrument has a "bigger" tone, or perhaps a "deeper" one, to some ears. The overall ability to blow more air, without notes "cracking", especially in the lower register, is significant and some clients claim there is an impressive improvement in the uniformity of the color of problematic notes.
Please take extreme care not to harm tone hole imprints in the pads while working, especially if you decide to go ahead and do the pads of the upper joint as well, which I do! The reason for the acoustical change is not yet clear, but it is definitely there. I have my opinion as to why and how this effects tone quality, but I am no expert on acoustics, and so I leave the explanations to others. Knowing and believing many will try this improvement, my only hope and request is for those who do to drop me a note with their impressions and opinions. I hope these players, enjoying the change, will compensate me for the many hours spent in perfecting this idea. Last but not least I would like to thank the entire Israeli oboe community for patiently helping me with their advice and opinions, as I myself am a... bassoon player. Any questions in regard to this article will gladly be answered, and if any readers are interested in having me do the necessary work, please consider sending the oboes here to Israel.
About the writer...
Ehud Leibner, 46, is principal
bassoonist of the Kibbutz Chamber Orchestra, Israel. He is a student
of Mordechai Rechtman. He has been a woodwind repairman since
1979; he studied with Hans Moennig, Jim Laslie, and others during
the spring and summer of 1982. Joseph Robinson of the New York
Philharmonic wrote, after meeting him in Israel: "...I remember
the many evidences of your ingenuity and craft... You are truly
an amazing fellow and the musicians of Israel are fortunate to
have you."
He is considered a top repairman by many of the finest Israeli woodwind players. He can be reached at this address: