The Complete Handbook of Clarinet Pad Savers

I bought this before replacing a few pad savers in my students' rental horns and I'm glad I did. The install chapter alone saved me from a headache - apparently you need to let a new saver sit out in the open air for a full day before wrapping it and putting it in the case, which none of the product packing told me. Four stars instead of five just because some of the brand comparison data will be outdated in a couple years, but that's true of any reference book.

This is a five-star reference that treats a niche product with the seriousness it deserves. I've been repairing clarinets for eleven years and I still learned something new about why the flocked foam savers work better in high-humidity climates like mine. The troubleshooting section on lint is something I've already given to three customers. If you work on band instruments at all, just buy it.

It's well-researched but I couldn't shake the feeling the book could have been a long article. The chapter on business opportunities is interesting for a store owner, but if you're just a student buying your first pad saver, the first 40 pages of the buying guide are overkill. I did like the DIY instructions for cleaning a saver with a diluted white vinegar rinse though. A solid resource, just not necessary for every clarinetist.

As a band director who buys accessories in bulk for five ensembles, I found the commercial chapter extremely useful. The margins breakdown on private-label savers versus branded ones is going to change how I talk to my dealer in the spring. I rated it 3 stars only because the fitment charts are per-manufacturer, and they change models every couple of years, so the book is already a little dated for the newest Buffet line. Good starting point though.

The content is solid, particularly the troubleshooting chapter on why your pads might stick even with a saver in the case (hint: it's often a pad shellac issue, not a saver issue). I trimmed a star because the recurring humidity and temperature examples only covered temperate climates; there's very little on protecting pad savers from extreme dry cold, which is my reality. Still, it's the only book that actually dives into this product category.

I run a private woodwind repair shop and I ordered this to have a uniform reference for my staff. It's a solid, well-structured manual. The troubleshooting flowcharts are well written and I've already caught a new tech misinstalling a pad saver by referring to the photos in the install chapter. Only complaint is, at four stars, is that I'd like even more detail on cleaning chemistry - the vinegar dilution is good but I'd trade half the brand chapter for more on chemical treatments.

I bought this after my son's rental clarinet came back with a strange musty smell from a leftover pad saver. The chapter on mold and drying practices is exactly what I needed. It taught me to wash the saver with mild soap, dry it in open air, and also how to check if the cork joints need to be sealed. Four stars because it's a bit heavy on the wholesale commerce details for my taste, but the info is packed with practical advice.

Finally, a neutral manual without a brand pushing their goods. I re-sell woodwind accessories to school districts and this handbook has been an absolute gem. I used the selection criteria in Chapter 3 to build a simple comparison spec sheet that my customers can look at, and it's dramatically reduced the number of returns I get for 'savers that don't fit.' This is the kind of reference the industry needs more of. Five stars.