My son plays the clarinet. Last year he lost a pad. (He has a nice instrument that he plays often). I went to a reputable shop and they said one should always replace all the pads at once, some were loose, and a complete revision was in order. The cost was €350.
I told them I would think about it, went home, ordered a set of pads online for €7 and replaced the missing pad myself with the help of a couple of youtube videos.
The clarinet has been working perfectly since. Two months after my repair my son had an exam at the conservatory. I was a little worried because it was a formal affair with a jury of five professionals and should the instrument have an audible whistle of some kind I was sure they would noticed it.
He passed with flying colors. I was proud of him, but also of my repair.
I told them I would think about it, went home, ordered a set of pads online for €7 and replaced the missing pad myself with the help of a couple of youtube videos.
The clarinet has been working perfectly since. Two months after my repair my son had an exam at the conservatory. I was a little worried because it was a formal affair with a jury of five professionals and should the instrument have an audible whistle of some kind I was sure they would noticed it.
He passed with flying colors. I was proud of him, but also of my repair.