[Seasax]

I am going trough the process of choosing pads for my Chu and I'd kinda like to install roopads, but I was wondering if Conn res-o-pads would be a more suitable choice, or are roos and resopads both equally suitable for a Conn Chu?

thanks,
Dan

 

[Henry D]

I've roopads on an SML tenor with toneholes rolled in a manner identical to Conns with good results in terms of sealing and not sticking. I've roopads on a 28m (alto) which doesn't have rolled toneholes and they worked out very well. My only concerm, were I you, would be that you'll have to fit them just so since the resopads are a bit wider than other pads in relation to the cup they're fit in and offer firm pad right up to the edge. You'd have to have the cups perfectly centered on the tone holes. You'd probably want this in any case. There might be some minor difficulties with pad thickness- I believe the roopads are slightly thicker than the resopads on the old Conns.

 

[hornfixer]

I like the Allied 208 pads.
They are a great replacement for the res-0 pads.
They are the same as the original, but don't have the ring around the outside of the pad.

Thanks, Paul

 

[Chu-Jerry]

I like the Allied 208 pads.
They are a great replacement for the res-0 pads.
They are the same as the original, but don't have the ring around the outside of the pad.
Thanks, Paul

I see. They are the same, but different! (in the most fundamentally unique feature of the res-o-pad)

 

[Chu-Jerry]

I am going trough the process of choosing pads for my Chu and I'd kinda like to install roopads, but I was wondering if Conn res-o-pads would be a more suitable choice, or are roos and resopads both equally suitable for a Conn Chu?

thanks,
Dan

I've used both in Conn 'Chu's. Reso-pads can be devilishly difficult to fit and install. But once set up properly they work well. With reso-pads the installed pad height is very low; it's just barely thicker than the edge of the keycup. If the pads you are replacing were not reso-pads then it is likely that they were thicker and the key cups were bent to accomodate the seating of the thicker pads. If you then try to fit reso-pads, most of the keys will need to be bent so that the thinner profile will seat properly. They are a press fit into the cup and so heights can't be shimmed. The opposite situation is possibly true if changing from reso-pads to roo-pads or other thicker pads of conventional construction.

One issue that is of importance to the pad selection for a Conn Chu is that the key cups are typically not much larger in diameter than the toneholes. The edge of the tonehole comes very close to the edge of the pad. So the key cups need to be centered very well to make sure the tonehole is covered. When using conventional pads, the edge of the pad may have a very rounded profile and this could cause a problem with covering the tonehole if the rounded portion is where the pad is seating.

But these are fitment issues, which factor in to the cost and skill required by the technician. From a functional perspective, the two types of pad offer different benefits. The roo pad offers the benefits characteristic of the roo skin leather (which I will not go into, as it's been discussed at length elsewhere). The reso-pads offer the benefit of the taut, flat surface.

 

[Seasax]

so what would you recommend/ what do you prefer using ?

 

[Chu-Jerry]

I like the white Music Medic roo pads personally. But I usually use the reso-pads for originality sake when my intent is to sell the horn.

 

[Henry D]

I second Mr C-J's advice. He explained the fitment issue perfectly. I note in a separate thread you're asking for cup sizes. If you're doing this yourself you'll really have to be patient and- if the pad isn't a perfect fit order another one in the correct size and suck up the down time. "Close enoughing" it will give you a substandard result. Unless you're incredibly lucky a pre sorted pad set will get you to 90% and close enough on the others for a semi-respectable job in normal instances- but given the issues noted earlier in resopad vice standard useable area you're going to have to aim at 100% for the old Conn.

 

[hornfixer]

I like the white Music Medic roo pads personally. But I usually use the reso-pads for originality sake when my intent is to sell the horn

Why don't you want them in your horn that you play?

 

[Seasax]

that does go without saying, it was the case with the other Conn stencils and other Conns I have worked on, but this is my first chu berry, but trust me, i understand the concept of this quite well now, I'm not at all the best or professional in this area, but I am confident.

 

[ChuBerry47]

My teacher plays a transitional alto and tenor with roo pads with metal domed resos.

 

[Chu-Jerry]

Why don't you want them in your horn that you play?

Not sure which "them" you mean. I've played both and they both work well when done right. However I like the quiet action and reduced tendency to stick nature of the roo pads, and I do have them on one of my main horns: a 1926 GP Chu portrait alto.

The reso-pads are good too, but they are a pain to install, and they don't have the benefits of the roo leather. I install them in restorations that will sell on the open market where originality of setup is often preferred by the buyer who may be a collector. Roo pads are still not widely accepted by all, and they are about two or three times more expensive.

 

[Doc Frazier]

I have a 1927 GP Chu alto as my main horn and I install black Roo pads in it. The sound is wonderful! I have several other Conns here for restorations (plating, lacquer, etc...) that are having the Roo pads installed as well.

HIS,
Doc
www.JandJWoodwinds.com
1-866-996-6394

 

[Seasax]

in that case, i might go with roos since the keys are already setup for different pads, i am also gonna keep this horn, i don't want to sell it.

 

[hornfixer]

The reso-pads are good too, but they are a pain to install, and they don't have the benefits of the roo leather.

I agree they are a pain to get a seat.
They would be great if you dont want a seat in the pad.
It seems like the leather is pulled tight like a drum head.