Hello! I'm rather new here and maybe this isn't the correct place to ask this, but I am having a bit of a problem. I am a woodwind instrument repair technician, and I am currently in the process of overhauling a Buffet A Clarinet, and I came across something odd. My mentor wasn't sure what to make of it, so I turn to the internet.
On the upper joint of the instrument, below the second ring key is a smaller pad/pad cup. Now I am no stranger to clarinets, specifically older clarinets, having odd things as this (I had previously worked on a Selmer A Clarinet that was similar, but missing the extra pad cup), but the strange thing about it was that the tone hole beneath the pad cup was plugged/sealed up. I am not sure if there is a reason for this, so I don't know if I need to take out the plug and add a pad to the pad cup like usual or leave it alone. Is it better for tuning/intonation if the tone hole is sealed up, or should it be allowed to vent like other keys?
On the upper joint of the instrument, below the second ring key is a smaller pad/pad cup. Now I am no stranger to clarinets, specifically older clarinets, having odd things as this (I had previously worked on a Selmer A Clarinet that was similar, but missing the extra pad cup), but the strange thing about it was that the tone hole beneath the pad cup was plugged/sealed up. I am not sure if there is a reason for this, so I don't know if I need to take out the plug and add a pad to the pad cup like usual or leave it alone. Is it better for tuning/intonation if the tone hole is sealed up, or should it be allowed to vent like other keys?
