Saxophone

General saxophone care tips

• 1. If you've finished using it for the day then put it away. It may seem obvious but many people, myself included, have left their sax lying around only for it to be knocked or handled badly.
• 2. Swab it after use. You'll probably notice saxophones gather moisture. Condensation forms inside and gathers in a puddle in the bottom of the bell. Get yourself a pull through and a set of pad savers. Pad savers generally come in sets of three or four. One for the neck, one for the body and one for the bell. See below. The little grey one on the left is for the mouthpiece. If you don't use pad savers and pull throughs keys will start sticking and a foul smell will develop inside the sax.
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• 3. Always remove the mouthpiece after use. If you leave the mouthpiece on the cork will begin to lose it's ability to regain it's natural shape and fatness. Plus, if you are leaving the mouthpece on you can't be greasing the cork. It will eventually end up splitting when you put the mouthpiece on.
• 4. Remove the reed from the mouthpiece. Reeds have a tendancy to stick to the mouthpiece if left on. Guaranteed to break your favourite reed when you try to remove it. Saxophone care is not just all about the saxophone.
• 5. Use cork grease. It will prolong the life of your cork and you won't have to ram the mouthpiece home like a man (or woman) possessed.
• 6. Oil the keys every so often. A light dribble of key oil will ensure the keying action is as smooth as the day you bought it. Use lightly and wipe off any excess.
• 7. Wipe the saxophone down regularly. Leave it too long and you'll find it will lack that certain lustre it had when you firt bought it. It will also be harder to get the more heavy soiling off it
• 8. Get it insured. If you've paid out a considerable sum for your sax then you really want to make sure it's insured. If your home insurance doesn't cover it then most insurance companies will offer saxophone insurance or musical instrument insurance

Saxophone Servicing

Servicing is a must if you play reguarly with an expensive named sax. Keys go out of alignment, pads wear and shine diminishes over time. How often you service it would depend on how much you play.

A person who plays every day may want to service their sax every six months or more. If you only take it out at weekends you may only need to do it once every 12-18 months.