Tips & Tricks

How Often Should Your Instrument Go to the Shop? 

 

As a musician, your instrument is an extension of your voice. Whether you are a student practicing for school band, a passionate hobbyist, or a gigging pro, you need every key, pad, and mechanism to seal perfectly to get a full, resonant sound.

Just like any piece of fine machinery, a saxophone has hundreds of moving parts that require regular maintenance to stay in peak form.

 

To help you keep your saxophone in top playing condition, we’ve put together a few guidelines on service intervals, a quick DIY inspection tip, and how we can help.

 

The Golden Rule: The 6-to-12-Month Service Check

In order to keep your instrument in top playing condition, we recommend getting your saxophone checked by a technician every 6 to 12 months.

 

It is important to remember that a checkup doesn't automatically mean a major overhaul. Your saxophone will not always need work; it all depends entirely on how often you play and how the mechanics of your instrument are working together. Regular use, oil drying out, and shifting materials can cause subtle leaks over time. A routine check ensures that minor key regulations are made before they turn into major playing obstacles.

 

A Quick Pro-Tip: Check the Eb Pad on your Saxophone 

Want a great way to monitor your saxophone's health between service visits? Take a close look at your Eb (E-flat) pad.

Because of where it sits on the bottom bow of the horn, gravity pulls moisture straight down toward it. As a result, the Eb pad gets dirty the fastest.

 

Take a look at yours and check:

Does it look dirty or gunky?

Is the leather torn or sticky?

If you notice that your Eb pad is looking worn down or torn, it’s a very strong indicator that your saxophone is due for some professional attention.

 

Bring It In For a Free Evaluation!

Unsure if your saxophone needs adjustments or a fresh pad? Don’t guess—let us take a look!

We offer free evaluations. Book a time to come and see us, and we can sit down to discuss if your instrument needs some attention to get it back in top playing condition.

Keep practicing, and don't hesitate to drop by the shop soon!

 

https://cal.com/thesaxophoneshoppe

 

A few frequently asked questions by our customers

I just purchased my instrument new - Do you set up new instruments?

Of course. Quite often new instruments are not correctly setup from the factory. This is mostly due to the time it takes to manufacture the instrument, weighed up by the cost of the instrument itself. Quite often the instruments are set up quickly and are not given the attention they need to be in top playing condition. We specialise in new instrument set ups and are usually very cost effective as we just correct little mistakes made in the factory line. 

How do I keep my instrument in top playing condition?

In between each playing we recommend you swab out your instrument at least twice to remove the moisture created from blowing hot air into a cold instrument. It is good to do it after playing for around 20 minutes of playing then swab again when you finish playing. Using cork grease on the neck cork every so often is also highly recommended to ensure long life of the cork. Before closing your case after playing we also recommend you leave the case open for around 20 minutes to help your instrument more fully dry before closing it up. 

What things should be in my case?

As well as your instrument, we recommend most importantly the end plug - this helps your saxophone not move during transport. Secondly you need instrument swabs or pull-thoroughs, after every time you play make sure you throughly swab out your instrument. This keeps the pads in good condition for as long as possible. But what about the fluffy pad saver... we don't recommend those to stay in your instrument, good for swabbing instrument but its not good to store inside the saxophone, it actually keeps the moisture on the pads making them wear faster. Other good things to have: Cork grease, good reeds in a case & key leaves - A product designed to help pads last longer by holding the G#, C# & Eb pads open to air. 

I cannot afford a Full service at the moment, Can you do just a little at a time?

Of course! We are here to help you get your instrument playing its best and are more than happy to work with your budget. For example if your saxophone needed a Full service or quite a few pads that need replacing - On your first visit we can give your saxophone a good clean, including all the keys, rods, rollers and pivot screws and oil all the mechanisms. Second visit we can look at the top half of the saxophone, correcting all the play in the mechanisms, correcting all the connections and replace the pads as needed. Third visit we can do the same for the lower half of the instrument. Though it is always best to book in some time to get it all done at once, we do what works for you and your budget. Give us a call to discuss your instrument and your goals. 

Tips from the repair bench:

Remember to swab your instrument after each time you play. This helps keep your instrument in great playing condition

for longer and helps the pads last for many years

Wash your mouthpiece with cold water and a little dish soap once a week to keep your mouthpiece fresh 

Reeds sadly don't last forever; When you get chips or cracks or it just looks tired, it is probably time to replace it.