Tips & Tricks

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.