Time to Clean Your Saxophone?

[@damaxxant]

I borrowed an Alto Sax from school on Friday, and now I’m keeping it until schools open back up 😂

[@bradley5800]

Lucky

[@saxy6893]

Same i dont have school until september

[@bradley5800]

@@saxy6893 that suuucckkkksss

[@pbasswil]

Ha, I played trumpet in high school way back in the '70s, and I used to borrow saxes & flutes for fun! You're bringing me back.

[@jaxw2628]

SaXy WHATT? We don’t have school for 6 weeks but September? That’s like next school year here.

[@willipuga]

“Don’t try this at home!” **gives us a step by step tutorial on how to try it at home**

[@tatarsauce6314]

People in quarantine:

[@willipuga]

Takeshi He changed the title haha

[@willipuga]

@Eden Peter how dare you scam in my very own reply section

[@conniee.]

I would never try this at home.😣 This is scary to me.😨 I most definitely would have to have this done by a professional.💲😊👍🏾

[@voltagestorm1787]

He said not to do it alone

[@yorusign]

Thank you so much for this! I used to play jazz on my alto, but for several years now my sax has been laying idle (for various reasons). As a result some keys were sticking and the whole instrument lost some of its shine. Yesterday I watched your video and today I finally took the time to fully disassamble (photographing and documenting thoroughly while doing it), clean, and then reassemble the poor thing, loosely following the steps in this video. The whole affair ultimately took about 5 hours, but I'm more than happy with the result! So thank you for bringing me closer to reunite with a long lost hobby~

[@johnmarshall2048]

Interesting that you said key pads could last for decades. Three years ago I gave my tenor Mark VI a new set of pads for its 50th birthday-it’s first new set. The originals on the upper section were starting to deteriorate a bit. Cost was a bit more than what I paid for the new horn in 1967, but it was time. I always swab my horn and wipe it down with a soft cloth (usually an old tee shirt) after playing. Taking care of your axe is the best thing you can do for years of enjoyment. Great vid, Jay.

[@DjREVERENDSCAR]

Bought a used sax for 225 it has now come to my attention that it was not in as good of shape as advertised. This is going to help me make it worth every penny. How anyone could play and not know the proper care for an instrument is beyond me.

[@KadrianThomas]

Wow! This is amazing, I’ve repaired a ton of stuff by myself I think I’m gonna have to go to a professional like you. Awesome man.

[@bettersax]

Thanks 👍

[@bradley5800]

Oh jeez we all know why this came out

[@damaxxant]

f4de 😂

[@El_Caballer0]

👑

[@dominicbarone8114]

I have a spare old sax that I can do whatever with, and I use it now as a test sax for taking it apart and putting back together again. So far, one success!! Thanks so much for the awesome video!

[@jacquelamontharenberg]

Great video Jay. I do this once or twice a year to my Keilwerth SX90R Tenor. I like to clean under the mechanisms that are not normally excessible until you remove the keys. I also never drink anything but water when I play. Since it has rolled tone holes, the pads (especially in the palm keys and C, B, A, G and G#) are more susceptible to getting sticky. I always clean the reed, mouthpiece and neck with warm water and the proper brushes and swab the main horn after every practice and performance session. I got in the habit of doing this year's ago thanks to my dad who was a trumpet player and my 1st sax teacher. Even the sax tech I occasionally use has mentioned to me how clean my horn is and my case did not have an odor. When you do things right, it pays off in the long run.

[@EdBordin]

My alto is a Keilwerth too...never thought about the rolled tone holes making sticky pads worse. Sounds about right, because mine stick a lot! Especially G#. Gonna give everything a good clean and maybe get hold of some key leaves to see if I can stop it happening ever again.

[@isaacmera4758]

Ive worked on cars most of my life but for some reason im more scared to fix a saxophone then a car or motorbike

[@Sebastian-ne1yt]

Might be because you're not as familiar with the parts as you could be before fixing. Also since its easier to lose parts on a sax

[@PhinAI]

Yep, me too. I can rebuild transmissions, but I don't want to damage my saxophone. Bought a good Haynes manual for it. Studying! "Approach determines response [outcome]!"

[@therealkaz5824]

than***

[@PhinAI]

@@therealkaz5824, "...Time, time, time.... Look what's become of me...."

[@knowledgeiskey3258]

TheRealKaz we don’t need to use grammar on the fuckin internet this isn’t the English class you failed

[@retreauxnintendeaux1663]

I never knew there was a specially-made "hinge-hook" ... I've always had one of my mom's crochet/knitting needles she gave to use for the springs. She was a sax player too. In fact I still have the alto she started out on in middle school, which is also what I played in 6th grade!

[@marcbohets6671]

I did this years back, when I was learning to play on an old tenor from a concert band. It takes quite some time if you are not used to it, but if you are careful and pay good attention to put everything back in the same place, it is quite do able. I play baritone now and have a sticky high F palm key, so I will take of the key and clean the pad and tone hole to get rid of the stickiness.

[@smithfantology8646]

Thank you for teaching me (a French horn who hasn’t cleaned his instrument in 2 months) how to clean a saxophone, I will use this information wisely

[@randypickering5793]

Bravo Jay, no parts left over! Sure makes you want to clean your horn really well after playing!

[@iantrewhella9470]

A little friendly side note, try neatsfoot oil for the pads, (from the UK softens horses saddles) I use a cotton bud moist with the oil, also works on the pivot screw and rods... works wonders, it cleans the pads and restores them at the same time... respect to you and your youtube videos from a fellow player and tec.

[@bettersax]

we used to use that at Rod Baltimore's shop in NYC. thanks for the input.

[@joshjablonski5183]

Fantastic video. Just bought a tenor saxophone 2nd hand and I can tell right off the bat, they did a lousy job of keeping the horn clean. Will giving a a cleaning this week.

[@arthurschwieger82]

My first also was a brushed silver Conn from the 1920's. I did take it apart a couple times to clean it as it would get dirty! I stuck my fingers on many springs in the process. I laid all of the keys out in the order they came off so I could put them back on in reverse order. I could also easily clean the keys. It sure looked great after I did that. The brushed silver is hard to clean and keep clean. The whole process to clean was easily 2 hours. Once you clean it and spend all of that time on your horn, it will always sound better to you. ;-)

[@acerodriguez85]

The only thing i would say is out a towel down before you lay your instrumentin thetable or even worse on the metal sink to prevent scratching or damaging your instrument against those surfaces. Especially because while cleaning your instrument its going to be moving around and bumping or hitting those surfaces. That is if you care about that sort of thing. I don't like messing up my instruments beautiful surfaces

[@PrestonCoC]

5:41 Demonetized

[@ludvigbroman]

Bruuh

[@vikingwind25]

Oh, forgot to thank you for the "Over the Rainbow" improv at the end... very nice!

[@murraykriner9425]

Great tips for returning a dirty/dusty Sax to its cleaner/healthier self. Looks like I'm going to have to need an overhaul in my future after looking at the condition of my instrument, as the former owner just shoved it in a closet after no longer playing it in college. Thanks for the assistance. Take care.

[@vikingwind25]

Thanks for this video! I am cleaning, oiling and trying to adjusting a very, very tarnished 1923 Buescher Alto, Silver , no lacquer. Pads are good. My first time doing this. After removing the left hand stack I realized that re-assembly will be mechanical nightmare for someone new to this. Not to mention I have stabbed myself to death with springs in the cleaning process. Wish me luck...I enjoy your videos very much.

[@tedwilliford7218]

I bought a used alto on ebay and had to do 3 repairs to get it to play correctly. one was to reset a spring at the bottom that had come loose and it was relatively easy. the second was to bend the post at the top activated by the left thumb because it was bent out too far causing the top pad on the neck to stay open, again relatively easy. the third was to reset a pivot screw on the small left hand palm key because it had backed out and someone had tried to reset it but it did not go into the post because it did not line up. so the pad was seating at an angle and leaked air. what a chore this was. finally ended up tapping the right post lightly with a small hammer several times to get it to line up and then reset the key with the spring pressed down after tapping the screw into the shaft (right to left), lubricating it, and then tapping the post out after backing out the screw to open up a bit because the key would open but not close on its own. finally got it to close correctly. I cleaned the outside surfaces with a lightly oiled rag (using a gun oil), wiped it down with a clean dry rag, checked all other screws and springs and replaced a couple of cork/felt key pads, and oiled all pivot points with key oil. overall key pads are in good shape so did not do anything on them. with all repairs and cleaning done the old girl plays pretty good. overall spent about 3 hours on this. saw no need to completely disassemble the horn as done in this video. inside was not that dirty. the point is do not be fearful of making adjustments. I had another horn to study before doing the repairs and using the other horn helped be do the diagnosis to figure out what was wrong. sax cost $105.00 with a case and is an american made horn from the 70's, a good buy.

[@TheMyrkiriad]

Jay, two weeks into confinement. Has washed all his saxophones... twice. Third week into confinement : repadding party !

[@bettersax]

haha

[@toms74094ts]

Jay, thanks for posting this. I’ve just taken playing back up and my horns haven’t been serviced for quite a while. With lockdown in the uk they aren’t going to be soon either..... using this video as guidance I carefully removed the G#, Eb and C# keys and cleaned the pads that were quite mucky. Both horns are now playing noticeably better for this small amount of attention and will hopefully get me through until I can get them serviced. Thanks for the great content!!! Stay safe!

[@imranabdulmuhaimin3014]

Very educational, kind and heart warming words just makes the video even more pleasant to watch. Looking forward to see more videos. Godspeed.

[@bettersax]

thanks!

[@oriolcubeles620]

Hey, if my saxophone is made out of silver (and some gold bath inside the horn), no laquer, is it still safe to clean it with cold water and soap? Or i should look for a different approach?

[@Nestor_Fernandez]

Hi Jay, Thanks for the detailed procedure. That minute at the end with the sound of your clean sax and the words of hope was a nice way to finish it. Good job!

[@bettersax]

thanks!

[@gordondennis4820]

It's never going to happen to my sax! I'd have parts left over after assembly.

[@jazzcornertv]

Does are just the parts you just did not need. (lol)

[@jiokl7g9t6]

ROFL!

[@BCToby]

Thanks for this great vid! On case and sax smell, using an ozone generator on the case can completely sterilize and remove any residual odor in the case, perfect to do after a cleaning. Ozone will kill any odor on the sax too however unless the organics are removed from the crevices (as you suggest) it'll likely come back in a hurry so a cleaning is still necessary!

[@toomuchtoofast4533]

Yup I run an ozone gen through vintage saxes when I buy them. Kills mold and mildew. Let your sax air out a bit and don’t breath the ozone when treating the sax

[@gbrietzke]

This helped a lot. Common sense goes a long way. Thanks!

[@jamesrush8300]

Mental Note: If thinking about taking your Sax apart, first conquer the art of The Rubix Cube in the dark. 🥴🎷

[@ablubird1451]

It's one or the other, man. If you can do both, you're simply too powerful.

[@ChaimMosheZaltsman]

You spelled rubik’s wrong And I’ve done it

[@conniee.]

Ya think?😫I've never been into Rubics Cubes anyway.😄

[@vincentbianchi4797]

Jay, your deep love of the saxophone is unparalleled! Love the videos! Thank you for all the great information! You have such a great focused sound on all the horns! I surmise that you have surpassed the 10,000 hours for sure!

[@kennethellison9713]

Great job Jay. I've been doing my own sax work since I was a kid. When I got my first soprano the first thing I did was strip it down to adjust the spring tensions. I remember my dad coming home from work and seeing my horn in a hundred pieces on the kitchen table! Better pliers for the job are brass-jaw pliers. The brass, as you know, is a softer metal and does not maul the metal.

[@jbloveday9538]

“I’m going to make do with what I’ve got” - so refreshing with all the hoarding going on!

[@bettersax]

well in then end when looking at the crazed people in the store it occurred to me that my viewers would forgive me if I didn't have every item I would have wanted to make this video given the circumstances. And it wasn't worth potentially contracting a deadly respiratory infection...

[@matsmanteatern698]

I really like all you’re tips and ideas on all saxophone related things! Especially you’re maintaining advice. Even if I never tried this cleaning advice myself(prefer to leave that to a professional technician) I have to say I disagree about one of you’re opinions about overhauls. I’ve heard you say a number of times that if you only take good care of you’re horn you don’t have to do a overhaul for many many years! My experience is that I have to have my horn at least adjusted every second year or so. Why? Even then my tech recommend me one or two new pads. And sometimes even if there is no new pads needed there is always some adjustments that need to be done. Cork or felt that gets worn out. New oil is also important to prolong the life of all the mechanics. I get the feeling that you do some of those things yourself every now and then when needed, right? But of course you’re right: taking good care of you’re horn on a daily basis, using swab and key leaves after every session will push the time limit for the overhaul. Been playing for 30+ years and I really did NOT take ANY care whatsoever when I was young...many years later, and slowly learning ( after many expensive total overhauls) To take good care of my horn. But even nowadays: every second year I feel the need of my local sax tech look at my horn and make adjustments...

[@DouglasHampton]

Little bit of a hack, but instead of a spring hook, I use crochet needles. I've run across spring needles on instruments and on bikes (a lot of bike breaks will have a large needle spring that can be a bit brittle if you over tension it when unhooking). I started improvising when I was a kid and needed to clean the bari sax or contra-alto/bass clarinet I was using. Not having a spring hook, I just grabbed my mom's set of crochet needles and perfection. I could pick a needle appropriate to the size of the spring, which was handy, given the size of some of the springs on a bari. And to this day, I keep a set of crochet needles in all my toolboxes. They can be pretty handy....and very inexpensive.

[@GGflute]

Thanks from Bulgaria! Im architect, but play on tenor sax B@S evry Day 3houts 30 years yet! Thanks for knowlige!

[@kevinbrettsax]

After cleaning everything, I use a q-tip and put Neets Foot oil on all the pads. Keeps them soft and they don’t absorb moisture as much. So they last longer.

[@waldensmusicandgifts858]

For cleaning the inside 9:20 I’ll use a hanky swab that is just for cleaning and run it through a few times then rinse

[@Koptokaf]

Good sax cases cost good money. Here's a tip: Disassemble the case as much as is possible without damaging anything. The interior padding sometimes comes free with some gentle persuasion or by loosening a few fasteners. Leave the case and all that stuff exposed to direct sunlight ad vaccuum it every hour or so. The sun is a pretty aggessive microbicide. i've done this twice with great effect. The second time i had to do it twice, but that's how it goes. Took around 4 hours.

[@dctmatt]

What result are you trying to get from it?

[@Koptokaf]

@@dctmatt Right! I didn't mention that explicitly; It's a remedy for mold and bacteria infested sax cases. Sometimes the cases you'd buy second hand come with a bonus rankness. A pungent, corpse-like stench. Very disagreeable. The suns rays are a pretty good (and free) microbicide.

[@jimb4547]

3M makes a paper strips for keeping silver horns from tarnishing. They do really work. Tarnish Strips. Try them for you Siver instruments. FYI. Thanks.

[@JohnOhkumaThiel]

I've been a sax player since near birth, but am now a born again musician on guitar. So I was thinking of selling my Selmer (Paris) Mark VII tenor but think since it hasn't been played in years and is so dirty it might be worth giving it a thorough cleaning--which I have never done before. At about 1:50 I knew why. I am absolutely not capable of taking the keys off and putting them back on again; that's pro stuff. Oddly though, I only started guitar about three years ago and not only could I take the whole thing apart and put it back together again in perfect playing condition, I actually built this guitar myself. The difference is, I started playing sax as a child, but was a full grown adult when I started guitar, and so I have a lot more skills and tools than I did when I was seven. Is it worth having my sax professionally cleaned or even overhauled before selling it? Will I definitely get a lot more money for a perfectly clean and working sax than one that is dirty and can hardly be played at this point?

[@bettersax]

The overhaul cost can be added to the eventual selling price but you may just break even in the end.

[@RndomFX]

great video. i'd suggest personally to lay towels into the sink and the desk when working on it to protect the surface. your towels will get wet in the sink. big deal. but i do not allow stainless steel or hard surfaces to touch my saxophones. but good job, i hope too many people do not try this thinking it is easy. it isnt hard, but it does require good memory and being careful.

[@bettersax]

yeah it's not rocket science, but you do need patience and time.

[@13bKalighat]

I'd be too afraid of hurting my 1943 silver alto sax balanced action...unless I've practiced on a cheaper sax before, I prefer to give it to a professional. However your vid gives some precious advices...thank you so much, Jay !!

[@pfalcon626]

Question: Since pads are bladders made of leather, have you ever used saddle soap to clean / maintain instrument pads? If so, what were your results?

[@dewrey2076]

When I was 7 years old, I helped out my father to clean his saxophone, I ended up cleaning the whole thing by myself and that was the only time I saw my father proud of me even I paid my whole career and I barely received something from him.

[@wcakgilleran]

cork grease for pivot screws brilliant!

[@megwatts1903]

Best way to keep your hinge rods organised is to take a piece of board and drill a bunch of hinge-rod sized holes in it and mark the corresponding rod locations next to the holes. Stick the rods in the holes. Then, when you've got all the rods out and nicely arranged on the board, you can move the board to a nice safe spot where it won't be disturbed. The paper towel thing is ok until you brush it with your elbow and the whole works ends up on the floor. Just saying...

[@bettersax]

yeah I have a bunch of those at home. forgot to bring one in for the video.

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

For some people, a cardboard box might be more convenient to poke a lot of X holes in, with a knife.

[@johnchapin7707]

Yeah baby... we're GONNA get through this. Keep rockin, JM.

[@Ispasoiu76]

If I keep it clean and dry every time I use it how often we have to do this ? I can't do it by myself. I just purchased my first Sax alto Jean Paul AS-400 GP. And I'm gonna use keypads and microfiber to clean.

[@waldensmusicandgifts858]

Use a blitz metal care cloth!! Great for polishing and no mess! 12:25

[@XB29SP]

Without taking the horn apart I like squirting Pledge on a micro fiber and using a butter knife or silicone handle on a basting brush wrapped with the micro fiber and working around. Pledge on the towel and rubbing the horn down works great. Less is more. I also like to take pivot screws and rods out one at a time, rub them down with alcohol and re oil. Pipe cleaners with a little alcohol on one end can clean a key tube pretty well, and q tips with alcohol can get into tight spaces too. I've taken horns apart enough to know I don't really like doing it. Those springs can get ya. Ouch!

[@colinanderson6831]

love it you just saved a lot of time for people maybe do one for each style cheers mate

[@missiontwa8340]

Thanks Jay! I'm sure we all needed this. I take all of your suggestions, and I'm very grateful for you showing me about Rigotti Reeds.

[@bettersax]

My pleasure!

[@christophercalabrese9257]

You should do a video on pad replacement and leveling unless you already have one. Love your content Jay!

[@bettersax]

I will at some point. Don't need to replace any of my pads for another decade or so though...

[@sam45354]

do you have a video on cleaning out the inside of the Saxophone and what to do if you run into any issues while doing so like it being plugged up or the lacquer isn't the same color that the horn use to be and what you can do to repair it or restore it?

[@tctc2470]

Thanks Jay. Quick question...I don’t trust that my Sax shop treats horns very delicately during repairs (due in part to my neck banging around inside my case when I picked it up) and want to learn to make some simple repairs on my own...in particular, fixing small leaks. Do you have a leak light you would recommend? Thanks!

[@kiernanhuff5144]

Can't wait for the video with Chad. Lovin the amazing camera work.

[@bettersax]

Coming soon!

[@doctormaccoy]

Great video. It was fun to watch. I admit that I gave this job to a tech recently. However, it underlines for me how beautiful a saxophone is and wonderful it sounds.

[@corrigenda70]

Definitely a great video though, LOL , I was a tad distressed to hear that these instruments can last for decades. I had rather hoped that would be the case.. You will have gathered that I really detest the sound of a saxophone!! Don't know why....

[@chrisli9685]

Love this video Jay, thank you for posting it. I was wondering what would cause leaks on a saxophone when the pads still look good. I have a pro horn and the pads are original. The horn is probably from like 1993-1994. Except for a couple dings, it is in decent shape. However, it leaks. I was wondering how to fix the leaks. Normally I would just take it to a shop, but given we are in the days of Covid, I'm leery of anyone test playing my horn to make sure it is OK.

[@tamasfoldesi5987]

It can be caused by a ton of things actually. 1. It can be because of a bent or badly made tonehole rim. 2. Maybe the chimney started to come off if it has soldered toneholes. 3. It's possible that the pad is warped a bit. 4. The key or padcup could be bent, making the pad not parallel with the tonehole. 5. The pad could just be badly leveled by someone, so it doesn't sit at the correct angle in the key cup. 6. It is also possible, that the keys or posts are loose around the hinge rod or pivot screw (because of wear over time or the pivot screws backed out a bit) causing the pad to close differently every time you press down the key. It either makes the pad closing unparrallel to the tonehole or the impressions in the pad can make air escape if they don't meet with the tonehole rim exactly because of this key wobble. 7. It can also be possible that at some time in the past, the pad has fallen out, and someone glued it back in, but either didn't level it or glued the pad back in but rotated it differently. If you look at the pads, you can see that the impressions in the skin are usually not at the center of the pad. So if you rotate it differently, the impressions won't meet with the tonehole rim, causing air to leak. 8. One or more posts could have come partially or completely loose leading to the same issue as loose keys or someone could have soldered it/them back to a different position, making the pad either closing unevenly or closing to a different position that (again) causes air to leak under the impressions in the skin. 9. It's also possible that the problem is not even the pad, the mechanism or the tonehole. Leaks can be caused by cracks in the body as well. 10. A loose neck tenon or neck cork can also be a problem. If it's not tight enough, it can make the instrument a lot more difficult to play. 11. If the pad skin is too porous, you can also experience leaks. 12. Shitty mouthpieces can also make playing difficult. I once played on a Chinese made mouthpiece on a soprano and the mouthpiece was so narrow that the reed hang over the sides. I could barely make a sound on that shit, so I bought a Rousseau mouthpiece for 25,000 Hungarian forints if I remember correctly which would be 63.29 dollars today. At the time that money would worth around 70 dollars (thanks inflation 😆). So that new mouthpiece that wasn't even expensive immediately solved my problem. 13. If 2 keys are too close to each other, it can make one key to push another down with it, like low C can also push down the D#/Eb key, but you would have definitely noticed that if it was the case. 14. A pad might just be missing, but again, you would have noticed that. Although it's not always obvious which pad causes a problem. 15. If spring tension is too weak, you can actually blow a closed pad open. Of course, it only happens with pads that are held closed by a spring, and not by you. 16. If you have a pro sax, then this probably doesn't apply to you, but problems with playing technique or reed can also be a factor, but I guess you already knew that. 17. Bad pad timing can also cause leaks. A lot of keys move in unison, so they need to close at the same time, otherwise the pad that reaches its tonehole first, won't let the others close, because it can't move any further. 18. Corks and felts on the keys and/or body actually have a triple fuction. Every musician knows that they elliminate metallic noise that would occur when a key hits another key or the body. But they also prevent wear and tear, but its most important role is to make sure that the pad timing is correct, so their thickness needs to be precise. The problem is that over time, they compress (some may even fall off), making your instrument gradually get out of proper adjustment causing leaks. 19. Just plain out bad instrument (of course this doesn't apply to your sax). Some instruments are just awful. Chinese, Czech, Czechoslovak instruments are generally garbage just as the ones made in the GDR and don't even mention those things made India and some other countries. Some of them (especially Czech and Czechoslovak ones) are made out of the remains of battlefield tanks and have such a huge wall thickness that a .50 cal sniper rifle would just give up and get a job at Walmart. Of course it makes them durable against accidental hits, but also makes them a resistive shit. You may think that something is leaking a bit, but no, they are just that bad. So yeah it is a bit more complicated than people generally imagine, and this list is possibly isn't even complete, because I only got into this profession a year ago, so there are quite a lot of things that I just don't know yet. One thing in particular, when I had tried a Yamaha alto and everything was fine on that except for the upper register. High C# was working properly, but everything above that didn't. Especially the front F. D and D# was playable, but barely. My guess is that it was a mouthpiece problem, because everything seemed to be OK, and I'm experienced enough on the sax, that I can be 100% sure, that it wasn't a technical problem and those notes should have come out. If I can play them on a cheap Chinese sax even in a ppp dynamic, then a Yamaha shouldn't have any problems with it. Maybe someone could answer that one for me. But please, don't try to fix your instrument at home. As you can see from this list, it's much more complicated, than people think, so if you are not a professional, odds are, you'll just damage your instrument, and it also involves quite a lot of tools, many of them are spcialized tools for instrument repair and you can't find them in a regular hardware store anyways. COVID shouldn't even be a concern though, because as far as I know, that virus loses its ability to cause any harm pretty fast outside a host body. By the time you arrive at the shop, it'll be harmless, especially because they will just disinfect your sax before repair and after testing, just before they put it away, wearing gloves and they won't use your mouthpiece and reeds to begin with. Repair techs are only concerned about your mouthpiece when they clean it, make modifications on it, making a custom ligature or cap for it, or when they replace your neck cork. But they'll use their own mouthpieces in testing. And you can always be extra careful, if COVID is still a problem where you live, and disinfect the mouthpiece yourself as well. Sorry for the long reply. 😆

[@SkylersRants]

Recommendations needed for cases!!!

[@bettersax]

BAM are great.

[@SkylersRants]

@@bettersax Thanks, but I suspect the reasons would be very interesting coming from an international saxophone player.

[@jazyladd6410]

Have you ever thought about trying a bass or contrabass saxophone just for fun? I've seen those on some other channels, and i think that would be a fun idea for a video.

[@petermorrison5002]

Hello Jay - Every 2 years I take my YTS 62ii completely apart using lighter fluid and pipe cleaners to clean and oil everything.. My alto is a Selmer Mk 7. I'm a little nervous to do this with it. Will it be as easy to do as my tenor?. Is there something different that I must watch for.? I am a subscriber and an working on your Pentatonic course. You videos and course have really helped me. Thank you so much .

[@javierquesada798]

I will take away what protects the keys because the felts will get wet or just mober what the felts hold thanks

[@lahrelkeely6541]

Thanks for keeping the dream alive Jay. Stay safe. 👍

[@ManNeedRice]

how do we clean bari sax 🎷?

[@alsiemens2186]

I have had good results cleaning pads with the clear Windex (not the regular blue stuff) and applying it with cotton swabs (Q-tips).

[@bettersax]

Yes that works too. I dilute it in water first though...

[@dankokorin]

I was thinking, what should I do exactly in this time.

[@aleasb]

Hello betterSax im looking for a good palm key risers. You recommend that black ones?

[@bettersax]

I made those myself. Watch my video called DIY palm key risers.

[@josephkuzdzal7440]

Any recommendations for cleaning a mouthpiece without it discoloring? White vinegar and water?

[@javierquesada798]

for drying you can use a blower or not?

[@gangofgreenhorns2672]

I've always just put electrical tape over my various pliers, needle noses, hemostats, etc when having to disassemble something on the sax. Hope this saves someone some time and money if they need to do a quick fix.

[@cameronevans3130]

Are you using palm key risers on the side keys?

[@gst0362]

Thanks! Hoping to clean my new one out!

[@bettersax]

if it's new why clean it?

[@lkheffner2173]

Way to stay busy during the "stay at home times". This cleaning looks a lot like bicycle maintenance; clean, lube, adjust, dry. Are there any parts that you would consider replacing while doing a deep clean of this level? Also, is there any danger of springs flying up towards the face during the removal/re-installation process?

[@GeorgeDeFilippo]

Where can I find the black palm key pads I see on your horn? Do they help?

[@bettersax]

those are made with Sugru, I did a video on how to do them. search my channel for DIY palm key risers to find it.

[@dylanb78]

I've got an really old sax. I think it wasnt played since 30-40 years. Can i put the whole sax in a ultrasonic bath?

[@windsurfer3329]

As I said before, we wouldn't know what to do without you, producing this very informative vids. Thank you :-))

[@shellyyu4628]

Hi,may i know The brand of your side key protector, The black ones. They looks nice.

[@randallreza6572]

Thanks Jay - Even though I am a trumpet player, I have an obsession with saxophone culture, and appreciate your time and wisdom. You have great content and natural delivery that the lay person can understand and follow. I use many of your videos for my middle school band students and they help a lot. Keep pluggin' at it, peace be with you. I love BetterSax! BTW - Is there any way to get purchase orders through you for our purchase of saxes in the future? Thanks!

[@sarahw3241]

Hello...what do you say about lacquer polish?

[@itchybrother3476]

I use a variety of thin strips of cloth, heavy string, cotton cords, dentist tools with hooked ends, to get in and around the hard to reach places. BUT, don’t knock off the cork pieces!!! Be patient, take your time.

[@itchybrother3476]

Febreze works nicely on a smelly case. Take the case to your garage, patio, open the case, spray Febreze all over, then use an electric fan to blow across the interior for a couple days. Great improvement

[@mcicedtea686]

How do you wash your sub contrabass saxophone

[@bettersax]

need a big sink!😉

[@DaveSalvator]

Any suggestions for an unlacquered horn to remove spit stains? Thx

[@bettersax]

problem is once it's clean, the same spots will come right back. A lot of work for nothing. Better just leave them for the character.

[@HahnJames]

How do you clean the inside of a curved soprano sax neck? I've been looking for a how to video on that, but haven't found anything, yet.

[@go10thousand.]

me: has no intention of cleaning my saxophone and am only watching this video because its 5:00 in the morning and the voices in my head are getting louder

[@paolocimmino5648]

Thanks for convincing me NOT to do this by myself! 🤣

[@gcasag]

Amazing video as always! Jay, are there any tips for people who live in crazy humid locations? My alto's body is constantly getting dirty because of moisture and I'm wondering if you'd have a few tips for cleaning it in between the keys and stuff without having to mess with any screws, etc

[@bettersax]

there's always a danger in messing something up when you get close to the mechanisms.

[@jnaime]

haha cet appel qui tombe toujours quand on travaille ! :D Merci pour toutes ces astuces de nettoyage !

[@bettersax]

😂

[@Music_Chlode]

The call about electricity bill...💀 and I like ur humor

[@bettersax]

haha I forgot about that...

[@gst2380]

merci pour cette vidéo

[@donnersm]

Taking it apart is only step one... I am afraid that some pads have like a stamp in them from were they touch the metal......how do you achieve that they go back in the exact same spot without lekkage?

[@jessesheehan4051]

also use a white eraser to clean gunk off roo pads. like magic!

[@rusty728]

Thanks Jay great video.

[@isaaconi56]

So I'm back to this video for reference and an quick question won't this lead to rusting of the instrument?

[@rmillerhighlife]

Thanks for the pleasant distraction Jay.

[@majotroobs719]

Since there is a lot of sped up video and several cuts - how long is the total process from start to finish?

[@bettersax]

took me a few hours, but filming made it take longer than usual.

[@michagrcnndv7]

How do you take good care of your pads besides drying them with cloth/paper? I head that some musicians they brush the pads with powder or add the powder in the paper.

[@artilhausa]

How often should I clean my sir? Once a month? Thanks