Ok, here is number 12, Never let sax hang from your neck strap unsupported with no hands. The neck strap could break or snap at any second, and bamm! Your sax is now smashed ! Always have 2 hands on sax or at least one hand. My strap hook separated from the sax body on my USAF mark 6, but I caught the horn!
Gives me the creeps when I see peeps letting the sax routinely hang by the strap, or routinely holding by one hand. Fair enough, there are times when you might have to BRIEFLY hold by one hand (turning sheet/book of music during practice at home or band room or during a marching band) but for Pete's sake not routinely 😱. If in doubt as to the potential damage, try dropping a sax from four feet to a hard floor 😳😳😳😳😳. Saxes are not as strong as they might appear; I have received two in the post, one with a damaged hard case and tone hole, the other with a smashed bell and disconnected bottom bow 🤬.
Ok here's another one, 7th grade band is done and kid says, I don't have time to put sax away, so I just carry fully assembled sax to parents car, who are waiting for him, I said, put your sax in the case. It only takes 45 seconds, sax body, fully swabbed, neck put away,clarinet swab through the neck, mouthpiece, reed, men's handkerchief pulled through mouthpiece. Neck strap done!
One thing I might add is to clean and disinfect your mouthpiece and reeds if you haven't played your horn in a while. I don't usually get my tenor sax out during the 6 month period between band performances. I generally practice on my EWI or clarinet for the sanity of my family. I had meticulously cleaned my horn before putting it away after the Christmas concert and when I took it out and played at the first rehearsal in June, I figured it would be good to go. About 6 hours later I started getting sick and barely made the concert the next day. Turns out I got food poisoning from the mouthpiece. Crud had grown even though I thought it was clean. I was floored for 3 days, so clean it before you use it if it's not been out of the case!
I’m a late bloomer boomer here….took alto sax lessons when I was 43, then lost interest and now at age 67, taking a refresher course ……it’s all coming back to me…….these are great tips I didn’t know this! They didn’t RU-vid when I first played sax…..now I can learn everything on RU-vid university……Thankyou!!
Absolutely inspirational... don't stop learning...keep going. I just bought my first sax after working/ saving up for months and it's stuff like this that inspires me to learn the sax even as a young adult with no background in music or music notes at all 😅
All good advice! I've been guilty of many of these things myself, and learned the hard way :)) One from me: be very careful using a swab on a one-piece soprano - you may have to get it out in bits when it gets stuck on the octave key breather...
Don't hold the soprano upside down when swabbing. You have to turn it upside down to get the end of swab string to fall through but turn it the right way up before pulling the rest through. The swab can fall in on itself and you end up trying to pull more material than will fit though the narrow opening at the top of a soprano.
Not only is polishing an lacquered horn unnecessary, it is counter productive. Polishes are abrasive, and will quickly rub right through the lacquer. So unless you want to turn your horn into an unlacquered model, save the polish for your silver tea service.
Waiting for my Bettersax from Sweetwater. Thank you for waking up in me the little kid that used to play on a band, I just turned 66 and looking forward to make some music.
Great tips Jay-I’m already doing all of these, but I think it’s probably because I’ve been taking your courses and listening to your RU-vid videos for several years! One of the little things that I do which may or may not prove useful for other people - when I’ve I finished with my sax, it is put on a stand and I then cover it with a cotton pillowcase just to keep dust out of the mechanics. Even in a really clean house it’s surprising how much dust there is floating about.
Even though I knew about 80% of this info, the strong warning to keep mouthpieces away from light and use only cold water I will heed, as I was using lukewarm water for a better clean. And yes, after my repair tech overhauled my Conn transitional tenor, I could sense his displeasure for my decision to not get a new case for it even though he suggested I do that. The original case doesn’t smell and is in okay shape, but yes I admit that wedging T-shirts and socks into the case for protection is less than ideal. Good stuff Jay, thank you!
Thanks for number 5! It's so counterintuitive. I have stands now for my saxes but this should be taught to all young players. I definitely made this mistake and basically all beginners make it too!
1) i never had my hardrubber mouthpiece on sun. 2) i used only lukewarm water. I don't use hard rubber mouthpieces anymore, so no this problem anymore ;) 3) after playing i clean the mouthpiece with stream of water and time to time with toothbrush. But your seabs looks perfect! 4) following 5) i did not knew. If i cannot put the sax to stand, i put it on the left side but always on couch or bed or something soft. 6) never had such strange idea. 7) shame on me! 8) who can be so stupid? 9) i never polished my 50 years old sax. i like its de-lacquer look. 10) i use original case which looks as new, but yes, really new are surely better. Perfect video Jay. Btw, how it goes with your Better tenor? Is already on the way?
Thanks for this video! It proves to me that I'm a good saxophonist. Certainly not in playing my instrument, but at least in how I treat my Sax. ;) There is none of these mistakes in my exercise behavior.
I agree with everything he said except for throwing out the old case . Certainly if it stinks, however old original Conn and martin cases are collectible. Believe or not there are people who are missing the original case, and they are willing to pay high dollar.
My thoughts, exactly! I would consider it tragic to separate my 1923 Martin from its case and mouthpiece. No way! My dad always kept a bar of soap in his old 1957 Gretsch guitar case. He's almost twenty years deceased, but opening the case to play has a distinct irreplaceable scent that brings back so many reminiscences and memories. All I can advise is to take care of your gear. Somehow, we've lost the willingness to leave a legacy for others from ourselves.
Ditto. If you spent a gazillion dollars on a collectible vintage you should definitely keep the old case if original to the horn. Buy a new second case to store the sax but please keep the original.
I give all my students a white 100% cotton men's handkerchief from K-mart or Walmart. This is perfect for wiping the inside of the hard rubber mouthpiece dry.
I have a spit fluff that is 2 1/2 inches tall and 1 inch wide, and I don’t know if it does the same thing as your fancy mouthpiece swab. I’ve been playing for about 3 months, and I’m learning a lot about my sax by just watching this video. Thanks a lot!!!🎷😁
Thanks for educating players on care of the sax. I must say I've never had a sax brought to my shop for laying the sax down wrong. If your sax goes out of adjustment laying it down "wrong" you need to get another sax. There is nothing wrong with laying it down on the way you commented. The keys and mechanism are usually pretty strong and won't be damaged this way. This is an old myth still perpetuating here I guess. Now, here's the one missed here big time. Never lift the sax out of the case by the bell! Ninety nine percent of saxes coming to me are damaged from doing this. Lifting it out wrong causes the metal to shift at the brace and causes the keys to fail to be able to close on the Bb, and B. Lift from the middle of the sax. This is a very nice feel and balance lifting it out and no you won't bend the keys or rods as they are pretty strong and have a tolerance level of bending. If a player feels they will bend then simply lift from the top but not the bell! Over my thirty years repairing saxes I see the same problem on almost every sax. We educate the players as soon as the sax is examined and see the light coming through the tone hole. If the bell is out of alignment, the bell has to be twisted back to position and not just bend the keys which may not solve the issue. Also, do not use alcohol on hard rubber mouthpieces as this dries out the rubber and makes them turn greenish. Hope the helps the players out there.
I was dirt poor in high school, but still scraped up enough for a Rico Royal piece for marching band to save my old Meyer and the school’s Berg Larsen. It’s almost like the price of a box of reeds. Plastic mouthpiece and soft plasticover Rico reeds, that’s cheap and perfect for marching. You don’t want or need resistance beyond whatever gives you clean crescendo and diminuendo. Plastic will survive sun and drops onto concrete that will wreck rubber and metal pieces.
One more comment: I did buy a new case for my sax, because… yeah… Ick! However I kept the old one, due to the provenance. My horn may have been used in Glenn Miller’s Army Air Corps band. It came with the original box that has stenciling on it that may support this. Be sure before you trash that stinky old box, that it doesn’t hav some significance to the value of the horn. I dig your channel, Jay! I haven’t visited in a while which is a shame! Mire shameful is I don’t practice near enough, not even close! I’m a baaaad boy! Ciao
Good tips. I regularly swab out my hard rubber mouthpiece, but there are some deposits that form on the outside near the tip, that aren't easy yo clean with cold water.
I'm a clarinet player and beginner clarinet players should see this video, they could avoid bad habits (the legendary "not swabbing mouthpiece"...), and on Bass and Alto clarinets we have metal part to take care of.
I actually polished my silver plated 70:s Weltklang baritone with household silver polish. Came out nice, it was all black and brown when I bought it. Of course I took all the keys off first and replaced most of the pads as they were in bad shape.
These rules apply to clarinets as well! I just got my Selmer Series 10 rebuilt a few weeks ago, but I still use my case since it is in great shape and not moldy or smelly. However, I do plan to get a saxophone and will take these to heart.
Great advice here. From the thumbnail photo, I initially thought the image on the left was don't buy a silver plated sax 😂. Now I see that it's a monochrome image (not to lay on the left side). A silver plated sax is perfectly fine...if you like polishing 😩. That unlaquered sax looked gorgeous 😍.
All very good advice! I wish I knew #10 some 30 years ago when I started learning on the same Keilwerth sax that my father got when he started learning as a kid!
All great suggestions, I also specialize i repairing and restoring vintage Jazz instruments, my favorit is the Saxiphone! I also reator vintage cases and try to bring them back to "Original" condition and shape. i strive top restor these pieces for individuals who want to to play as close as possible vintage Jazz instruments in as best condition as possible today. Yes this process is very time consuming, so to offset that cost i dont charge top dollar for my work, and am selective about my costomers and there love for vintage instruments. i am a retierd Civil engineer and do this work for the people i meet and the love of the instruments and vintage music in general! I get a tremendous sence of satisfaction restoring a vintage instrument. So when i finish my biggest reward is the look on peoples faces as they look and play one of these fine instruments i such nice condition, that my most satisfying reward doing this work! of course i also enjoy customizing and upgrading these instruments to better and more modern standards so some users can experience what i call the "best of both worlds" in a completed finished instrument, and upgrading some of these fine instruments to be even better than they were the day they were new! Anyways i enjoy your practical and information as i am not a "great playe" as i feel i am as a tech, but i certanily love 20TH CENTURY American Music!
my buddy with a garbage rout found a retired rental (from oakland ca) Hollywood woodwinds Alto with 24kt gold plate. In a trash can. the steel pin springs worn. the seals leaking. valves loose because the hardware was worn. I found a 15$ amazon alto rebuild and spent a couple days overhauling it. only one seal from the kit didn't match the size. but that key sealed fine and didn't need a new one. it plays beautifully after overhauling.
Thanks for the advice. For me it is also essential to wash your hands with neutral soap before and after using the saxophone. The grease from your hands contaminates and rusts it and the metal parts of the sax also contaminate your hands, which is not very hygienic. And the most important....love your sax!!!❤❤
5:45 Holy CRAP, that's my HORN. I HAVE a Buescher Aristocrat that I bought in a pawn shop in 1987 for FORTY BUCKS. Spent $85 on a repadding. It's got almost no lacquer left, but plays GREAT (or would if its owner could....)
i started paying the sax reed upside-down with the mouthpiece, my first tutor never ever seen someone play the sax like that before and he was blown away on how i did i managed it lol
The stuff that builds up inside a mouthpiece is calcium deposits. The same thing happens to your mouthpiece as that happens to teeth that aren't cleaned. Bacteria in saliva -> plaque -> tartar. You clean your teeth so also clean your mouthpiece.
@@bettersax oh really? what vintage? My 26 TT fails to fit into anything contemporary, my 57 Kohlert fits in very few, mid 60s Weltkangs also fit in very few, my 70s Rampone & Cazzani only fits in the same case that accomodates the Kohlert so you are either talking shit or have little experience fitting vintage saxophones into comtemporary cases. Its way less easy than you would have people believe. Re: the Aristocrat - what vintage? I cannot envision anyone finding themselves satisfied with stuffing a saxophone case full of unwanted T-Shirts or foam to secure a saxophone. Many of my horns simply will not fit into other cases. The bell is too big OR too off-set OR the bell keys are on the wrong side etc etc etc. Too numerous posts at SOTW by those seeking a case that fits their horn.
@@apistosig4173 Protec cases should work. I keep my Aristocrats in an XL shaped case and the ProTec alto/soprano double case without problems. The XL will also fit the 400 with the enlarged bell. I just hate the nylon and plastic...
@@Ambaryerno That's useful to know, having seen the XL, I would also hate the zips; much prefer old school quick action metal catches ☺️. Listings for the XL state it accommodates (most?) vintage/big bell horns, so might be OK for my Buescher Super 400 (big bell, keys on rear of bell). I previously considered a Hiscox case but it was unclear whether it would fit. I have a Conn 10M in a Hiscox case (left hand bell keys); that fits fine. Edit: Just been informed that the only modern case that will satisfactory accommodate the BS400 is the Protec XL (nylon/zips 😔) and the Gator ABS (might need additional internal padding 🤨).
DUDE, one day I was struggling to get the mouthpiece down further onto a new cork, as the teacher pointed out that the mouthpiece was not down on the cork far enough. After seeing me struggle with it, he told me that I was supposed to connect the neck to the sax so that I could get a better grip! Now you're saying NOT to do that. It felt like a bad idea from the start! This is not the first time I've watched one of your videos and heard you say NOT to do something the teacher told me to do. Sometimes this feels like when my Dad used to help us with homework. The next day you go to school and find out it's all wrong :(. Thank you for making these videos so I can start changing these horrific habits NOW. I dare not say exactly how many of these things I am actively doing. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a mouthpiece to remove lol.
The rubber mouthpiece color change and smell is from sulfur that is used in making rubber hard (vulcanization). It is not sulfuric acid, but just plain sulfur, which can smell like rotten eggs.
Years ago when I was starting to advance on my alto I was given a new Selmer C* mouthpiece as a present. I didn't have a clue about how to clean rubber mouth pieces as I'd been working on a plastic C4 up to that point. The week after I poured hot water over it to sterilise it and it turned the colour of an old turd. I stopped using it and never told my parents 😂 A far cry from my current super tone master!
I played baritone sax in college and the person before me did not maintain it very well. The case smelled like someone had kept a dead body in it and so the band director ordered a new case after it have been cleaned up along with being overhauled. I kept it clean until my days in stage band were over with. Sad to say, someone stole it five years after I graduated from college.
Great advice! I would disagree on no 10. Yea buy a new safer case but keep the old (but clean it). If you have an old saxophone from 1930s and want to sell it later the value could increase some what with original case :)
As much as its bad, I feel like for some people (myself included) its kind of hard to avoid #1 as with things such as marching band and being outside all the time.
i always brace the neck by grabbing it and not the horn when installing mouthpiece, since it's well greased it's not a hella tight fit. but i always disassemble neck first, reed, then swab neck and mouthpiece then pull them apart.
Just from the thumbnail, I can tell you that I tell band directors which way to have students put down the saxes all the time and they never change how they have students do it.
When in high school (the second one I went to), my classmates did not believe me that the saxophone should be set down with the side to the player right on the bottom. They would criticize me for it. Unfortunately, if they put it left side down, like all of them but me did, the D palm key would be bent out of position, and there would be damage on the side of the bow segment of the bore. The key posts and guards are better for taking the weight. The band director at my first high school had a Masters in saxophone performance and would teach the students how to set the saxophone down the lesser of the two evils way.
The reason the Brass develops patina so fast is you failed to neutralize the pH after you cleaned it. And Boot Waxing it will make it shinny even longer.
I haven't found any issues with heat on any mp except for discoloration. Discoloration is not a big deal to me. I wash with cold water and soap after each use. I have also used hydrogen peroxide or vinegar and baking soda.
@@kylmiii you can pick it up by the bell or if you can, with your hands in playing position (you can do this if picking up from the case or if it was lying down) When picking up from a stand. grasp it from below the neck tenon joint. Some people slip their finger under the tenon joint or Lyre screw, depending on the sax design.
I would say you get a plastic case lined in durable/soft/thick fine weave cotton cloth and with an air tight rubber seal on the case seam. You put in your sax, cloths, the mouthpieces, what have you, and add some desiccant packs to absorb moisture. Never use oxygen absorbing packs, you don't want to leach the oxygen out of the pads and such, you just want to keep out moisture. That is why "grandpa's" case is so smelly, the moisture that accumulated inside over the years helped molds and fungi to grow into the woods and frabric.
I have a vintage Buescher mouthpiece from the 1920s that I inherited from several generations of my family, and it has slowly faded into the brownish color
Lots of common sense Jay. My wife and I watch "Antique Roadshow" on PBS and they mention that the value of anything ie Rolex watches, old saxes decreases in value w/out original equipment and that includes the original case. What I would do is buy the new case and store the old one in case you do want to sell to a collector. Just my thoughts.
That may be the "case" for certain items, but in the saxophone world there will be no decrease in value without the original case. They can only lower the value of the saxophone as it will always smell musty and transfer that smell (and mold) to the saxophone itself.
for baris, you don't need to lay it on the keys when laying down! the bow (the loop at the top) stops it from hitting the palm or pinky keys! on top of that, to clean it, swabbing it isn't super practical, and you can buy what is basically an oversized pipe cleaner to get all the moisture out of the bow. some people sell them as 'pad savers'... but you shouldn't leave it in the instrument.
I learned the the "dont put a tight fitting mouthpiece on the neck while its attached to the body" the hard way. I just got my tenor sax overhauled and i was working on tuning and the person who replaced the cork had too thick of one and it bent in, as i was bending it back it snapped off.... It plays, not as well but ill eventually have it repaired
