Saxophone Cleaning
 
 
 
 
 
Congratulations on purchasing your first saxophone!  A good quality instrument can last a lifetime - if it is well maintained.  This includes regular check-ups at the Senseney Music Repair Center and a regular home cleaning routine.
 
How do I clean my saxophone?
 
This is a critical question since improper cleaning can damage your instrument.  If you follow these instructions carefully you should have no problems.
 
Tools:  (The first four of these are contained in the Senseney Music saxophone care kit.)
 
- Body swab - larger cloth attached to a long string with a weight on the end
- Neck swab - smaller cloth swab
- Mouthpiece brush - round tapered brush with handle
- Cork grease - small tube
- Polish cloth - untreated
 
The most delicate parts of your saxophone are the pads.  They are made from felt that is covered by a thin layer of leather.  If this leather is punctured, torn or scuffed the pad can no longer seal and your saxophone will leak which makes it harder to play.  Pads will also become hard and brittle with age, which also cause leaks.  Keeping moisture and sharp objects away from the pads will prolong the life of the pad and keep away costly repairs.
 
Daily Care:
 
Assembly:
 
- It is best to wait to assemble your saxophone the first time with an experienced teacher.
 
Before assembly check to see if the neck cork is dry.  If it feels dry, you need to apply cork grease.  Open the cork grease tube and apply to the cork.  Use your fingers to thoroughly cover the cork with grease.  NOTE:  Do not over grease the cork as this can cause cork damage.
 
The mouthpiece can now be pushed onto the neck cork.  A large portion of the cork should be covered by the mouthpiece but do not try to cover it entirely.  The mouthpiece should be snug with no wiggle.  If the cork is new it may be difficult to attach the first few times but the cork will compress a bit after use.
 
The saxophone reed is attached to the mouthpiece with a clamping apparatus called a ligature.  Lay the flat side of the reed on the flat side of the mouthpiece with the curved end of the reed even with the curved end of the mouthpiece.  Have your instructor check your reed assembly the first few times you play the instrument.
 
Before inserting the neck into the body be sure the neck screw is loosened.  The neck of the sax is placed in the small end of the body and pushed down as far as possible.  No lubrication is used on the metal neck socket.  When the neck screw is tightened the neck should not easily turn or wobble inside the body.
 
 
Cleaning:
 
After playing your saxophone there will be moisture in the mouthpiece and bore that must be removed.  First remove the ligature and reed and disassemble the saxophone.
 
Start with the body section and drop the string of the large swab into the bell.  Turn the body upside down so that the weighted end of the string comes through the narrow end.  Make sure the cloth part of the swab is not wadded or bunched up.  Pull the string out of the narrow end so that the cloth drags through the entire body from bell to narrow end.
 
Repeat this process with the neck using the small swab and starting at the non-corked end of the neck.
 
Pull the swab through the mouthpiece.  If a sink is available, put the mouthpiece under running water and use the mouthpiece brush to thoroughly clean.  Dry the mouthpiece.
 
You may need to use a polish cloth to wipe fingerprints and grime off your saxophone body and keys.  Be very careful not to rub near the edge of the pads as this can cause them to becom scuffed or frayed and destroy the pads.
 
 
Home Repairs:
 
Do not try to repair an instrument yourself.  This is a fragile, expensive instrument and can easily be damaged even by well meaning hands.  If your instrument is not working properly, bring it to the Senseney Music Repair Center as soon as possible.
 
Repairs done by anyone but the Senseney Music Repair Center will void any maintenance agreement connected to that instrument.