Saxophone maintenance is generally straightforward, as the instrument is both durable and reliable. However, by following a few simple care guidelines, your saxophone can give you many extra years of good service and enjoyable playing.
Good saxophone maintenance includes taking care of your reeds:
Avoid catching the tip of the reed on your collar or lapel
Take care when replacing the mouthpiece cap
Any split or damage usually means the reed will need to be replaced
If you remove the reed for cleaning, store it in a reed guard to keep it flat and protected.
An important part of saxophone maintenance is looking after the crook cork. Apply cork grease regularly to keep the cork supple and prevent cracking or splitting.
When attaching the crook:
Open the screw where the crook fits
Gently insert the crook using a slight side-to-side motion
Tighten the screw once it is seated correctly
The crook should sit in line with the body of the saxophone, although small adjustments may be made for personal comfort.
Always attach the neck strap to the ring at the back of the instrument. Once the strap is over your head and resting comfortably on your neck, adjust it so the mouthpiece meets your lips naturally. This allows you to play confidently without worrying about the instrument’s safety.
Some players prefer to keep their saxophone on a stand between practice sessions. This can be beneficial, as it encourages regular playing without the need for reassembly. However, this approach is best used only if the instrument is safe from children or pets.
When left on a stand:
Air flows freely through the instrument, helping pads dry naturally
A pad saver may not be essential, though using a pull-through cleaner to remove internal condensation is still recommended
If you disassemble the saxophone after playing:
Do everything in reverse order
Remember to replace the plug where the crook was removed
When storing the instrument in its case, a pad saver is useful as there is no airflow to help dry the pads. As part of good saxophone maintenance, always use a pull-through cleaner before packing the instrument away.
For saxophones with a gold lacquer finish, a gentle wipe with a lacquer cloth helps remove grease and finger marks. For silver-finished instruments, a silver cloth performs the same task.
There are also several helpful saxophone maintenance accessories available, including:
Mouthpiece brushes and cleaning patches
Crook pad savers
Reed cases
While not all are essential, these items can help keep your saxophone in excellent condition and ready to play.
We at Booths recommend a service for saxophone maintenance once a year, which involves stripping the instrument down, cleaning and re-oiling the rods and pivot points, checking spring tensions and keyworks regulation and finally pressure testing the instrument.
We hope you found our guide on saxophone maintenance useful and should you have further questions or are seeking an instrument repair service in Bolton, please get in touch.
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