INSTALLING SAXOPHONE PADS

The MAIN THING to know here is, "YOU CAN DO THIS"

First you will need a good clear work surface to lay out parts. Remember, you will reassemble in reverse order from disassembly.

Remove the keys for pads being replaced. It's probably better to do a section at a time. Be sure to keep keys and screws in order as that will greatly ease the pain of reassembly.

Once you have the keys off, clean the sax.

You can now polish your keys and replace the pads. Never use a wet polish. Use a dry polish cloth or NEVR-DULL polish which is not a liquid.

Remove old pads from the cups by scrapping out the old pad. Clean the cup as much as possible. If you have trouble getting it clean, you can heat the pad cup with a match or lighter to soften the old glue.

Put a small amount of glue in the pad cup and position the pad in the cup. Let this dry for 3-4 hours before attempting to reassemble or adjust the pads.

Reassemble the saxophone.

Adjust for air leaks by using a match or lighter to heat the back of the pad cup until the glue is softened. Let the pad cup rest lightly against the tone hole. Test for leaks.

This process may take some trial and error, just keep working on it. In some cases (instrument dropped, etc.) you may need to straighten or slightly bend keys to get proper fit.