I would have got one of those long "fluffy" rods yesterday if it hadn't been for the colour of it, but is the sponge/cloth better? I'm not sure what accessories I need so can I ask some questions about it please...


1. Wiping the body of the sax inside... what's best - a pull-through cloth, a fluffy rod or the sponge/cloth mentioned above?

2. Wiping the crook inside - do I need an additional cloth for this (I'm currently using my clarinet pull-through but it's a bit bulky)

3. Neck strap. A basic one came with the sax, but can you get straps/slings that have a detachable neck pad that you can wash?

4. I've been putting grease on the metal end of the crook as well as the cork because I find it quite difficult to push the crook in and pull it out without putting undue pressure on the keywork - is it ok to grease the metal end?

(I've got a polishing cloth for the outside)


Sorry for all the questions - I spoke to the local music service just before Easter and they're going to try and sort me out with a suitable teacher, but I don't know when that will be. So I've no-one else to ask at the moment

Standard advice on sax accessories is:

Forget the fluffy rods - they keep the damp inside the sax and have a tendency to leave fibres on the pads.

Don't use a stretchy neck strap e.g. Neotech. You can get a padded strap if it makes it more comfortable, just not a stretchy one - although at least soprano isn't too heavy. I'm not sure about removable, washable pads - I've never seen one. Maybe that's why they all tend to be black....

Agreed about the fluffy thing! Personally I like neotech slings, but some people find they bounce too much.

Again, I wouldn't worry too much about special crook pull throughs. And I certainly wouldn't put grease on the metal tenon. Keep the tenon as clean as you can, and it should fit nicely. Generally, if they are sticking it's because they've got a but grungy - and grease will only exacerbate the problem.

nick

I did read in a recent CASS magazine about Neotech stretchy straps not being good for posture and suchlike. I've never been a fan of them in any case...

I've read that and heard about it too. I've also changed my strap recently and it made a huge difference to my playing.

Skylark, pm if you want more details.

Before we bought the shoulder harness for daughter 2's bassoon, she had a neck strap that was provided with the bassoon.

Since the bassoon was nearly as tall as she was at this stage (she's grown a bit since then!) the weight was very uncomfortable for her, hanging as it was from the back of her neck. I bought her a seatbelt pad from Poundstretchers for about £2 in a bid to redistribute the weight, but as I said earlier, eventually we went for a full harness and that worked so much better.

For £2 it's probably worth trying a seatbelt pad - they're usually black too, but fasten with velcro around a seatbelt, so would be detachable, and are presumably washable - even if you have to do it by hand, it should dry ok on a radiator.

Thanks for all the good advice everyone.

I'll have a look in Poundstretchers OTHC, and Hillyb - I'll get in touch this evening

The 'fluffy' things (pad savers) can be good if correctly used. Clean through the body of the sax first with a pull through then put in the pad saver and pull it out again. Then leave it out of the instrument for at least five mins, until completely dry, then put it back in the instrument. Then it is doing what it is supposed to do - just taking up the very last tiny bit of moisture. If they are getting old, and aren't so fluffy, then the absobency has gone and you should throw it away. My teacher uses one and he plays sax for the CBSO, so he thinks they're ok, but you need to make your own mind up.