Stand Or Case?

[Billy The Fish]

Is there a general best practice as to whether to always put your sax in its case after use, or whether to leave it on a stand ?

I have taken to leaving mine on their stands (the 3 I play daily that is - tenor, alto and sop), as I find this to be a great motivator to practise more often. If the sax is there ready for me to pick up and play, I pick it up and play it more often than if I have to get it out of the case (it isn't the time saved, it is the psychological factor).

Other than increasing the chances of kicking the things over, are there any significant long term disadvantages of doing this compared with putting the saxes away in their cases each night ?

Billy The Fish

[Morry]

Once I got a stand I could depend on to be safe, I started keeping one of my horns out at all times. Otherwise, I've found that I just won't practice regularly.

[Stacey]

The problems arise when you throw a young child into the mix. At my house it would be impossible to leave my three horns on stands, because my musically-inclined five-year-old son wouldn't be able to keep his hands away. Don't get me wrong - I let him "play" the things, but only when I'm there to help hold them.

Having said that, I probably will eventually (in another couple of years) put them on stands, especially if I can find something appropriate to drape over them to keep the Arizona dust at bay.

I agree with Morry - with the saxes in their cases, it's much more of a mental hurdle to get around to practicing (even though it takes less than a minute to get out the horn, attach the mouthpiece to the neck, attach the neck to the body, moisten the reed, and put the reed and ligature on the mouthpiece).

[Riff]

There was a time I left my horn (Mark VI) on its stand for weeks at a time (other than taking it to gigs). Eventually the neck tennon started to tarnish and it became so difficult to remove/install the neck that I had to take the horn to my tech to remove the tarnish. Now, if I'm going to leave the horn out, I remove the neck. The problem has not returned.

I don't why the neck would tarnish while installed Vs. not, but that's how it happened.

Other than this experience, I generally put the my new horn (JK) back in it's case.

[Billy The Fish]

The problems arise when you throw a young child into the mix. At my house it would be impossible to leave my three horns on stands, because my musically-inclined five-year-old son wouldn't be able to keep his hands away. Don't get me wrong - I let him "play" the things, but only when I'm there to help hold them.

Having said that, I probably will eventually (in another couple of years) put them on stands, especially if I can find something appropriate to drape over them to keep the Arizona dust at bay.


Not much Arizona dust in Buckinghamshire, and I try not to throw young children about in my music room, so I should be safe :D

[Stacey]

Why, I once lived and worked in Bucks myself! (I guess that is "non-saxophone discussion", though.) Anyway, I lived in Gerrards Cross and worked in High Wycombe for a year or so. Twas a grand time.

You should try throwing young children about the music room. I've found it to be a great way to relieve the stress caused by not having a good practice session.

Results may vary.

[hornstar]

if you're leaving the horn fully assembled on the stand after use for any long periods without disassembling and swabbing, you're asking for problems. the neck may become difficult to remove from the socket after drying, and the cork on the neck will lose its resiliency and deteriorate more quickly if the mouthpiece is left on the neck. to say nothing of the disgusting mung that will develop in the mouthpiece and on the reed. blech.

if you're swabbing out the body, neck and the mouthpiece, and then reassembling to put it back on the stand for next time, you should be fine. leaving the horn out then becomes a good way to get the pads to dry completely. I still prefer to put the horn away in the case for better protection. stupid accidents are often the result of shortcuts and laziness.

no offense, but what you really need is the inner compulsion to play. when that groove happens, ,you bond with your instrument. setup and teardown then becomes like a ritual that you do to honor and care for your horn. I'm not kidding.

[Dave Dolson]

I did that for a while (left three horns on the rack in my den figuring I'd play them more - sop, alto, and clarinet). It caused the finishes to deteriorate noticeably. I keep my horns looking nice as well as playable. I did not like what was happening to them sitting in the ambient air for that time. After cleaning them, I put them away. DAVE

[Manny]

I hear with silver horns leaving them on the stand will make them oxidize faster... :x

[BlueNote]

I usually leave my horn on the stand most of the day (when I'm not playing it), and put it away before I go to bed. I used to always leave it on the stand with the neck out, though.

[orions_belt27]

I still prefer to put the horn away in the case for better protection. stupid accidents are often the result of shortcuts and laziness.

no offense, but what you really need is the inner compulsion to play. when that groove happens, ,you bond with your instrument. setup and teardown then becomes like a ritual that you do to honor and care for your horn. I'm not kidding.

i'm with hornstar on this one. similarly, i treat the whole clean up and teardown and re-setup again as part of the practice ritual. i'd also clean the whole horn thoroughly after each day of practise. I cant stand playing on a horn dat hasnt been cleaned from the night before. i'd use the stand only when i take a short break or when i'm lettin the pads dry after a swab.

Even though at times i get really tired on late nights after practice, i'd force myself out of my lazy state and go work at cleaning the horn. What's difficult i find in both cleaning and practising is actually overcoming dat first and highest hurdle of actually DOING it. After starting, i find it easier to carry on because i settle into the groove of cleanin the sax or practisin~

hehe~ i believe the sax is deserving of a daily tear down and clean up. just think about it, would you sleep more comfortable after a bath or without one? :D

[pknight]

After playing, I remove and rinse the mouthpiece, and swab out the neck and body. I then usually leave the body on the stand to let the remaining moisture evaporate. Sometimes it makes it back into the case, but often the body stays on the stand until the next session.

[Billy The Fish]

Given some of the replies, perhaps I should have been more specific. It absolutely goes without saying that the saxes (including mouthpieces and necks) get fully cleaned / swabbed each day after they have been played :shock: . I wouldn't dream of not doing so (indeed I enjoy it - I find it therapeutic at the end of the day before I go to bed) ! Also, I remove the mouthpiece and put that in the case to avoid undue compression on the cork. However, I do tend to put the neck back on the sax after I have cleaned it :?

There seem to be some mixed views here. Is the environment likely to have an effect on whether or not leaving the sax out will speed up the deterioration process ? Dave D, do you live in Chernobyl ? :wink: Seriously though, taking Stacey's example, will there be a difference between the effects of leaving out a sax in a moderate climate like we generally experience in the UK (downright cold mostly, although currently over 100 degrees as if to prove me wrong :x ) compared with dusty Arizona or the Amazon rain forest (where presumably my pads would just disintegrate) ?

setup and teardown then becomes like a ritual that you do to honor and care for your horn. I'm not kidding.

Oh trust me, this is exactly how I feel after playing. I enjoy this ritual - I treat it like a warm down after exercising. However, part of that ritual to honour the instruments I love so much is to put them on their stands after cleaning so that their full beauty can be seen. Yes, sad is it may sound, I often pop into my music room at regular intervals just to "look" at them standing there. At 3am in the morning you ask ? Well, sometimes yes :oops: . It strikes me as a shame to hide their beauty as long as by keeping them out I am not endangering their good looks :?

Billy The Fish

[Manny]

well, possibly everybody I asked on the subject concurred (sp?) that silver ozidizes faster when out in th open, but I don't know how much it would affect laquer... I also live in Arizona, but I don't think that you would leave your sax on a stand outside for any amount of time :shock: beside being extremely sharp it would really burn your hands here... (did I mention it hit 116?) I actually didn't even think about the dust :oops: thats probably why it gets dirty so fast under the springs... gotta think about throwing a sheet over it...

[Big Nick]

I always leave mine out.
Have done for the last 16 or so years.
Never caused any problems.

I take off mouthpiece/reed, swab neck (usually), put neck back on, and leave.

After a gig, if I'm not too tired, I take them out out of their cases and set them up on their music room stands.

I don't clean them. Tech does that when they're serviced.

[Docax]

I (and I think lots of other players) soak my reed 2-3 minutes before I perform or practice. That's more than the time needed to put the sax together. Since one's mind knows this I'm not sure how the sax being in the case can be a detterent to practicing...

But hey! Anything that works.

[Razzy]

I always put the horns back in the cases. I don't soak my reeds.

[pepper]

After playing, I remove and rinse the mouthpiece, and swab out the neck and body.

what exactly do you mean by swab ? i've got to admit i rarely rinse the mouthpiece, sounds like this is something i should be doing.

[DougR]

BTF, I saw a neat answer to the problem in Britannia Music in St. Albans.

A glass fromted cabinet, with the business ends of a row of sax stands, Looked like the ideal answer domestically, add some light for best effect.

[Dave Dolson]

Billy: No, I don't live in Chernobyl, but I might as well be there . . . SoCal is NOT known for its clean air.

The horns I left out were silver-plated (one with lacquer over the plating - not my doing, that's the way I bought it) and a Buffet R-13 clarinet.

But it really doesn't matter where you live - there are fine particles of dust and other things that eventually settle on your clothes in the closet, picture frames, door jambs . . . and your horns. It may be convenient to leave horns on the stand, but I don't think it does them any good over the long-term. DAVE

[Zman]

Great thread. Even though I am a compulsive post-play ritualist, I decided to put my 10M on its stand in my music room when the spring semester ended so I would practice over the summer.

I lasted two weeks. All I could think about was..jeez! what if the vacuum cleaner stirs up dust? What if my son (the gifted galoot) knocks it over on his way to the piano? And (this at 2AM) what if THE DOG ATTACKS IT?

It went back in the ProTec at 2:15AM, after my wife rolled over and said, "Would you PLEASE go put that tenor back in its case?!?". :D

[Morry]

I don't really think the ambient air in my townhouse is any more detrimental to the horn's finish than that in a case with a very small amount of air space, surround by chemically dyed cloth, glued to foam, and in a case that is glued at the joints. That's the air I wouldn't want to be breathing all the time.

[Stacey]

WHAT IF THE DOG ATTACKS IT?!?!? What kind of dog do you have, Zman! LOL

Undoubtedly the air here in AZ would have an effect. The air is so dry that the horns would probably not suffer from rapid tarnishing (similarly to the way cars don't rust nearly as quickly in AZ as they did in Indiana), but the dust is absolutely AWFUL. I am reminded of that every time we clean the house or change the air filters in our air conditioning system - I've NEVER lived anywhere that the filters got as dirty as they do here.

Having a nice glass-fronted case would be beautiful, but I don't have the room for it, and it would only alleviate the dust problem somewhat, rather than essentially eliminating the problem. Imagine, if you will: First, I've essentially just put the horn "back in its case", even though the case in this instance is a big glass thingy, rather than a traditional case. Second, every time I open the glass door, I do a nice job exchanging the air inside the cabinet with the air inside the room; you can think of having the saxes in a glass case as being similar to having the sax on a stand in a very small room. Since the doors are closed most of the time, not as much AZ dust gets in, but every time I do open the door, I let fresh dust in, which will settle onto the horns.

If I REALLY wanted to leave my saxes on stands in the music room, in Arizona, and didn't want there to be a dust issue, the only solution I could propose would be to make my music room into a low-grade "Clean Room". After donning my hairnet and booties, I could then walk right in and grab the sax! :wink:

I, too, have that compulsion to carefully clean the horn after every use. In fact, sometimes when I can't play the horn (like if we're watching a movie on TV, or someone is trying to take a nap, or something), I'll still get it out and work on it with the dust cloth. We may be getting to the root of why my alto pads have lasted for 23 years and are still in near-perfect condition...

Unfortunately, my best bet for regular practice probably needs to be, as stated earlier in the thread, some sort of routine, dedication to the work, and commitment to hard work. :(

And as for my wife's desire to have the horns look "pretty", rather than just having to look at a row of cases on the floor... well, she's probably out of luck. Unless she lets me buy a Clean Room.

[Zman]

WHAT IF THE DOG ATTACKS IT?!?!? What kind of dog do you have, Zman! LOL

Stacey, she's a 13-month-old Welsh Terrier with maximum self-esteem and minimum fear of reprisal. Only has two speeds: asleep or assaulting the universe. She probably would not actually attack my sax...but then, there was the coffee table...and my briefcase...and the JCPenney catalog...

[M Exner]

I agree with the comments about the dust. Leave anything on a stand for any length of time and there will be dust. Not good.

I also agree with those who say leave it on the stand and you are more likely than not to practice. I do that by the way.

So that leaves most people with a compromise to make.

Since I have no silver plating and that isn't an issue, then I just cover the saxes with a cloth on the stand (like some others have suggested). No big deal. 8) Mike

[SelmerSaksMan]

I did a test, One week I left my sax out on the stand, I logged 30 hours, next week I didnt, I logged 3. It is just such a pain in the *** to put it together. Nut seeing how my sax is silver, I try not to leave it out for more than a day. I want to get a bunch of tarnish strips and tape them together to make a anti tarnish bag, and put a cars bag over that so it doesnt waste the strips too much, but I havent even bought a single tarnish strip yet for my sax.

[Dr G]

Why, I once lived and worked in Bucks myself! (I guess that is "non-saxophone discussion", though.) Anyway, I lived in Gerrards Cross and worked in High Wycombe for a year or so. Twas a grand time.

And I lived in Hazelmere!

Ed Pillinger is in Middlesex county - I was born in South Ruislip.

Small, small world...

[Sigmund451]

As I have a kid I would never consider a stand. I simply swab my horn and leave it on a counter in my practice room/computer room/everything else extra room and leave the CASE OPEN so the pads can dry and the horn can air out. I have not had to dust my horn, I dont think thats a big issue. Ive also seen too many horns damaged by stands ...especially cheap ones....and a stand on carpet with padding adds more variables.

For me if I am going to practice I will, if not I wont....I guess every one is different. Another consideration is the safety of the neck. If your putting your horn on with the strap and the neck assembled you better look out for the ceiling. A lot of tenor necks get bashed on low ceilings when being put over the head assembled (depends on setup, strap, and other variables).

I always put my mouthpiece on the neck first to prevent any pull down issues or damage to the octave mechanism. I find you get the safest grip that way. Then I put the horn on, then I attach the neck.

To me its all part of the ritual of playing. It takes a little extra time but Im soaking my reed while doing this so once the set up is done Im full on ready to practice. So to me the case open seems like a good compromise.

[Swing It!!!! 5~6~7~8]

Hi~ This has been hysterical to say the least reading everybodys coments because of the fact that i have NEVER "swabed" my sax. :roll:
i also agree that with the stand u get more practice. But.......SWABING?!???
:? Wat in the world are u guys talking about????? :?: :? id get it... I thought that it would RUIN the finish....then again my Dad plays the trumpet and he gives it a bath evey once in a while.... i guess it's weird that i haven't yet cleaned my alto 'cause of the fact that I'm a GERM FREAK LoL!! :wink: so yeah.....wat is the defonition of.........drumroll...........SWABING???????? :lol: How is it done( not that i'm going to do it every night lol :wink: )??? Oh and the little kids thing and dog thing I can relate to. I have to little brothers and a choclate lab (puppy :wink: ) so yeah!!! Oh and this is totally unrelated to the topic but PLAY THE SAX FOR WAT IS WAS MENT TO PLAY P/E JAZZ!! (not classical)........Swing IT!!!!!!!!!!

[electricninja]

Actually I think the sax was meant for military marching bands.

[goodsax]

Hi~ This has been hysterical to say the least reading everybodys coments because of the fact that i have NEVER "swabed" my sax. :roll: i also agree that with the stand u get more practice. But.......SWABING?!??? :? Wat in the world are u guys talking about?????

In case you're serious about wanting to know what swabbing is, a swab is a square of chamois material (silk for smaller instruments) attached to a lanyard slightly longer than the body of the instrument with a weight of some kind at the other end and often a circular brush outside the chamois. One drops the weighted end of the lanyard through the sax body so that the weight can be retrieved and used to pull the chamois/brush assembly through the sax body to dry any moisture left internally as a result of playing.

A similar procedure can be done to the neck using either a silk swab assembly, or some kind of brush made of moisture absorbing material and a flexible shaft that bends with the curve of the neck.

Go to any source for woodwind accessories and ask/search for a sax, or clarinet, or flute cleaning kit and a swab most likely will be included in it. You must specify whether the sax is SAB, or T in order to get the correct size swab.

[Swing It!!!! 5~6~7~8]

so...goodsax...like...i have this thing that i bought at a music store that's orange and white...it's a looong piecie of flexable plastic that has fluffy..umm...yarnish lol.....sort of...stuff that i put in there every time after i play it :D Is that the equivalent of a (thanks for being so discriptive) swab??? :?: do u know wat i mean??? k good night ya'll!
OH! and ps to marching~ band~electric~ninja~ person!!! sorrie but ya gotta SWING IT!!!!

[goodsax]

Swing It!! No, that "thingie" is called a pad saver and is usually kept in the horn when not in use. I don't consider it equivalent, although it performs a similar function.

[Swing It!!!! 5~6~7~8]

Thank u goodsax!! so Swing it! Swab it! Save it!!! k.....nother question... does anybody know if u can clean u'r sax with soap and water????? can it be fully submurged??? or is it damiging to the instrument???? :? just wondering... BYE p/e :wink:

[JL]

I don't know about the soap & water treatment, but a SWAB is a cloth rag tied to a string with a weight on the end. You drop the weighted end of the string into the bell and through the horn, then pull the cloth through to pick up moisture. I do this everytime when I finish playing. I don't bother with the pad saver thingie. The swab seems to do the job just fine. But you should definitely do one or the other to help preserve your pads.

[JL]

Just noticed goodsax already described a swab. Sorry for the redundancy!

[Swing It!!!! 5~6~7~8]

Hey! Don't be sorry. Thanks for the input JL!

Keep playing that sax p/e!!!!!!!!!! :D

[Razzy]

Hey Swing It, when Adolph Sax designed the instrument, his intentions were unknown, but the basic idea was this: to design a single-reed instrument that would overblow at the octave. This had not yet been done, and it was thought that such an instrument could carry much projection and a very unique tone to boot. Sax was a gifted player and teacher of the clarinet, and eventually transferred his talents to the saxophone. He was involved with many of the first (classical) works being scored for the instrument, in solo and quartet forms.

So, if you want to play what the saxophone was designed for, realize that it was designed with the intentions of playing CLASSICAL and WIND BAND music, and that only about half a century or more after its inception, was it even ever considered in a jazz setting. When this occurred, many of the classical players of the instrument in France and elsewhere thought it a "perversion" of Sax's original intentions and definitely were not happy with what was being done with "their" instrument.

[Billy The Fish]

many of the classical players of the instrument in France and elsewhere thought it a "perversion"

I wondered why I was so naturally drawn to the sax and jazz :twisted:

Billy The Fish

[Razzy]

Uh oh! We've got a sicko on our hands! :shock:

Also, to elaborate a bit, you'll notice that this whole trend moved in cycles. There were of course those of the next generation of players (players from the turn of the century through the 30's) that thought the saxophone should play jazz and only jazz, and made it their business to make that a reality! They were successful. Then of course, hiding in the woodwork so to speak were people like Rascher and Mule. They were considered the founding fathers of the classical saxophone, but were in all reality reactionaries to the jazz movement that wanted to see the instrument return to its roots with a newfound glory! And they were successful, once again! Since then, with the synthesis of cultures that has been occurring ever since the 50's, it's been pretty much mixed up, and then of course rock cropped up, which scared the pants off of both jazz AND classical players! Then came of course funk, fusion, the smooth, and finally we have the eclectic mix that we have today, including the wonderful (note the sarcasm!) avant-garde 8)

[LBAjazz]

If you leave your horn out, you run the risk of flies laying eggs in your mouthpiece.I'm not kidding!

[Billy The Fish]

If you leave your horn out, you run the risk of flies laying eggs in your mouthpiece.I'm not kidding!

Not if you put the cap on as you are supposed too :shock: . Indeed, if you clean your mouthpiece after use it is unlikely to be a prime site for germs of any sort, let alone sax-loving flies !

(And anyway, whilst I leave my sax out, I don't leave the mouthpiece on as it applies undue compression on the cork).

Billy The Fish

[Swing It!!!! 5~6~7~8]

Talk about sick LBAjazz :oops: umm...wish u didn't share that, seeing that i nearly barffed at the thought of it :oops:

oh and razzy...What are u?? Some hi~fuluting~SAX HISTORY PROFESSOR lol???
WoW! Like a tone of info dude!
so kewl! thanks for the info...but as u said
There were of course those of the next generation of players( players of the turn of the century through the 30's) that thought the saxophone should play jazz and only jazz, and made it their business to make it a reality! *like the exlamation point i still have faith in u'r sax music taste*
THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL!

I myself am in a symfonic band while i am also in a jazz band and i think u can learn soooo much from classical pieces, so don't get me wrong, but i think once u have a solid fondation in u'r music, there is nothing so thrilling as to play JAZZ!

whether u keep u'r sax on the stand or in the case keep playing p/e!

It's good to talk to ya'll!!!!

and..................

SWING IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Swing It!!!! 5~6~7~8]

g2g to band lol!!! BYE!

[Jazzophone]

razzy...What are u?? Some hi~fuluting~SAX HISTORY PROFESSOR lol???

There you are, Razzy ... your new title of High-Falutin Sax History Professor. What a conversation topic. :roll:

[michaelbaird]

All of my horns that I play are on stands in my living room, in my face, so I will play them.

[Stacey]

For what it's worth (very little, probably) -

I recently spent a weekend moving furniture around the house to achieve the goal of swapping the "music room" (once known as the dining room) and the "office room" (also known as the den). Part of the work involved removing everything from a huge "curio" cabinet - old trophies, a Guinness bar towel and other reminders of my time living in the Isles, model cars, medals from music competitions, and mementoes of my long-deceased mother. Oh, right - the point of all this...

After everything was removed, and the curio cabinet was moved into the other room, I took a good look at the inside of the cabinet. All of the glass shelves were FILTHY and covered in fine dust. These shelves were in a cabinet that is opened perhaps once every 60 days or so, and SEEMS very tightly sealed. The cabinet is in a room that usually has the door closed. The room is in a house that is new, tightly sealed, with extensive filtering in the air conditioning and heating system. THIS is what you would be fighting if you left a sax on a stand, at least here in AZ. This was about a 9-month buildup, BTW.

Having said that, I think I have a cabinet design in my head that would work very well. I will have to get my artistically-enabled wife to draw it for me, and I'll see about getting someone to make me a custom cabinet (when we're not so financially challenged, in about 30 years). I envision something that is a little over six feet tall, maybe 78 inches or so, and perhaps 54 inches wide. At the bottom would be double (windowless)doors, behind which instrument cases would reside. Perhaps the cases could even sit on a slide-out "thing". Above this section would be a couple of drawers, for reeds, mouthpieces, neck straps, etc. Note that this design won't work for those people who own 250 mouthpieces.

Above the drawers would be a 48-inch section with two large mostly-glass doors on the front, plus glass on each side panel, and a mirrored back. Inside, on individual stands, you could see my soprano, alto, C-melody, and as-yet-undelivered Unison tenor. Finally, somewhere in the top of the cabinet, there would be two to four recessed lights pointing down, something to keep humidity low but existent, and possibly even a little air circulation system with a commonly-available, replaceable filter.

Ain't it a beauty?

Perhaps I'd better keep my day job... :wink:

[Kenfen]

I put mine back in the case away from small hands and clumsy owners. I don't need them out for motivation. The case is always close by, and I can be playing in 60 seconds or less.

Regards,

Kenfen

[saxlife]

I keep both of my altos safe, clean and secure in their cases.

[freeman]

I don't really think the ambient air in my townhouse is any more detrimental to the horn's finish than that in a case with a very small amount of air space, surround by chemically dyed cloth, glued to foam, and in a case that is glued at the joints. That's the air I wouldn't want to be breathing all the time.

actually you're right about that; that does cause me thinking. How different is the air/condition in the case different then from the air/condition on a stand?

i could list several that i think of now...

1. constant moving air (at least it's not as "stagnant", or as "non-moving" as the air inside of the case). This means that the air constantly gets circulated, vs the static packet of air that never does change in the case.

-> This has implications for humidity, and for dust. If the pads are too wet, leaving them in a case closed probably wont do much to help dry out the pads (let ignore the material of the padding of the case for a while now; even if we were to include that in, this behaviour would still be bad in the long term anyways). Dust wise... that will probably be for you and your experienced sax buddies in your area to find out/know.

-> this also means that the environment surrounding the horn will not be as "stable" as that in the case


2. exposure to light/uv (???)

dunno how much effect this has actually on the finish of an instrument, but... uv is definitely there... (ok, admittedly, this shouldnt be <i>that</i> much of a worrying factor - but it still is info for the paranoid to know).


3. more exposure to environmental changes

temperature changes - ambient air temperature, or sunlight/other heat sources (aircon, electric appliances, etc. etc.???) coming into the room

humidity changes

others


4. other external "non-stationary" factors

eg. your dog (as previously mentioned), your kids, yourself (if you're not careful moving about in your room), etc. etc...


this is all that i can think of right now (and i'm rushing to get out of the house). Perhaps i will add in more stuff as i think of them later. But the feeling i get so far after thinking through all of this is hm... seems like the more u leave your sax out of the case, the more the things to worry about. Perhaps (maintenance-wise - i'm not talking about motivation-wise, which i agree should really come from within) it would be better after you're done drying your pads after a workout with the sax to leave it in the case until you take it out again???


anybody any comments?

[saxlife]

Sometimes at home, things can get a little smokey in the kitchen and then spreads throughout the house. Another bad thing is having someone who smokes tobacco living with you. That stuff leaves everything coated with a brownish yellow film. I wouldn't want that deposited on my horns.

[Morry]

I think I have a cabinet design in my head that would work very well. I will have to get my artistically-enabled wife to draw it for me, and I'll see about getting someone to make me a custom cabinet (when we're not so financially challenged, in about 30 years).....

Inside, on individual stands, you could see my soprano, alto, C-melody, and as-yet-undelivered Unison tenor.

That time frame should be about right for the delivery of that tenor. :-)

Sorry, I really couldn't help myself.

[Morry]

Another bad thing is having someone who smokes tobacco living with you. That stuff leaves everything coated with a brownish yellow film. I wouldn't want that deposited on my horns.

Or, in my lungs.

Ok, I've used up my smarta$$ quota for the night.

[Stacey]

First of all - Morry, you're a BAD PERSON. No more talk of Unison deliveries is allowed! :wink:

Now, to my point:

2. exposure to light/uv (???)

dunno how much effect this has actually on the finish of an instrument, but... uv is definitely there... (ok, admittedly, this shouldnt be <i>that</i> much of a worrying factor - but it still is info for the paranoid to know).

3. more exposure to environmental changes

temperature changes - ambient air temperature, or sunlight/other heat sources (aircon, electric appliances, etc. etc.???) coming into the room

humidity changes

others...

anybody any comments?

Regarding #2: I think the main effect of UV exposure would actually be beneficial - it might kill a few of the micro-critters that thrive in places like moist pads and soggy reeds. Unless you live in a glass house, though, the effects (positive OR negative) should be negligible.

Regarding #3: The horn in its case would still be EXPOSED to humidity changes (unless it is environmentally sealed, which I'm sure it is not) and temperature changes. But with the insulation and limitied airflow provided by the case, there would be a very long time constant. If you carry your sax in its case outside on a 100-degree day, you'll both end up uncomfortably hot, but you will reach that point much faster than your sax will!

As an experiment to prove absolutely nothing, but to have a nice afternoon, I suggest the following: Put a six-pack of your favorite beer in a small cooler with ice. Place the cooler and your sax case in the sun on a warm day. Sit in a comfy chair in the shade, getting up only to retrieve beer from the cooler. See if you can drink all six beers before either the beer or the sax get warm. Then dutifully report your results to the SOTW community!

[michaelbaird]

I leave my horns out on stands and don't have any problems. I have problems when I put them in the case....I don't play them.

[M Exner]

This experiment could provide some interesting reading on the dutifully reported data! :)

[freeman]

This experiment could provide some interesting reading on the dutifully reported data! :)

:oops: <Hic>! <hic>...

yeah, i know - the case isn't a totally sealed off environment...

[wthalliii]

4. other external "non-stationary" factors

eg. your dog (as previously mentioned), your kids, yourself (if you're not careful moving about in your room), etc. etc...

Happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I had my bari out on the stand. I was between it and the shelf behind it with my back to it, and forgot it was there. I backed into it and it hit the floor. I had to take it to the shop so it would play again. Fortunately, it only bent the G# mechanism. Even more fortunate, they found a couple of leaks I had been fighting without realizing it, so the whole experience resulted in a horn that plays better.

I still keep a couple of horns out so I can pick one up when I have a few seconds to spare. I'll just be more careful in the future. For instance, I'll put them closer to the wall so I won't be tempted to get behind them.

[sabritas]

If you love your sax....always keep it in the case. A sax is likey to fall over on a stand no matter how safe it is. A stand is by its nature accident prone. Its fine to want to display your Mark VI or Ref 36- (etc) like a piece of art which they are.... but stands are inherently not safe....

[attyjkenny]

I have a pair of Buscher 400s that I bought new in 1954 and 1956 and know the secret of keeping them in good playing condition eventhough I only do about 3-4 gigs a month in my old age.
1. Leave it in the case
2. Never clean anything
3. Never try to fix anything
4. Take it to the tech every year for regulation and adjustment
5. Take it to the tech every 3-4 year for pads
6. Buy a new Selmer to put on a stand or on your wall if you want something that looks nice. You need one horn to play and one for show.
7. Make a deal with your tech. He woun't play your gigs and you wont fix your horn.

[chipmorrison]

I love my post-practice ritual with my 1920s Conn tenor. I:
1. Remove neck.
2. Stick a swab in the horn (one of those fluffy sticks).
3. Remove mouthpiece from neck.
4. Remove reed from mouthpiece.
5. Rinse and clean reed, using a fingernail to scape off sludge.
6. Replace reed in reed case, after rotating. (I use a 5-reed rotation).
7. Rinse and dry inside of neck with three sheets of paper towel folded tightly so I can twist it down through the neck.
8. Rinse and dry mouthpiece, using fingernail to scrape off sludge.
9. Clamp keys using key clamps and remove swab.
10. Replace neck on horn, loosely.
11. Place horn on stand, mouthpiece and lig on table next to it, next to reed case, ready to go for next session.

The whole operation takes about 5 minutes, and I enjoy every minute. I realize this might be a little obsessive, but it works for me, and, I think, for the little lady in brass.

[Vortex]

I have a flight-case... it seals airtight, so it's able to resist quite a lot of pressure and remain intact, plus there's no risk of anything getting in and damaging the sax.

On my stand, lets see... it could get knocked over, particles WILL accumulate on it, and am I any more likely to play than if it's in the case? Nope!

It's not worth the risk, folks. Put the sax in the case where it belongs (in hypocracy, I keep both my guitars on stands 24/7, one of them wall-mounted :shock: )