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Is A Case Needed For Around The House?

3K views 18 replies 16 participants last post by  JL 
#1 ·
Is it necessary to put my instrument back in its case whenever I finish practicing or can I leave it out on the sofa? What are your thoughts?
 
#2 ·
I shudder when I see horns sitting on the couch - too many opportunities for something to get bent. :shock: But if you don’t care about your horn, why should I? :twisted: :bluewink:

I keep my horn on a stand during breaks, then put it away in its case when I am done playing.

Consider also whether you have others in the house that may contribute to the potential for accidents (kids, animals, roommates, drunken friends... You get the picture, I hope.
 
#3 ·
You need to keep it clean and safe, right? So...it depends.
I see no reason (for me) to keep instruments that I play daily in cases. Cases are for safety in transport and storage.
Your instrument will dry out after playing faster in the air than in a case.
If there aren't kids, pets, tornadoes inside your home, that what purpose is the case serving?
That being said, I'm not a proponent of keeping the reed on the mouthpiece, or the mouthpiece on the horn. Those parts should come off.
If it's out, I'll play it more.

I also play guitar, and one issue with vintage guitars is disintegration of plastic areas (binding, pickguards, etc) on the instruments. I guarantee you that 99% of vintage guitars with binding rot spend most of their time in cases.
 
#6 ·
In my experience I keep it in the case as much as possible to prevent accidents which WILL happen.

I never use a stand as I feel that is just asking nature to tip it over. I had a mark VI tenor that I tipped forward off the stand by accident and it was not a good day.

So I'm def in the case camp
 
#8 ·
Anything that even resembles a chair people will sit on. The chances of you accidentally sitting on your own sax is 100%. Feel lucky?
For some odd reason saxes are sold in cases. I don't know any that come with a stand.
 
#9 ·
I reckon a stand or an open case are the safest place to leave a sax in at home in between playing. The worst you can do to it though is put is back in the case right after playing and close it. Any humidity left in the case will ruin your sax over time. I usually leave my sax in the open case for a few hours after playing before shutting it closed. And that’s of course after swabbing it to remove excess humidity first.
 
#11 ·
This. And not having any kids or pets.

For a while I kept four horns on (2 double) stands, which were perched up on top of a long, tallish bench/table set against the wall. The stands were very stable there, and little to no chance of them being bumped or banged into. Too much audio equipment on the bench now, plus sold a couple horns, so back to properly positioned single stands now.
 
#14 ·
The way we choose to keep our saxophones varies widely . . . there are no rules. However, I live in earthquake country and while I keep my playing horns on stands, they are on carpeted floors rather than tables or benches because the probability of being shaken off their stands from on high is real. DAVE
 
#15 ·
I mounted a wall rack in my basement where I practice because I didn't want to leave my horn on a stand where it might get bumped. My assumption was that being out would let it stay dry better than casing it after every use. We came back from vacation a couple of months ago to a funny-smelling house and a leaking water heater. My sax case (1960 wood frame) was marinating in the flood, had soaked through and had already begun growing mold. I'm glad that my horn wasn't in it.
 
#16 ·
See post 14. Today, we had a strong (6.4) earthquake - I was about 100+ miles away from the center of it and our house shook quite a bit - the first quake I've felt in this house and we've been in it 24+ years. I had my alto on a folding stand and my soprano on a floor-peg, on a carpeted floor. Fortunately, both remained on their stands and did not fall over. Talk about being prescient! DAVE
 
#19 ·
See post 14. Today, we had a strong (6.4) earthquake -

Talk about being prescient! DAVE
Not to mention the 7.1 that hit just yesterday on the same fault. Prescient indeed, Dave. And you are a fair distance from where those quakes hit; your horn may not have stayed upright if they hit closer to L.A.! So yeah, I live near the San Andreas Fault up here in the Bay Area, I'm a geologist and so am aware of what can and will (eventually) happen. I do leave my sax on a stand during breaks on gigs and also at home while taking a break from practicing. But after I'm through for the day, I put it back in its case and leave the case open for a couple of hours for the horn to dry out (after swabbing it). Sometimes I leave it out on the stand to dry, but then I have to remind myself that the 'big one' could hit any time. It's possible in that situation that the sax falling over would not be the worst of my problems, though...

For those who use a stand, even for short periods and especially on gigs, get a good one. Like this one:

http://saxrax.us.com/SAXRAX-Alto/Tenor-stand
 
#17 ·
Leave it on the sofa? Why would you ever leave it on the sofa? You may as well leave it on the roof of your car! I leave my horns on the stand at home. And my stand is on a short pedestal up against a wall with a cabinet on either side so that nothing can bump them. I like leaving them on the stand after playing so they can air dry (swabbing doesn't completely dry them.) and also they're out and at the ready.
 
#18 ·
My horn never goes in its case if I can avoid it. To me the case is for transportation only.

I have put my sax on a couch before, only to see it laying in an awkward position and not having the reed protected properly. And someone inevitably bumps into it. (It is asking for trouble)

Good hygiene includes:

1). Removing your mouthpiece and neck from the horn after each session.
2). Swabbing horn, removing reed, cleaning mouthpiece, swabbing neck after each session.
3). Placing horn on a stand to air dry. Placing reed, neck, and mouthpiece in a safe place to remained dry or flat

Since I started this routine, I have recognized the following benefits.

1). Stopped having sticky keys
2). Stopped damaging my reeds inadvertently.
3). Stopped worrying about my horn tipping over through someone bangin into it (neck and mouthpiece stick out a lot if not removed)

I have one kid in the house. Not a problem. My stand sits on carpet - sax has never tipped over.

On the other hand, just about every time I place my sax on a sofa, someone (including myself) bumps into it accidentally and I have to replace my reed or it ends up banging on the floor...........

The SOFA is a VERY expensive rack. And if you to think it is someone else’s fault for banging into the sax on a sofa, that is like getting mad at someone for cracking your egg, which you just placed on the ground behind his car. You are setting yourself up for failure.
 
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