Wow, w020, very nice instrument. I think there is a thin layer of something that protect the pad that will come off with playing. I clean my pads with benzine, maybe that helps?

 

Returning your saxophone won't necessarily get you a better situation , the problem is not one sax or the other from Thomann or not, nor is it what people would often say your eating or drinking habits (the saxophone is new). The problem is that almost all modern pads show some degree of sticking due to the treatment of their surface. Some have not shown this much or at all but they are aftermarket ones. I have had MM white kangaroo pads and then Pisoni Black pads (maybe kangaroo too), they didn't stick much (white ones) or at all (black ones). Also putting pads leaves to keep item dry, on a new horn, seems to be ridiculous, to me.

Anyway.

Powder will be a temporary and MESSY solution, I hate it. It makes your pads look like they are mouldy and in the end the powder becomes PART of the problem instead of being the solution (literally needs to be " solved" )

There are literally hundreds of threads on sticky pads where you can read plenty of things.

Search results for query: sticky pads

www.saxontheweb.net

What has worked for me was using of lighter fluid (a better solvent than alcohol in my not so humble opining), to clean and then spraying some teflon or some silicone on some absorbing paper ( blotting or watercolour paper for example) then you put it in between pad and tone hole and you open and close the pad for several cycles.

Repeat when needed

Again, this is not a special Yanagisawa problem but a general one and any other the existing threads would have been a good place to post this.

Another thing, you can use also the sandpaper method (in the past there were rows among techs about this), put a 0000 piece of sandpaper with the " gritty" side against the tone hole and lightly pull though (does the same thing of the dollar. bill of piece of paper removes the softened , adhesive layer of dirt and lacquer forming between the pad and tone hole) it won't take away any metal if that's what is worrying you, unless you do this every day for longer than human life.

 

A-W01 and A-W020 Elite on trial from Thomann.

Hi, you paid them both in advance or they arranged something different for trial?

 

Is it a lot of the pads, or just certain ones in particular?

 

Typically you would have to buy both and get a refund on the one(s) you return.

 

Play it for a couple hours to see if the stickiness goes away.

 

This, and cigarette lighter fluid on a good cotton swab or bent pipe cleaner should do it.

 

I thought that they would have at least set the horns up properly, before they sent them out? Do you reckon you got a dud? Could you take it in and swap it for another one?

These are top end horns?

 

My BW010, which I purchased earlier this year, had a terribly sticky G sharp from the getgo. I finally had to have the pad replaced after lots of attempts to fix it.

 

Did the pad replacement eliminate the issue?

 

I already own a Selmer SA-80 S2 but need a second sax. So I have ordered 2 brand new Yanagisawa: A-W01 and A-W020 Elite on trial from Thomann.
Have so far only unpacked the A-W020 and have noticed that the pads are very sticky.
Have search the SOTW and found recommendation to use thin cigarette paper with some alcohol, but hesitant abt the alcohol in case I want to return the A-W020.
Have contacted Thoman and they have offered to send Yamaha Powder paper (Yamaha Powder Paper) ... i guess this will help me fix the issue

However, just came to wonder ... if this could be a general issue for Yanagisawa saxophones, the A-W020 model - or if the sax im trying out has been used before and has not been properly cleaned - in which case it should be easy to fix??
Really like this instrument - and want to buy it - however, if ithe issue is going to persist, ie if it is a design flaw and I have to do excessive cleaning every time I use it (compared to how I clean my Selmer - which once in a whle have issues with the G# pad) - then I maybe should look for another brand/model.
Any thoughts?

I had also a new Soprano W010 with exactly same issue. After some use of powder paper, no problems at all.

 

Looks like it is a general issue for Yany besides the lacquer issue. My TWO1 keys are quite sticky. The G# key would get sticky (delayed opening) if the horn is not played for a while. The Yamaha powder paper will do the trick to get the sticky pads fixed for a period of time.

 

If your primary concern is durability and build quality, stay with one of the time tested brands, not one of the many Taiwanese rebrands.

Among the big 4 (Selmer, Keilwerth, Yamaha and Yanagisawa), Yanagisawa has the best build quality. Selmer has had some awful years where quality was subpar, Yamaha has had issues with necks in recent years (although it seems to have been addressed), and Keilwerth had some outrageously bad quality control when it comes to their rolled tone holes.

Ask a tech with enough experience, and they will all say that Yanagisawa horns have the best setup out of the box, and is the company which is the most consistent.
router login

picashow

 

If your primary concern is durability and build quality, stay with one of the time tested brands, not one of the many Taiwanese rebrands.

Among the big 4 (Selmer, Keilwerth, Yamaha and Yanagisawa), Yanagisawa has the best build quality. Selmer has had some awful years where quality was subpar, Yamaha has had issues with necks in recent years (although it seems to have been addressed), and Keilwerth had some outrageously bad quality control when it comes to their rolled tone holes.

Ask a tech with enough experience, and they will all say that Yanagisawa horns have the best setup out of the box, and is the company which is the most consistent.

Dear Sir/Madam

I don't know where you got this information from, or where you hoping to go with it, but I have to say I don't see how this has anything to do with helping the OP solve his sticky pad problem?

 

Just want to second @milandro ’s great advice. Lighter fluid on a cotton bud or cigarette paper, and be sure to wipe the surface of the tone hole with strong paper. (Not sure I would use the sandpaper trick on a horn I might return. My own horn, though, absolutely. ). No powder paper.

 

Thks for all the comments ... bought some 80% alcohol fluid on the local farmacy and applied with cigarette paper - did the trick. Im also now the happy owner of a Yanagisawa A-W020

 

Sticky pads on a new Yanagisawa like the A-W020 are actually pretty common early on. I’ve had luck just using thin paper to gently clean them, sometimes even a little naphtha helps. Usually clears up after a few sessions. Took a quick break from Null’s Brawl to share this, hope it helps.

 

I had the same problem on my new WO1 baritone. I’ve tried everything you mentioned, but the only thing that worked was to clean all the pads with baking paper.

 

The Yamaha’s powder paper is not like you’re pouring powder on the pad, making a mess. The actual powder layer on the paper is so thin you can’t even see it at naked eye. A couple taps on the pad removes the stickiness immediately. I’ve used them occasionally over decades and never experienced any build up or other issues. Typically used it a handful of times in the early life of new pads that may be sticky. After a few month playing them the stickiness usually went away permanently.

 

This is a tip from the late Ken Beason, using a non bristled pipe cleaner apply a thin layer of of campo phenique to all of your pads, not just the sticky ones. You will probably have to reapply every 2-3 months but it has worked like a charm for me and my pads never stick until the coating wears off.Hope this helps, and I miss you Ken you crazy bugger!