I have a Yamaha YAS-280 alto saxophone and had it since I got it new last November. When I play it, I brush my teeth beforehand and only drink water to not to blow anything unwanted into it as I play. I usually play for about 2-3 hours about 4-5 times a week. When done, I clean the mouthpiece, swab out the body and neck well, dry the neck cork to remove any cork grease, use pad dryer on the pads and Yamaha powder paper to keep the pads from sticking. I also have key leaves which I put on the low keys to keep them and the G# open to prevent sticking. I leave it out to air dry for a few hours before putting it away. I don't play nor leave it in a humid environment with the room I play it in being between 43-55% humidity usually.
Back in late June/early July I started noticing several pads were sticking constantly, so I sent to a good repairer to check over as I also accidently knocked it over on its stand and needed one of the low keys fixed. She checked the pads and the tone holes and did some adjustments and fixed the damage. I got it back, but soon after, the sticking was back. The repairer said she didn't notice the sticking when she had it, but said she'd look at it again, so sent it back to her and I had 5 of the pads that I found the sticking mostly in, replaced with new ones, from the darker Yamaha pads with plastic resonators to orange pads with metal resonators (not sure which pads these are). I got it back, and after playing it on/off for a week, and I am still having sticking issues, not as bad on the replaced pads (low C seems to stick ever so slightly, one of the replaced pads), but it is there and making the keys with the sticking feel slightly sluggish to play and I can hear the sticking sound. I even sent her a recording I took of the sticking pads so she could hear the sticking, but she said she is lost at what to do next to fix the sticking as she can't seem to find a fix for it and she said I was doing everything right in terms of cleaning and drying the saxophone after playing it.
Anyone know what I can do? The issue seems to happen a few minutes after I start playing and won't go away no matter what I have tried.
Back in late June/early July I started noticing several pads were sticking constantly, so I sent to a good repairer to check over as I also accidently knocked it over on its stand and needed one of the low keys fixed. She checked the pads and the tone holes and did some adjustments and fixed the damage. I got it back, but soon after, the sticking was back. The repairer said she didn't notice the sticking when she had it, but said she'd look at it again, so sent it back to her and I had 5 of the pads that I found the sticking mostly in, replaced with new ones, from the darker Yamaha pads with plastic resonators to orange pads with metal resonators (not sure which pads these are). I got it back, and after playing it on/off for a week, and I am still having sticking issues, not as bad on the replaced pads (low C seems to stick ever so slightly, one of the replaced pads), but it is there and making the keys with the sticking feel slightly sluggish to play and I can hear the sticking sound. I even sent her a recording I took of the sticking pads so she could hear the sticking, but she said she is lost at what to do next to fix the sticking as she can't seem to find a fix for it and she said I was doing everything right in terms of cleaning and drying the saxophone after playing it.
Anyone know what I can do? The issue seems to happen a few minutes after I start playing and won't go away no matter what I have tried.