Instrument Repair Tips by Rheuben Allen Fixing Sticky Saxophone Keys
The sticky G# and low C#! Saying "My G# sticks" is the equivilant of when an
alto player says their E is sharp. There has never been a saxophone that didn't
have a sharp middle E or a G# that stuck from time to time. Why does the G#
stick? Because the pad is closed against the tone hole, whatever gets on the
pad - coke, diet coke, or pepsi if you prefer or that candy bar that you ate
before you played contributes to sticky keys. Whatever is on the pad dries on
both the pad and the tonehole.
There are many ways to try to stop the sticky G#, such as:
1. Put a very thin plastic sandwich wrap between the G# pad and tone hole so
the seat of the pad will not change when it dries.
2. Have the spring made as strong as possible without making the G# hard to
finger.
3. Change the direction of the spring - the leverage is very important to the
operation of the G#.
4. Replace the blue steel spring with a stainless steel spring. The stainless
steel spring works differently than the blue steel and seems to have more tension.
5. Brush your teeth and tongue before playing.
