Saxophone Assembly
1. Soak the thin half of the reed in your mouth.
2. Loosen the neck screws slightly. Attach the neck to the body. The center of the neck, which is also the center of the reinforcement bracket, should always be lined up with the strap eyelet. After you line it up correctly, just tighten the neck screw so that the neck does not move around.
3. Attach the mouthpiece to the neck; push the mouthpiece about halfway down the cork.
4. Take the reed out of your mouth and place the flat part of it over the bottom of the mouthpiece. Hold the reed in place with the mouthpiece.
5. Slide the ligature over the mouthpiece and the reed.
6. Align the top of the reed with the end curve of the mouthpiece. When looking at the mouthpiece from the top, the reed should not be hanging over the mouthpiece curve. Tighten the screws on the ligature.
Saxophone Care and Maintenance
1. Hold onto the bell and neck when assembling the saxophone. Be careful not to bend any of the keys.
2. When attaching or adjusting the mouthpiece, hold onto the neck. This will help you avoid bending the neck.
3. Hold the sax by the bell when you are taking the sax out or putting it back into its case. Do not touch the keys to avoid bending the keys.
4. Never pick up a saxophone by the neck.
5. Use an end plug to protect the octave pin.
6. Attach a piece of cloth to a string with a small weight on the end. The string should be long enough to go through the saxophone body. The weight must be smaller than the opening at the top, and the cloth must be small enough to fit snugly in that opening, but large enough to touch the inside of the sax body.
7. To clean the sax - pop the weight into the bell, turn the horn upside down so that it comes out of the opening; Pull the cloth through. Repeat several times.
8. Lube the neck cork with cork grease or Vaseline.
9. Wipe the sax several times a week with a damp cloth and buff dry.
10. Wash the mouthpiece daily with lukewarm (never hot) water.
11. Wipe dry the mouthpiece with a tissue or cloth after playing.
12. Never play the same reed two days in a row.
13. Wrap the mouthpiece and neck in soft cloths. Do not allow them to rattle around loose in the case.
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