All About Saxophone Pads

The most important part of any discussion about saxophone pads is getting them level. The next consideration is installing them in the pad cups so they can be leveled with as little trouble as possible. These two parts of the process go hand in hand.

Ferree’s carries a representative selection of every conventional saxophone pad available, along with our custom pads:

• B56 pads, .185 inch or 4.7 mm thick
• B62 pads, .160 inch or 4.1 mm thick, designed for newer and Asian-made instruments

Cliff originally developed the B62 design several years ago for Armstrong, formerly associated with H. Couf and Keilwerth. It combines the low-maintenance benefits of a plastic resonator with projection similar to that of a metal resonator.

These pads and the supplies needed to customize them appear on pages 79 through 92 of the 2001 green catalog. Customization may include fitting larger resonators to smaller pads, matching resonators to tone holes or selecting different pad thicknesses to compensate for key geometry, damaged keys, body damage or poor previous repairs.

Contrary to information that may appear elsewhere, Conn Res-O pads and Buescher Snap-On pads are still available and have been available all along.

Ferree’s manufactured these pads while the Conn and Buescher plants were still in production. We continue to offer them for repair technicians who want to preserve an instrument’s originality or complete an accurate restoration.

For technicians who may not be familiar with these designs:

• The B50 Conn Res-O pad has a metal ring surrounding the felt beneath the leather.
• The B60 Buescher Snap-On pad has a nearly pad-sized metal washer in the back with a large opening for the snap.

What Does a Saxophone Pad Do?

A saxophone pad has one basic job: sealing air inside the instrument.

It is essentially a gasket, sometimes decorated with conchos or resonators to improve its appearance or alter its characteristics. Some pads are plain. Others have a rivet, a washer secured by a rivet or a carefully designed plastic resonator.

Despite the different appearances and claims, most saxophone pads are fundamentally similar. The wool, leather and cardboard generally come from the same basic sources, whether the finished pad is supplied by an instrument manufacturer or an aftermarket company. Felt thickness and construction can create meaningful differences, but the basic materials remain the same.

Pads are now available in many colors. It has even been suggested that black dye might produce a harder surface than brown or tan dye and provide more projection. One of the more interesting designs to look at is the colorful “wavy-gravy” style, sometimes combining a gold-anodized resonator with purple leather.

This also raises a practical question: if a large amount of material extends into the tone hole, could it occupy enough space to affect the instrument’s pitch or tuning? It is worth considering how every component interacts with the instrument rather than selecting a design based only on appearance.

Basic Saxophone Pad Construction

A saxophone pad is primarily made from three components, not including the assembly adhesive and decorative elements:

1. Leather
2. Felt
3. Stiff craft paper or cardboard backing

The specifications of these materials can vary depending on the manufacturer and the person describing them. However, the fundamental components are still very similar.

The Leather

Most pad leather is similar in its basic construction. It may be tanned, colored or treated differently for a particular purpose, but it is usually ordered within a similar thickness range.

Leather texture can vary from one sheep to another and even across different areas of the same animal. Having every pad made from the same sheep might be like owning a numbers-matching automobile, but it is doubtful that anyone could detect a meaningful difference in either the car or the saxophone.

Leather may respond differently depending on how it was treated before becoming a pad. However, the player’s treatment of the finished pad may create a much larger variable. Saliva, alcohol, environmental conditions and body chemistry can all affect how the leather ages and performs.

The Felt

Felt has more influence on a pad’s response than almost any other component. Changes in the felt can make a pad softer, firmer or stiffer. These characteristics affect how easily the pad accepts a seat and how deeply the tone hole presses into its surface.

Most modern pads are relatively soft and work extremely well. Some older instruments used extremely soft pads because felt manufacturing was not as refined at the time. Many of those instruments were finished in sandblasted silver, if you get my drift.

Today’s stiffer felt pads are often preferred by repair technicians who are confident in their leveling skills and do not want the tone hole to press as deeply into the leather. A shallower seat may provide a quicker release and faster key action.

For a professional player who wants extremely responsive keys, a stiffer pad may be an excellent choice. However, it takes more time and precision to install correctly. With a stiffer pad, level must truly mean level.

These pads may also last longer because the tone hole does not cut as deeply into the leather.

E42 Sax Pad Slicks can be especially helpful when working with these pads. They protect the pad face from marks while allowing the pad to be leveled accurately. The slicks are not intended to bend or manipulate the pad. “Sax pad protectors” might actually be a more accurate name.

The Adhesive

The following portion of a letter from Pat closely reflects our experience with amber shellac:

Dear Gary, I probably will not shout to the high heavens about the advantages of using amber shellac when installing saxophone pads. However, I have now repadded my third saxophone since our visit less than a month ago.

Why did I abandon the method I learned from you and Cliff so many years ago? That makes no difference at this point. These last three jobs have renewed my confidence in amber shellac. It is enjoyable to be able to nurse a pad into levelness with so much ease.

In my opinion, there is no comparison between this shellac method and the frequently recommended hot-melt glues. I simply had to express my opinion.

Later, Pat

Saxophone Pad Installation and Leveling

Part I: How It Was Done in the Past

In the old days, pad installation seemed fairly straightforward.

Technicians checked the pad cups against a bench anvil to make sure they were flat. They checked the tone holes with a tone hole file to make sure they were level. They also knew the pads were flat.

After installing the pads, the remaining task should have been simply leveling each pad cup to its tone hole.

Why was the process still so difficult?

First, the components did not always meet as perfectly as expected. Technicians would apply a small amount of shellac to hold the pad in the cup, heat the cup to melt the shellac and press the pad cup against a bench anvil with the handle of a leather mallet. They held everything in place while it cooled to keep the assembly flat.

Fortunately, pads did not have as many decorative resonators and components as they often do today. Even after this process, the pad, cup and tone hole did not always meet perfectly.

Second, most saxophone keys were made from brass rather than nickel silver, German silver or “white brass.” A few instruments did have solid non-yellow keys, but most saxophone keys were not as strong as flute keys. They could distort as soon as the first bending adjustment was made.

Most pads also had too little shellac beneath them to compensate for distortion. This was especially true of Conn Res-O and Buescher Snap-On pads, which commonly had almost no shellac behind them. It appears that manufacturers expected the pads to remain in place through friction and a press fit.

They assumed everything was perfect. We know it was not, and it still is not. Fortunately, today’s methods make the process considerably easier.

Part II: Modern Installation and Leveling

We still try to ensure that the tone holes are level and that the pad cups are in the same plane. The modern method simply provides more flexibility and efficiency.

Inspect the Instrument Before Beginning

Always check the saxophone before starting the repad.

Correct all obvious mechanical problems, including:

• Removing dents
• Straightening the body
• Straightening bent keys
• Tightening the neck tenon
• Returning bent posts to their proper positions
• Correcting other visible damage or alignment problems

If you could inspect only two areas, first check the attack angle and centering of the bell keys. Pay particular attention to Selmer-style bell keys, which are found on most modern saxophones.

The second critical area is where the bell brace connects to the body. On older instruments, damage in this area often affects two tone holes. Those tone holes will almost certainly need to be leveled after the dent work is completed.

Newer instruments may not require dent removal in this area, but they may still need one or two adjustments.

Put the instrument into a quick, reasonably playable condition before beginning the repad. It does not need to be perfect. The purpose is to identify problems that could interfere with the repair later.

This preliminary inspection usually takes only 10 to 20 minutes, but it can save hours of frustration. When you are already an hour and a half into a repad, you do not want to suddenly ask, “Man, how did they do that?”

Once the major mechanical problems are corrected, you know you are starting with an instrument that can be successfully repaired.

Select the Correct Pad Thickness

After correcting the mechanical problems, the next step is selecting the proper pad thickness:

• .160 inch or approximately 4.0 mm
• .185 inch or approximately 4.7 mm

The correct thickness is determined by how the back of the pad approaches the tone hole. The relationship at the back should be correct first because it is generally easier to bend the front of the pad cup downward than it is to lower the back.

There are exceptions. A pad may be too thick to function properly at the back because of the hinge point or attack angle.

Also remember that lowering the back of a pad cup pushes the center of the pad outward toward the front of the tone hole. The center moves farther during this adjustment than it does when the front of the cup is bent downward. I do not know why. It simply does.

Most older instruments use .185-inch or 4.7 mm pads. Most newer instruments use .160-inch or 4.0 mm pads. However, some very old saxophones also use .160-inch pads.

There is no dependable rule of thumb. You must examine the instrument and select the thickness that makes the repair easier and produces the correct geometry.

Clean and Fit the Pad Cups

Clean the pad cups thoroughly so you know exactly what is inside them.

Fit each pad snugly, but not so tightly that the leather wrinkles. Some pads will fit tightly enough to remain in place temporarily. Others will require shellac to stay in the cup.

During several of my “coffee clinics,” I purposely installed pads that were .5 mm too small. This demonstrated that a slightly undersized pad can still work when it is installed correctly.

In an emergency, you can use a slightly smaller pad without anyone noticing. Keep the pad tight against the front of the cup. No one will see a gap in the back that is only about six hairs wide.

Why We Use Amber Shellac

After more than 45 years of experience, I have found that amber shellac does everything required of a saxophone pad adhesive well enough that I have no reason to change.

Amber shellac:

• Holds better than clear shellac in cold conditions, including Michigan winters
• Remains liquid or molten long enough to position and level the pad
• Is easy to work with
• Sets firmly and solidly
• Helps adjustments and regulations remain stable
• Avoids the soft or mushy feeling sometimes associated with hobby glue, “George’s milk-carton glue” and hot-melt adhesives

Adhesive selection involves personal preference and experience, but amber shellac has consistently provided the properties needed for this work.

Applying Shellac to the Pad

Heat the shellac and melt a raised ring around the back of the pad.

Place the ring near the area where the leather is attached to the cardboard backing. This should approximately correspond with the location where the tone hole will contact the opposite side of the pad.

The shellac ring should be approximately:

• 1/16 inch or 1.6 mm high
• Up to 3/32 inch or 2.4 mm high

Next, place a mound of shellac in the center of the pad. The mound should be approximately:

• 3/8 inch or 9.5 mm in diameter
• 3/32 inch or 2.4 mm thick

This center mound supports the middle of the pad and the resonator, when one is installed.

Installing the Pad

Heat the pad cup enough to melt the shellac without burning it. See the heat-counting guidance below.

Lightly press the pad into the cup. A small twisting motion can help spread the shellac and create a larger, more secure bond with the cup.

Press the center of the pad into place. Brush the leather gently with your fingers to ensure that it remains smooth and free from stress or wrinkles. Press the center again and hold it until the shellac cools. By this point, it will usually be nearly set.

Repeat this process for every pad. The procedure is the same for both small and large pads.

Assembling and Regulating the Saxophone

Assemble the saxophone while leveling and regulating the keys. By handling these tasks together, the instrument should be finished when the assembly is complete.

I generally begin with the upper stack. Establish the correct pad openings there first. The rest of the instrument must then work with those established openings. That relationship is part of the instrument’s engineering.

Next, install and regulate the lower stack with the G-sharp key because it is directly involved and functions almost like part of the lower stack.

The B-flat key is also involved because it helps determine the height of the lower-stack pads above the tone holes. If notes in the lower stack sound stuffy, both stacks may need to be raised to produce the correct musical and mechanical results.

From this point, most of the remaining keys can be considered side keys.

Depending on the saxophone’s design, you may choose to install the B, B-flat and C-sharp keys next. This may be useful on a saxophone with right-side bell keys.

If you prefer to begin with less complicated keys, install the C and D-sharp keys, followed by the right-hand palm keys, including B-flat, C and high F. Then install the left-hand palm keys.

After that, balance the octave mechanism. This should not be too difficult because the preliminary mechanical work has already been completed.

The bell keys may be installed later because they sometimes must work with the G-sharp mechanism, which is connected to the stack system.

The exact order is your choice. The objective is to bring the entire instrument as close to correct as possible throughout the assembly process.

Seating the Pads

You may want to seat each stack separately as the instrument is assembled. This can make it easier to reach the wedges before surrounding keys obstruct the work area.

Choose the method that gives you the clearest access. In this type of repair, the easier method is usually also the faster and better method. There is no reason to fight with the instrument.

Selecting a Heat Source

Several heat sources can be used:

• Heat gun
• G1N Bunsen burner
• D3 blowpipe
• Natural gas
• Propane
• Butane

Use the heat source with which you are most comfortable. The important rule is to avoid burning the lacquer or pads.

With natural gas and a blowpipe or Bunsen burner, I usually heat a pad cup for a spoken count of 15 to 20, depending on its size. This is not a full second for each number. It is simply a normal speaking pace.

A soprano saxophone pad may require only a count of 10. Some baritone saxophone pad cups may require a count of 25.

I have used other heat sources when necessary, and I have recently become fond of the J99 Heat Gun.

You must learn the correct heating time through experience. Different gases burn at different temperatures, so pay attention to what is happening.

Establishing the Key Groups

This is not intended to be a complete, step-by-step explanation of saxophone adjustment and pad seating. The general method is to establish the first closed key within a group and make the remaining keys work with it.

Upper Stack

On the upper stack, the starting point would usually be the C key. However, the B-flat and G-sharp relationships must also be considered.

Depending on the key system, it may be better to begin with the B-flat. You could then proceed to A, B and finally the unfingered C stack pad.

Saxophone designs vary, so the exact order must be determined by the mechanism in front of you.

Lower Stack

The lower stack works somewhat differently.

Begin with the unfingered F-sharp stack key and make the remaining lower-stack keys work with it. This includes D, E and F.

Next, address the G-sharp because it is mechanically connected to the lower stack. The bis B-flat also becomes involved because it forms a bridge between the lower and upper stacks.

The F-sharp is pivotal to these relationships.

This page is about pads rather than every detail of adjustments, key corks and regulations, but these relationships explain why the installation order matters.

How Shellac Helps with Final Leveling

A repair technician should already understand how to assemble a saxophone. The method described here makes repads and overhauls easier because the shellac can compensate for small problems that were overlooked or are nearly impossible to correct mechanically.

There are no partial washers involved.

After you have completed the mechanical work as accurately as possible, the shellac can melt and flow. Some areas of the pad can settle farther into the cup while other areas remain supported. This allows the pad to become level without destroying the regulations and adjustments that have already been established.

That is why the shellac is positioned beneath the area where the pad seat will form.

You could describe this as “floating” the pads, and that would be reasonably accurate.

After the key corks and felts have been installed and the final burn-in is completed, the instrument should be very close to perfect. The shellac absorbs the small accumulated errors that naturally develop throughout the mechanism.

This method is not an excuse for careless or sloppy work. Always complete the best mechanical repair possible. Do not depend on the shellac to rescue a poorly executed job, even though it may occasionally help.

The Purpose of This Method

This method is intended to make a good repair easier, better and faster.

Ferree’s Tools: “Because They Work!”