Dealing with Sticky Pads?

Thomas · Dealing with Sticky Pads?

I've always found that wax paper works well to de-stick the pads. You just take a small piece of it, put it under the pad, close the pad, and gently pull out the wax paper. What methods do you use, and how well do they work?

CMelodyMan

There's this stuff called gig dust. Gig dust is packaged in a 1/2 oz size squirt bottle. It is designed to be used instantly to stop a pad from further sticking for an extended period of time. In an emergency situation such as a session or live performance where "down time" is critical. The bottle is designed to "squirt" the dust on the sticking pad and get instant relief. For more complete protection it may be applied with a cotton swab. I've never used it, but I've heard that it works wonders.

JPSaxMan

Or you just use baking soda on a Q-tip...works wonders Cool

Bleeding_Gums_Murphy

I've tried EVERYTHING, but gig dust works the best for me. I use that with the crud patch and it does wonders.

Thomas

What would the chances be that an instrument retailer sells gig dust? The one I go to for all my sax supplies is The Wind Shoppe.

Bleeding_Gums_Murphy

probably not. i've never been to a store that sells any charlie a's products, except maybe Weiner's. Usually the only sax stuff they have at most music stores is made by selmer, vandoren, meyer, or runyon (why, i don't know).
Runyon's pad dope also works really good too. It helps with the sealing and whatnot. Cuts down on sticking a little, but not enough IMO.

Thomas

I went to the Wind Shoppe yesterday, and not only did they not sell it, but the guy who I talked to said it's really not a good thing to put on your horn. It gets all over the inside of your horn, makes a mess, and it only really works for one playing session. I think I'll stick to wax paper. :|

Bleeding_Gums_Murphy

Doesn't do that for me, or for anybody else I know that uses it. Never tried wax paper...

Doc Frazier

Why not go to www.gigdust.com and get it from the source?

The reason the pads stick is the waterproofing that is put on the pads when they are made. Alot of times with school horns and/or school kids, it is also a combination of sugar also. With some adults, it is tar and nicotine from smoking and sugar with the waterproofing!

When I do a repair for sticking pads, I clean and try to remove as much of the waterproofing as possible and use a special teflon treatment in its place. I have yet had one customer complain about any sticking afterwards. On complete rebuilds/repads, I do it before the pads go into the cups.

Louis Scuderi

If I don't have any pad cleaning paper, I use a good ole' dollar bill.

phantoms_shadow

I agree with Louis Scuderi. I use a dollar bill, and I find it works out just fine.

reisio

Any relatively paper-like thing on hand.

Altosaxophonerules · Dollar Bill

I here too uses a bill, but up in here in Canada, we don't have any dollar bill, lowest is 5 bucks. Crying or Very sad

Dealing with Sticky Pads?

Dollar Bill