Key Clamps - Survey!

[MarkD]

Key Clamps: Some people swear by them, other people swear at them!

Do you love them or hate them?

When do you use them and why?

[BandMan]

I have been playing sax for years and never use key clamps.
My pads have been holding up good.

Lately I have been trying Runyon Pad Dope on my Tenor.
Maybe this will do the same thing and keep the pads in good shape.

[johnc]

I use them.I teach young kids 9+ and they pick their horns up by whatever they can get hold of. I tried telling them not to, then after years just made them fit key clamps. They are happy because their horn doesnt leak and I am because I dont have to keep sticking a leak light down the end to see if it does leaks. :lol:

[popsax]

I've never used them in nearly fifty years of blowing into this hunk of brass. I'm not saying they aren't any good. I don't know why I should use them. What are they suppose to do for my sax? Maybe I should be using them.

[Morry]

Nah, I don't use them either. I just had a retailer friend give me a set free for tenor ($45 value), and I still don't use them.

[Goin4DaTone]

I bought a set for my son’s tenor. He uses them when the horn goes in the truck for long trips such as the annual Reno Jazz festival. I figure it can't hurt.

[MikeS]

Yup, traveling. That's when I put them on.

[OnyxSax]

I used them for quite some time...The tech who did the overhauls on my tenors begged me to stopped doing it, saying it was bad for the horn. So I tried going without them and found there really wasn't a difference.

The way students bang around their horns, key clamps may be a good idea, but if you're not in the practice of playing football with your horn, I don't think they're necessary.

[MojoBari]

I own and use 7 sets.

[colibri]

I don't use key clamps.

I get the impression that people think the pads leak because of the pad itself, so the key clamps will keep the pads down on the tone hole, then they won't ever leak because nothing can touch the pads once the clamps are snapped in place.

No, the pads leak because the keys are out of adjustment, or maybe some tone holes are dented in, thus it won't form a seal with the pad. Rarely did my pads cause me trouble in my career as a musician.

If the saxophone is not handled too roughly, the keys will stay in place for a long time. There's no need to baby a saxophone. In fact, when the key clamps are on, it puts unnatural pressure on the pads. This will leave deep indentations on them from the tone holes.

[Jonno]

This is going to sound dumb, but I am Australian and I dont think I have ever seen key clamps, nor do I know that they are or when/how/why I should use them? Has anyone got a link to post to something about what they are? Ive just never seen them being sold over here. :oops:

[tophatsax]

jonnolouwrens,

Key clamps are used to keep the keys on your sax closed while in the case and for traveling. Here are a couple of links to what they look like etc. Some people love 'em, others hate 'em.

http://www.saxgourmet.com/keyclamp.htm

http://www.worldwidesax.com/images/keyclamps.jpg

tophatsax

[Frank D]

I just shipped 2 tenors, a alto and a soprano, all with clamps, from Arizona to Florida in a moving van along with the rest of our household, and they came out fine. I used some extra bubble wrap and towels inside the cases to make sure the horns wouldn't move around. I'd defininitely use them again for a long-haul trip.

I don't use them for driving to the gig, etc. however.

[MitchP]

I use them and fewer problems with leaks. Theories pro or con aside, they really work for me.

[larrys]

Great... don't leave home without them..

[saxboy]

I have used them for a few years now. The problem I had was flying my saxes and the occasional case standing on end and getting knocked over on the case face. (You know, the slam on the ground thing)
I had my action open up more and more with time and then all the related adjustment issues that came from there.
I started using them and my action - pitch, and adjustment issues - leaks went away.
I will never fly without them again.
I don't use them all the time and I did have my repair guy set them up so they are firm but not really tight.

Everyday use costs me sticky pads, but pretty regular use and always flying with them has saved me some major money over the past few years.

SAXBOY

[Subtone Sam]

I use a set when the horn has been overhauled,to make new pads seat better and quicker.

[Sigmund451]

Id have to agree with colibri. I used them...perhaps they were too tight and the groves in the pads are a bit deep and I feel that this contributes to some sticking. I wont use them again.

[Dr G]

You need to adjust the key clamps for the particular horn.

[Tim Price]

Yes...always and more than ever.

[hotcold]

I have always used some type of key clamp. I started useing wooden clothes pins. Now I use the regular key clamps. Regardless of what you may think, Good woodwind pads are made of leather and they get wet or moist. That causes the leather to expand and cotract when drying. When t the pad is in the closed position it takes the form of the opening and will be sealed for your next session. It is not hard on the springs as far as i can tell. Ive been doing it for 30 years.

[wersax]

Love 'em..........

[Saxdaddy]

No way no how. The horn makers use them to seat the pads, and to make everything settle in, almost self regulate. The result is, horn that are never playing right when you get them. They would help things, if you had a instrument that had sat for months without playing, with the changes of moisture, hot and cold, etc the seat of the pad can work out over time, but if you are playing the instrument at least once every couple of weeks or so, there shouldn't be a problem, and change would be corrected after a few minutes of playing. Poor techs often rely on the bake and clamp method of repair, meaning get everything close, and then use seating to make it play better, this works very well short term, but when the seats adjust to a more environment, the horn leaks. Key clamps allow these poor repair jobs to continue and play for a longer time, hence the "my horn plays much better since I started using them". One of the best know "to techs anyhow" and highest earning techs in the country once had hints and tips up on his site, one of them read"never trust a repairman that recommends, or uses key clamps". The reason is if a job is done right, and with very tight tolerances, key clamps will do more harm than good. No matter how well adjusted they don't mimic what happens to the key, when it is played. If the keys are adjusted to allow for proper playing pressure, and from the proper angle, to work the best, and then the pad is seated in from another angle, you will have problems. I have also noticed that the pads that always go first are the one that stay close by springs, not the open pads, well put key clamps on, and they are now all closed. It really just doesn't make any sense, unless you are a tech wanting to cut corners, and sell sets of clamps. Not for the regular player anyhow. But man have these things been well marketed.

[Saxdaddy]

P.S I should also say that I don't they would be wrong to use for shipping either.

[Scottysax73]

Heres the deal people. I just had a major conversation about key clamps with my sax technician. This is what he says:
Let the horn dry out afetr using it. Then, maybe a couple hours after uve played, put the key clamps on. You dont wanna put them on while the pads are still wet from play. They will reposition the pads correctly the way they should be and it WILL stop leaks!!!!!!

[Ptrick]

From my experience only, if you have regular cork on your key feet they tend to compress that cork if left on for more than a day thus causing some out of adjustment difficulties and actually CAUSING leaks. I had a brand new Tenor shipped to me with the keys all clamped down. It had leaks - I let it sit on a stand for sevral days and the leaks went a way as the cork decompressed a tad... If on the other hand you have gasket material on the feet and adjustment mechanisms, there probably would not be compression.
HOWEVER, for shipping a horn it is a great thing as it prevents bent keys and such. Of course you can use wooden wedges under the key feet too...

[xraydog]

I have used them for the last 4-5 years on all my horns (alto throught bari). My horns have stayed in adjustment wonderfully. You can (must)fine tune and adjust the pressure so it mimics your finger pressure. Requires a little more time and effort (applying and swabbing the sax prior to application) but well worth it in the long run.

xraydog

[sessionsax]

Used to have sets for all my horns. Now I don't use them. I bent more keys applying them than I protected.

[Bill Mecca]

I used to use em, then got a great tech who after he overhauled my horn reccomended not using them when the pads were wet, so I left them on the shelf and haven't noticed any difference.

that said, I would probably put them on for a long trip, or to ship.

[sax_appeal]

I don't use key clamps. I only use those amazing protective devices- I think they're called cases

[3saxes]

I only use them for shipping, or to adjust a pad that may be slightly out of alignment from time to time.

[MB-913]

What about if I need to out of town for a few days/a week, should I take out the key-holder ? I'm worrying it hurt the pad (usually I don't fix it too tight).