I highly dislike Pad Savers. As many other people on this forum have said, they keep the moisture in contact with the pads, and if they are really wet, then also with the brass. I bought a nice sop over the internet that was damaged in Hurricane Katrina. It must've been in a cupboard and got saturated or something, but when it arrived here, i discovered there was a padsaver inside. This meant that there was fur growing on the inside of the sax. This was just a rare occaision but now it means i will need to spend just a little more time removing the growth from within the sax.

I like them...I use them all the time in school, its fast to use so I'm not late to class spending a minute cramming a swab in the horn and it doesnt even clean that much where the horn gets bigger at the bottom...and my keys rarly stick, if it does, similar to the paper thing except i get a dolar, fold it stick it in there, hold the key down and pull the paper out, works for me a lot. And why would you buy a sopranno that was damaged by hurricane katrina?? Sorry it just seems a little weird to me...

Because after a little work on it, it will be playing fine and only cost a very, very small amount of money. Due to the sellers lack of knowledge.

Just seems like the interior of your horn is ruined and gonna be a pain in the butt to clean after that, and if a horn gets badly damaged dont you have to repad your horn? someone told me that at school...but it costs money to get it really clean and repaded >_

The interior wont be ruined, its made of brass!! Just a bit of brushing and it will be as good as any horn. The main probem would be rusty screws but if the horn has been cared for and correctly oiled they should come out OK Dave

What's weird about saving money? Water can sure make a mess of things, but usually any water damage can be repaired easy enough. As for pad savers, there are a few different types. Some readers might not be too familiar with them. One kind is a long, fiber swab that fits inside of the body through the tenon. I don't recommend this type. For one thing, they hold moisture and can mildew; then your horn and case is a smelly mess. Also, the little fibers fall out after a while and can stick between the pads and the tone holes and cause leaks. The second type is a clamp that fits over the action and holds the pads closed. I don't recommend these either. Holding the keys closed puts tension on the springs, which, after a period of time, the springs will get weak. Take an empty coffee can. Turn it upside down and press it against the seat cushion on a leather sofa or recliner for a few minutes. Now remove the can and look at the indentation. This is exactly what this type of pad saver does to your pads by holding pressure on the pad against the tone hole. And if that's not reason enough, leaving the tone holes open helps the horn to dry out inside after playing, and therefore it's less likely to smell and mildew inside. Pad savers are not a good idea. Now, here is what I recommend: Buy a silk swab that is designed for the particular pitch of saxophone; tenor, alto, etc. Swab the instrument when you are done using it. If you have been playing it for extended periods of time, swab it twice. Wipe the outside down with a clean cloth. Nothing too fancy; a clean dry washcloth is fine. Remove the reed and rinse it off. Rinse out your mouthpiece and dry it with paper towel or the wash cloth. Buy a couple of the LaVoz reed holders. The nice thing about the LaVoz holders is that they flatten out the tips of the reeds so that they dry straight and do not warp. MOST IMPORTANTLY!!! Store your horn in a dry place! Prefferably between 50-75 degrees F. Jim

I agree with jim. Here's another point I'd like to add. Whenever possible let your horn "dry" on a stand after swabbing before putting it in the case. Nothing smells worse than a moldy/mildewy case. Keyclamps really suck and are totally worthless. The first pads to usually fail on a sax are the ones that are sprung shut. (palm keys, side keys, G#, etc.) It stands to reason that clamping the rest of the pads shut would only shorten their lives!