Saxophone Pad Options

12th September 2024

Are you looking to have your Saxophone overhauled in the near future? Our workshop team can help improve the response and playability of your Sax with a full overhaul. We can help advise on choices such as key heights (to create more/less resonance), tuning adjustments and what types of felts or corks to choose.

However, by far the most important choice, is what type of pad you would like on your Saxophone. Pads make a huge difference to the overall feel, resonance, brightness or response of your instrument, as well as the look and feel under your fingers.

Below, our woodwind workshop has outlined a range of Saxophone pad options we offer when servicing/overhauling your Saxophone.

*It is worth noting that each set of pads varies in cost. When we see your instrument we will quote according to the choice of pad. We can also help advise on what we believe would work appropriately in terms of sound, feel and aesthetic. Please contact us with any queries you may have.

GSP – Plastic Resonator

This is our standard saxophone pad which has a medium-hard felt that is easily malleable and persuaded within the cup. This is extremely useful in instruments that can have slightly uneven tone holes or cups such as some vintage horns or student models.

This pad comes with a standard plastic disc style resonator, regular tan leather, regular felt, and full cardboard back.

Standard Saxophone Pads with Metal and Plastic Resontaors

GSM – Metal Resonator

The GSM has the same construction as the basic GSP but features a metal resonator. This provides a little more brightness compared to the sound of the standard plastic resonator model mentioned above.

This GSM pad comes with a standard flat nickel-plated disc and rivet style resonator, regular tan leather, regular felt, full cardboard back.

GSD – Deluxe Metal Resonator

This is our deluxe saxophone pad with a metal resonator. It has a hard felt that is malleable, versatile and very hard wearing. This pad is more useful for professional saxophones with level cups and tone holes. These pads have excellent resilience and durability, as well as providing brightness and resonance of tone. These pads have a better overall feel on higher quality instruments than the medium-hard pad, as they provide a better, more consistent seal across the instrument.

This pad comes with a convex nickel-plated disc and rivet style resonator, special tan leather, deluxe woven felt, full cardboard back.

GSX – Deluxe Plastic Resonator

This is our deluxe saxophone pad (as above) but with a plastic resonator. Commonly players prefer the Metal Resonator version of the deluxe pad (GSD), but we do now have the plastic version available (GSX).

This pad comes with a Yamaha-style convex plastic disc style resonator, special tan leather, deluxe woven felt, full cardboard back.

Music Medic – Roo Pads Leather

The Music Medic Roo pads are custom made pads and come in three different styles of leather. Added with the choice of four different styles of rivet and resonator this re-pad can be the ultimate customisation to your saxophone.

The choices of leather include Chocolate (Brown), Classic (White) or Saxgourmet (Black). These pads have specific functionalities and feel, depending on the type of saxophone that they will be added on to. These pads are particularly interesting as they come in so many varieties and feel. This way you can really take the time to customise your instrument. We have noticed great results with customers choosing to go for Roo pads, as they really are the highest form of customisation.

We will be reviewing these pads in a lot greater detail in future posts, but for now do feel free to get in touch and ask us any questions about how a Roo Pad Re-pad might be the way to go for you.