After 2 weeks of inactivity, because I left my saxophone for servicing, I collected my unit with some disappointment. I've had a budget estimate in mind to spend rm250 for regular servicing and maintenance. They called me up few days later saying that after some inspection they noticed about 10 pads have dried out, and recommends replacing them at rm20/pc. So my budget now has gone up to rm250 + rm200 = rm450. When I went to collect my unit, the boss mentioned he took the liberty to replace all the pads. That's ALL 27 PADS!!! The price for this FULL RANGE SERVICE is rm680!!!
The fact that the other pads are still working fine is what cheesed me off. I felt it'd be better to do a gradual replacement of few pads at a time. But alas, the boss (who services the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra instrument) believes rm680 is the best option for me.
I don't know if the money was worth it. He said I should not need to change for another 5 years, and that these are new Yamaha Made-In-Japan pads. One thing I felt after bringing it back home is the saxophone's overall playability and sound is more focused, in tune with my metronome and feels 'upgraded'.
My consolation to myself is that after almost 15 years that it has been stored in my cabinet, this is the only time its been serviced since coming out of the Japan factory.
