Cleaning out your instrument

[Flugelatbr]

How often do you clean yours? I had an interesting experience with a uni mates cornet. no rude comments please. I dont think the person in mention has ever cleaned it out - Miss L. Can you tell i'm bored, am supposed to be doin a brass band history essay for uni (deadline Monday) and ive got brain ache. Never mind, by tuesday will be all over and im gonna get lashed....oops cant....rehearsal for masters. boo hoo........

 

[kate_the_horn]

my kate (thats my horn) gets cleaned out 1nce a month, usually the last sunday, but i think she deserves a clean 2night, while im revising!

kelly x

 

[Nuke]

I dont have a regular ceaning schedule because i dont play that often any more, so now i only clean it when it stops producing notes.

 

[Nat]

me too because my instrument is old and im scared to clean it!!

 

[Dave Euph]

Sort of every six weeks, because it's usually only in that time span I have access to a bath!

 

[Vickitorious]

everytime my valve sticks, I end up washing the whole instrument out....Or my mum does :wink:

About every two/three weeks!!!!

 

[eckyboy]

Every couple of months although I do the valves weekly-honest

 

[2nd man down]

:shock: THEY NEED CLEANING??

But that's where I keep my stockpile of old kebab!!

 

[Okiedokie of Oz]

I clean mine every time there's a decent performance, or musical outting.

 

[craigyboy1]

Many years ago "Blitz" used to strip his baritone down and stick the lot in the dishwasher. He swore it worked perfectly well

 

[Bob Stevenson]

I live near a school where they give instrumental lessons once a week. A few years ago I was ourside loading my car at school kicking out time and noticed one of the mums coming by carrying a trumpet case so I made some quip like; "hows your triple-tonguing coming on" but she said that the trumpet was her daughters and she was taking it to be repaired because "....no music comes out.." I told her that none WOULD come out if none was put in !..and then I asked if I might take a look,....I put in the mouthpiece and had a blow and she was right!!...nothing came out. After a minute I discovered that the mpc was so solidly bunged up with muck that it was impossible to see any daylight thru it let alone get any air thru. I pushed a small screwdriver thru and showed her that it would now play and that the whole thing was absolutely filthy and she said she would go back to the 'brass teacher' and tell him what the prob was!

A few days later I saw her again and asked after the outcome and was told that the teacher was adamant that the instrument needed 'fixing' by the repairer who turned out to be a friend of his!!!!

So just let that be a lesson to all of you!!.....once the muck reaches a certain density only an expensive repair bill will get it clean!

 

[Despot]

2-3 times a year I give the euph a complete strip down.

Depends on the instrument, the bigger it is, the more likely it is to be damaged while trying to clean it. Some would advise you wash out your cornet once a month, but a bass only once a year, as there's a good chance of denting it will while getting it into the bath or shower! (If you ever had to wash a BBb you know what I'm talking about!)

 

[Dave Euph]

I was advised to clean out my mouthpiece at least every week ... hardly a difficult task but I never do it!

 

[ginger_jo]

Trig!...

i told you not to point the hole towards yr face!!!....... and what did u do!?!?.... it was pretty mingin! lol! im sorry!! :?

.......still haven't cleaned it out though!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[littlemisshorns]

Only about once a year for special occasions - and my dad does it for me!

 

[ScrapingtheBottom]

I clean my mouthpiece out quite a lot. Slide every 2 -3 weeks (otherwise it gets sticky). Bell and trigger section maybe every couple of months.

 

[lynchie]

I haven't cleaned my slide in a while due to losing my long "brush-on-a-wire" thing... no matter how much aimless wandering I do around Manchester city centre I can't find a music shop where I can buy a replacement!

 

[geordiecolin]

2-3 times a year I give the euph a complete strip down.

Depends on the instrument, the bigger it is, the more likely it is to be damaged while trying to clean it. Some would advise you wash out your cornet once a month, but a bass only once a year, as there's a good chance of denting it will while getting it into the bath or shower! (If you ever had to wash a BBb you know what I'm talking about!)

...yeah and people don't realise how heavy an EEb is when full of water. I rarely clean mine out for the above reasons and because it sends it out of tune. And its hassle.....

 

[six pints]

we have to clean them??? :?

 

[sunny_jimbob]

I haven't cleaned my slide in a while due to losing my long "brush-on-a-wire" thing... no matter how much aimless wandering I do around Manchester city centre I can't find a music shop where I can buy a replacement!

That'd be a trombone snake then. *smug* they're almost always on ebay, have a look. I'd search for a linky and post it but I really can't be bothered!

I only tend to clean mine every 6 months or so, maybe give the slide a wipe a bit more often but that's all.