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I have a silver-plated trombone from the Thirties that smells musty inside and out. I washed it in soap and water and in a baking soda solution, then buffed the exterior with metal polish wadding. But even the polished exterior still has that old brass odor, not to mention the bore. Any suggestions out there?

MichaelDenney wrote:I have a silver-plated trombone from the Thirties that smells musty inside and out. I washed it in soap and water and in a baking soda solution, then buffed the exterior with metal polish wadding. But even the polished exterior still has that old brass odor, not to mention the bore. Any suggestions out there?

Best (and easiest) thing is to have the horn chemically (or if they have the equipment, ultrasonically) cleaned by your local music store. I suspect you're still smelling the grunge from inside. Rather than just rinsing it, did you use a trombone snake to clean the tubes?

Latest tip from my repairman, Merlin Grady (Waterloo Iowa):

use diluted toilet-bowl cleaner, the kind that contains muriatic acid. It smells good, and will do a great job cleaning the inside of your horn. Safe to use on brass. Just pour it in the horn and swish it around, then rinse.

Grady uses this technique on really dirty horns before putting them in his ultrasonic cleaner.

I have tried it on my trombones and can say that liquid toilet-bowl cleaner works great. (not a joke, even if this sounds unusual)

MichaelDenney wrote:I have a silver-plated trombone from the Thirties that smells musty inside and out. I washed it in soap and water and in a baking soda solution, then buffed the exterior with metal polish wadding. But even the polished exterior still has that old brass odor, not to mention the bore. Any suggestions out there?

If you can't get all the gunk out with dishwashing liquid, warm water, and a trombone snake.... you need to take it to a quallified technician for chemical cleaning. Sure... there are plenty of 'home remedies' out there but the safe & sure way to take care of your horn is to take it to a professional. The old timers used muriatic acid back when there was nothing better. Some repair shops and also radiator shops still use it, but it needs to be handled with care and also has to be neutralized thoroughly. Toilet bowl cleaners and other compounds like CLR should not be used on musical instruments. There's no substitute for good old hand scrubbing with soap and water... then finish it off with with chemical or ultrasonic cleaning.