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Nice post Joe, A little quality and an appropriate cleaning is a good reminder to all of us. A deep cleaning is necessary on a regular basis. Thanks.

Do horns slime up like that in a year's time? I'd figure it was a Professional Practice to have a horn chem cleaned once a year. Is there possible damage (other than the pocketbook) from having a chem-clean or ultrasonic clean done yearly?

The Big Ben wrote:Do horns slime up like that in a year's time? I'd figure it was a Professional Practice to have a horn chem cleaned once a year. Is there possible damage (other than the pocketbook) from having a chem-clean or ultrasonic clean done yearly?

Chemical cleaning does not do what ultrasonic does, and vice versa. The periodic chem clean's purpose is to remove calcium buildup and prevent dezincification (red rot).

Ultrasonic cleaning is a high-production way of doing what I do by hand. I don't clean my tuba in the bathtub. Instead, I swab it out with brush snakes. They are effective in removing built-up slime.

I find I have to do that a couple times a year with the Holton, and less often with the F. If I played as much as I should, it might be more like ever couple of months. I use a trombone snake to swab out the branches through the valve section and the leadpipe, and a brass-saver brush for the valve casings and piston ports.

For me, it's when valves start to stick that I know I have to do it. The best valves in the world will be sticky if they are jammed up with slime. It's never bad enough for me to tell by playing, but I hear even less of that growing grass than Joe does. I figure, though, that if I'm cleaning it often enough not to notice the effects of cleaning, that's about right.

Rick "whose needs to swab out both tubas in the next week or two" Denney

Will ultrasound reduce the inside of my instrument to bare metal? That is, get ALL of the slime out?

And Joe, I bet that guy who owns the B&S and was playing it that way, thinks you ruined his tuba, because the response is now so different from what he is accustomed to.

MA

bloke wrote:Most tuba players, thank goodness, don't seem to leave heavy lime deposits in instruments (as these tend to be destructive), but (yes, Rick is absolutely correct) acid cleaning remedies that. As to gook, I subscribe to the clean-out brushes method combined with high-pressure hot water. My experience is that laying eyes on a problem area is about the only way to insure that the problem will completely go away (same for dents/solder joints, etc.)

Absolutely.

Ultrasonic cleaning is only as good as the person doing it. The ultrasonic tank itself does not completely clean everything, it just helps. You still have to brush, inspect, and rework any areas that still need more cleaning.

I wish it was obvious, bloke.

Several good - to - great players come to me with "minor issues" that turn out to be nearly complete occlusion of the tubing by "grey matter" or "tuba yogurt". After I barf(!) cleaning ever tube out with a brush... EVERY tube... is the only way to be sure that garbage is out and the horn works as designed again.

While there seems to be some correlation in my experience between tuba yogurt and some lubricants, I think it has more to do with the players pH than anything else. Some never get it. Some have learned through my chastising that it needs to be done MUCH more frequently for them.

Blech! My least favorite part of the repair gig

tuben wrote:

the elephant wrote:There was once a tubist in the President's Own who insisted on pouring a bunch of milk through his horn and letting it coat the inside of the tubing to alter the response and tone. All I can say about that is GROSS.

This wouldn't have been for a performance of "London Dairy Air", would it?

It helps put a little more "cheese" into the playing

sloan wrote:It helps put a little more "cheese" into the playing

"Casein the joint(s)"?