 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Rosewood ★2017
Date: 2016-06-14 04:57
Hi,
I've had my new E11 for about a year now, and I just noticed that it smells pretty strongly of mold. I do make a point to thoroughly swab it after every use. I can't seem to find anything wrong with it visually, the outside and inside of the barrels look perfectly clean. What could this be?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: fskelley
Date: 2016-06-14 05:11
Do you dry the sockets also? I swabbed for years before I learned to wipe the sockets with a cloth. And I got mold (or something yukky and white) above and below some tuning rings I have since discontinued. (If tuning rings cannot live in the socket semi-permanently, I don't see the convenience.)
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: fskelley
Date: 2016-06-14 05:26
Yes- and wiping the sockets didn't fix it until I removed the tuning rings. Sounds like you are cleaning up properly- if your swab is also cleaned occasionally. Are you sure it's the clarinet and not the case? Cases are trouble sometimes.
Others here will know 50 different things to put in your case to make it smell better, and 50 not to. (Some things might be on both lists- that's the fun of BBoard.)
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
Post Edited (2016-06-14 18:04)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2016-06-14 15:28
Check your reed holders, especially if they're plastic. Wet reed touching plastic = instant mold.
That everything out of the case and smell each part. If the mold is in the lining, you have a tough job. Lilia is the expert.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: fskelley
Date: 2016-06-15 21:48
I will say this- do not ignore the smell unless somebody who really knows identifies it as safe. We have learned some important lessons about mold in recent years- that it can be worse than we thought, and harder to detect.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DougR
Date: 2016-06-16 21:08
A little while back I acquired a guitar that had spent 30 years in the Pacific Northwest, and it absolutely reeked of mold: case, guitar, interior of guitar, you name it. I tried lots of stuff on it, and father time is what worked eventually, although there's still lingering mold smell.
For you, though, now that summer's here, I'd maybe recommend putting the case in the back yard, someplace it's safe from squirrels etc., leave it open in direct sun for a couple days and let UV rays and fresh air kill off any mold in the case.
You could try sticking the top (left-hand) joint into a big baggie, leave it for a couple hours, and then open it & see if you notice a heightened mold smell. That would tell you if the mold is in the horn or the case.
My guess is that it has to do with how & where you store the instrument, in its case--if the surroundings are damp and moldy smelling, that'll create mold conditions in the case.
For the record, I tried baking soda, cedar chips, an ozone machine (generates ozone which supposedly kills mold), and leaving the case open with air circulating around it (i.e., a fan). Hopefully your mold situation isn't THAT advanced!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: awildman
Date: 2016-06-16 22:49
Please don't lead people to believe that Pacific Northwest equals mold. Mold is a result of improper storage. From my experiences here, I don't believe that mold is any more of a problem for musical instruments than in other places. In fact, there are lots of places in the PNW that have quite dry climates with relatively little rainfall and low humidity year-round. Further, the term 'PNW' means different things to different people. Some people include just the coastal and inner-valley regions. Some people include all of Oregon, Washington, and B.C.(Canada). Some include Idaho and Northern California. So yeah, lots of different climate trends.
Even if the instrument/case was out in the rain, just leave the instrument/case open in a climate controlled house to dry out. Putting things away wet into dark places like basements or storage units or even closets is what causes mold. IMO, leaving cases open regularly in your house is one of the best things you can do to take care of your equipment.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DougR
Date: 2016-06-17 06:26
Thanks for the correction. You're absolutely right. And I have had some good results doing what you suggest: simply leaving cases open in the house, for days/weeks. Over time the smell does indeed decrease. As does my ignorance of living conditions in places I've never been. (with outside help, of course).
Post Edited (2016-06-17 11:03)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
