 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: iroc99
Date: 2020-02-13 02:39
Attachment: 20200212_135053.jpg (291k)
Hi everyone,
I am a saxophone, trombone, and euphonium player. I just bought mt first clarinet at a good price(I think). It is a 1997 Buffet festival. It plays and sounds great but it really needs a good cleaning. I read a lot of info regarding cleaning a clarinet in general. But I could not find the info that applies to my situation. This one has thick black substance build-ups around edges of where fingers touch the body(see photo). I can remove them with my fingernails easily but other places are under the keys and it is hard to reach there. They are disgusting and I plant to remove all the keys and clean them by myself. My question is what is safe to use to clean the outside body of this wood clarinet? I am thinking of using alcohol to clean and disinfect. Is this a safe method? Should I use mild dish sope? a furniture cleaner?
Please Help.
Thank You
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2020-02-13 03:07
Do NOT use cleaning products!
What's needed first is the ability to competently take off all the keys and get them back on.
So bite the bullet and have woodwind tech do the full cleaning. If it does not need much else, you may get away with not much more than $150.00.
You found a good horn. Have brought to playing specs the right way.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2020-02-13 03:28
Alcohol can be used to clean off dirt and grime once all the keys have been removed. I'd go as far as removing the springs as well to prevent both getting stabbed by them and also to prevent them getting damaged, but I'd only recommend you have this sort of work done by a competent repairer and this clean-up operation is usually part of having a clarinet serviced.
While alcohol won't harm the wood, it will remove the alcohol based dye Buffet stain the wood with to make all the joints look uniform - chances are that's worn off in places of high contact and is patchy elsewhere. After cleaning all the crud off, the outside can be lightly oiled and hand polished/ragged to restore the finish (minus the purple dye).
Then go round all the toneholes and countersinks with a cotton bud/Q-tip dipped in alcohol to clean and degrease themto be sure they wont cause the pads to stick (and gently clean the pads before refitting the keywork).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2020-02-14 16:10)
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Author: iroc99
Date: 2020-02-13 04:01
Thank you, Chris and Paul, for the good advices.
I will make a decision whether to do it myself or taking it to the professionals.
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2020-02-14 15:54
I would leave they springs on. If one breaks off, it could take special tools and experience to repair. I prefer to make sacrifices to the spring god.
Steve Ocone
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