The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: William Hughes
Date: 2001-10-12 16:52
Quick question: What do I use to swab a plastic Bundy EEb Contra Alto? It's not an item I have found in the catalogues.
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-10-12 17:14
Wish I knew, I have the same problem. I haven't tried it yet myself, but perhaps a bass clarinet silk swab, with the cord length extended a foot more or so, might do the trick. Getting the little weight at the end of the cord to make it around the bend of the curved neck portion might be a bit of a problem, but you won't know until you try it.
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Author: Stephen Froehlich
Date: 2001-10-12 19:30
Geez, come to think of it, I don't think I was very good about swabbing the contra's I played. Is it even possible to swab a paperclip contrabass?
Honestly, my silk Bass swab wouldn't do the job - it barely gets the outside of my bass. I'd lean towards my cotton bass swab - it will apply some pressure. The cotton bass swab is an oddball item I bought from Wiener some time back. Its got some floral pattern on it - very cottage industry.
Certainly a bass swab is as close as you'll get. Both of my bass swabs have a cord long enough to get through an entire bass. If the contra will break into upper and lower joints, length shouldn't be a problem.
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Author: LynnL
Date: 2001-10-12 19:54
It is indeed possible to swab a Leblanc paperclip, but the rig I use on mine is homemade. It consist of a cotton cloth swab, fastened to a length of nylon twine and a zinc, not lead, fishing weight. You insert the weight in the end of the lower joint where the low C stem fits and allow the weight to go around the bend
assisted by gravity. You then have to roll the contra about it's axis to get the weight to continue around the next bend and whala, its done. Repeat two or more times as I do and your pads will love you for it.
Lynn
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