 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ruben
Date: 2026-06-20 21:11
Does dozens of years of swabbing the bore of your clarinet change its dimensions? -maybe not enough to matter. Or maybe it does. Your informed opinion please.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2026-06-20 21:33
I suppose it may. The older versions of large square cotton swabs that have a greater tendency to 'bunch up' probably have far more likelihood of doing that than today's microfiber tear-drop shaped swabs.
I was far more concerned about that happening with my mouthpiece. I've tried swab 'wipes' without a cord, but that doesn't work for me. I have an Eb clarinet swab for my mouthpiece now.
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Artist MT36 mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum black ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren Traditional #3.5 reeds
Brad Behn HR adjustable barrel
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Author: donald
Date: 2026-06-22 00:49
No this theory is bollocks. For years it was "oh, don't use cotton swabs as you get lint in the bore" (read as- "the bore is stronger than the swab"), then someone who is very good at his job but desperate looking for something to set him aside/above the others comes up with the bright idea "don't use swabs as they enlarge the bore (read as- "the swab is stronger than the bore").
Yawn, next theory please.
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Author: hans
Date: 2026-06-22 20:06
The saliva/condensation in the bore after playing would act as a lubricant to reduce friction and make wear inconsequential.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2026-06-22 20:34
Does a lifetime of brushing your teeth WITH ABRASIVES (toothbrush, toothpaste) wear out your teeth?
Just askin'......
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2026-06-22 21:29
I've seen top joint toneholes all furred up with a variety of mops and pullthroughs shedding fluff - both those fluffy cotton mops and pullthroughs. Also BG microfibre pullthroughs which leave grey or yellow fluff occluding the top joint toneholes up like anything.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
Independent Woodwind Repairer
Single and Double Reed Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes
NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2026-06-22 21:29
Hi David. In the case of teeth, the answer depends on what, how and when. Some choices amongst those can damage enamel. (Looking that up was enlightening.) Similar conditionals may apply to swabbing the bore of clarinets. For example, I've seen swabs weighted with naked metal, and those made me wonder.
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2026-06-22 21:38
I originally shied away from responding here because the OP asked for informed opinions to which my level of understanding here doesn't meet.
My gut tells me that a cotton swab, lubricated by the very saliva in the bore it seeks to clear, on top of African Blackwood being one of the densest woods there is, would likely cause little change to the instrument's internal dimensions, especially when you consider that the change in seasons might have more an effect here on such tolerances.
That said, the battery market has changed over the last 10 years such that rechargeable appliances have made their way into the market in many places. Even where I live, gas powered lawn blowers have been outlawed during all times of year but the Fall, when leaves require cleaning, in lieu of battery powered ones.
And so too has the canned air, particularly with the chemical propellants originally used in them and ozone damaging, made way for handheld devices like that Silverstein makes available.
https://www.silversteinworks.com/airswab/
https://youtu.be/ekwiBmfdO6w?si=7UUvgji3GSSWEz2e
As Mark Lowenstern points out in his video, you're likely to find a better value on such an appliance at places like Amazon, all while such devices are far better at cleaning out tone holes than a swab. I'd bet serious money that Silverstein is simply rebranding someone else's blower--not to suggest that it's device lacks quality--not innovating in the "air movement space" like Dyson.
A colleague brought one of these to a gig last Summer, and despite waiting until a break to use it, people were quite surprised by the out of context noise.
So if you're one of those players like me who frequently swabs during breaks in live play, it isn't for you.
With that said, in my own home I have one of these https://tinyurl.com/mwvfpy94, which has no contents in its collection system, and whose hose is connected on the exhaust not suction side, with the attachment on the right https://tinyurl.com/5n6bbrsk.
Stick this up the clarinet's bell, and open tone holes and you end up with one dry instrument!
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2026-06-22 22:05
Let's bring up the real question: Can a clarinet actually be 'blown out'?
Jay Hessler interviewed his repair specialist (Melanie Wong) about having a clarinet blown out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkOBSGZK3iw
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Artist MT36 mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum black ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren Traditional #3.5 reeds
Brad Behn HR adjustable barrel
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2026-06-23 22:31
Here's my take on clarinets being blown out:
I wouldn't categorically rule out it happening, and even having as its primary, if not only cause, the swabbing of an instrument 1000s of times over its life...
much that I bet there are clarinets out there which have experienced such swabbing frequency and are fine...
but that the topic of blown out clarinets bears similarity IMHO to ligatures: in that it gets way too much "air time" and discussion for its limited impact on play.
The costs of drying out an instrument, particular today with both the availability of extremely non-abrasive fabrics and air blowers, far outweigh IMHO letting it sit wet after use, thinking the effect of the moisture won't harm it faster than risks decades latter of altering the composition and size of its inner bore by cleaning the instrument out.
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