How to Clean a Silver Plated Baritone
Learning to play an instrument is an ongoing process that can be difficult. Part of making the learning easier is ensuring the instrument is in good condition. Cleaning a silver-plated baritone horn not only makes the outside of the horn look nice, it keeps the inside of the horn in good repair and ensures it will continue to work. Cleaning a horn is time-consuming but not difficult. Knowing the proper way to clean and maintain a horn will help ensure it is fully operational for a long time.
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Things You'll Need
- Snake brush
- Liquid dish detergent
- Water
- Oil
- Silver-plated instrument cleaner
- Silver-polishing cloth
- Double-ended cleaner
- Microfiber cloth
- Mouthpiece brush
- Towel
Instructions
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1
Remove all the valves and slides from the horn. Use a snake-style brush to clean the entire horn with warm, soapy water. The use of hot water might damage the silver finish. Use a liquid dishwashing detergent. Use valve brushes to clean the valves and slides.
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2
Replace the valves and slides, applying your preferred oil or grease.
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3
Spray silver-plated instrument cleaner onto a silver-polishing cloth. Use a circular motion to rub the entire outer surface of the horn using the cloth. Use the same motion to clean inside the bell as far as you can reach. Apply more instrument cleaner to the cloth as needed. The cloth must remain moist.
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4
Apply silver-plated instrument cleaner onto a double-ended cleaner, which looks like a giant cotton swab, and use it to clean the inside of the horn's bell.
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5
Soak the mouthpiece in warm water for three minutes, then scrub it with a mouthpiece brush. Rinse the mouthpiece thoroughly with water and dry it with a clean towel.
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Tips & Warnings
Clean the mouthpiece weekly. Clean the entire horn monthly.
Use a clean microfiber cloth to remove fingerprints from the outside of the horn.
If the valves become sluggish, remove them and clean them as in a monthly cleaning. If that does not resolve the problem, take the horn to a professional technician.
References
- Photo Credit tuba player image by Igor Zhorov from Fotolia.com
