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Care and Maintenance
Your instrument is a valuable item, well worth your respect, care and attention.
Regular maintenance is important – a little time and effort will certainly pay off and should avoid problems which may result in a costly repair bill.
However, beware of attempting any repair, however small, yourself.
If in doubt, consult qualified instrument technician for advice.
The two most important factors to remember in caring for your brass instrument are CLEANLINESS
and REGULAR LUBRIFICATION
Following simple instructions on use and a maintenance permetting the best use of your instrument.
- Flush out the instrument at least once a month with a mild, soapy using luke-warm water. Then rinse with cold water and dry thoroughly. Don’t use hot water, itmay damage the lacquer.
- A flexible cleaning brush should be used to clean out slides and tubing, but make sure is renewed at least twice a year to avoid breakage inside he instrument.
- Use a valve cleaner to clean out the valve casing. Do not use a standard flexible brush.
- Use a lint-free cloth, such as cheese cloth, as a swab. This may also be used to wipe the pistons which should be very carefully removed and care taken to replace them in the correct sequence.
- Use only a quality tuning slide grease when lubricating slides and a minimum amount of Antoine Courtois Paris valve oil on the pistons. Use of inferior lubricants can affect the performance of your instrument.
- When you have finished playing, loosen the valve caps by half a turn. This avoid the trapped moisture causing corrosion in the screw threads.
- Make sure that mouthpieces are cleaned thoroughly with warm water a mouthpiece brush. Deposits in a mouthpiece or mouthpipe can be detrimental to the response of your brass instrument.
- Care should be taken when polishing lacquered and silver plated instruments. Harsh abrasives must be avoided all times and only cleaning cloths are recommended.
- Try to keep your instrument in an atmosphere of even temperature and humidity and not leave it in sunlight or near a radiator, event in the case.
- Be careful not to leave the instrument out of the case in a place where it can be sat or knocked by people or animals. (You would be surprised how often large repairs are necessary as a result of this kind of carelessness!).
- Always use a properly fitted case when transporting the instrument andmake sure the latches are secured before you pick up the case.
- Avoid standing the instrument on its bell as this can cause extensive damage and ensure that you use the correct fitting stand for your instrument.
For trombones:
- Fill the complete slide with warm soapy water and activate the slide up and down several times. Remove the water and rinse through with clear, cold water. Repeat as necessary.
- The inner and outer slides should be disassembled and cleaned using a flexible cleaner, in conjunction with the slide cleaning kit, to make sure that the cleaner reaches the bottom bow of the outer side.
- A SMALL amount of good quality slide cream should be applied to the inner slide stocking and sprayed with the clear water. Trombone oil may also be used as a lubricant, but please make sure that water is NOT sprayed on after the application of oil.
- Ensure that the bell and tuning slide are kept clean by running them through with luke-warm water and a tuning slide swab. After drying with a lint-free cloth, apply tuning slide grease before reassembly.