Eeeeew - Feel A Bit Sick

[Veggie Dave]

It dawned on me earlier today that in the month I've had my Keilwerth I've repeatedly cleaned everything except the crook. For some reason I forgot to do it.

And now I feel a little sick that I've been playing an instrument that contained the gunk that I got out of the neck. It reminded me of the contents of a blocked sink waste trap. The previous owner would appear to not be concerned with eating or brushing their teeth before playing nor of cleaning the crook of their saxophone.

I'm not remotely squeamish but eeewwwwww!

I won't make that mistake again.

 

[saxyjt]

Beurque! (French for Yuck)

Now, on the bright side, your going to sound even better after cleaning it!

I guess you know the process. But how could you do that just as I finished my Japanese meal? With all the wasabi I've just ingested, I can only smoke anything that comes near me!

 

[Veggie Dave]

Beurque! (French for Yuck)

Je sais.

Now, on the bright side, your going to sound even better after cleaning it!

I'm looking forward to seeing what it sounds like now ... as long as I can forget about what came out of the crook...

But how could you do that just as I finished my Japanese meal?

It did look a little like black bean sauce ... that had been left on a plate for a few weeks.

 

[Alice]

I wonder if this has anything to do with you having a bad throat @Veggie Dave ? You might have been fighting an infection from it. It sounds like black mould that’s built up because of the previous owner’s moisture.... nasty stuff to get into your respiratory system.

 

[Veggie Dave]

I never thought of that! It would make perfect sense. It never happened when I played my other sax.

 

[Alice]

It’s definitely an irritation to nose, throat and lungs and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the reason you’ve been suffering. Thank goodness you’ve cleaned it. If you don’t already, take some vitamin C to boost your immune system and heal yourself.

 

[6441]

I often have wondered about cleaning the crook. I have a small pull through, just like the one for the horn itself. I pull it through the crook and the mouthpiece to remove the moisture every time I put the sax away. I say I've wondered because I had the impression that you mature players don't clean the crook. Is that
true?

 

[Nick Wyver]

I had the impression that you mature players don't clean the crook. Is that
true?

I probably count as mature and even I clean the crook now and again.

 

[nigeld]

I had a yukky experience with my first saxophone. Possibly not as bad as @Veggie Dave, but bad enough.
Ever since then I have swabbed my crook every time I play.

 

[Veggie Dave]

I normally clean my crook pretty regularly. The last few weeks, though, I've been learning and practising a number of sets for hours at a time and I'd let this one thing slip without noticing. I've got two other saxes and neither of them has a remotely dirty crook even though I'm not a daily swabber - I didn't think it was really possible.

I won't make that mistake again. I'm damned if I know how he'd managed to get it so disgusting, though.

 

[saxyjt]

That's where, obviously, tech skills are useful. Most of my horns, after a short trial period, go through a clean and adjust cycle. Then a much longer trial period with adjustments along the way and were required an extensive clean, repad and adjust project is executed.

But I've had too many horns and too much free time in my hands... Things have changed, but I almost cleared the deck.

I don't want to be pointing the obvious, but if the crook is 'Schmutzig' (sale, filthy) how about the main tube and pads?

 

[Veggie Dave]

I don't want to be pointing the obvious, but if the crook is 'Schmutzig' (sale, filthy) how about the main tube and pads?

Bizarrely, absolutely spotless. The G#'s a bit sticky but that's it.

 

[saxyjt]

Bizarrely, absolutely spotless. The G#'s a bit sticky but that's it.

I guess the previous owner cleaned the maintained regularly but failed to do the same with the neck!

If you think about it, it's quite natural. Remove the neck, clean the body, ignore the neck. Job done.

 

[Vetinari]

What's it like in the top end of a bari?

 

[saxyjt]

I use a special baritone swab for that. Best we can do without going full dismantling mode...

 

[Vetinari]

The gymnastics required to get at swab all the way round the bari are beyond my physical abilities.

 

[saxyjt]

The gymnastics required to get at swab all the way round the bari are beyond my physical abilities.

Not all the way around, just in the top part.

 

[Greg Strange]

If you purchase a second-hand or a pre-loved saxophone it is a good idea to clean the neck especially if the previous owner was a smoker. It's amazing how much muck there is in the neck - cigar smokers tend to be the worst. If it gets that dirty in the neck image what it does to the smokers lungs. Use some dishwashing liquid in some luke warm water with a small brush - Yamaha and Herco are two companies that make saxophone neck brushes or a small tooth brush. Rinse through with some clean cold water after cleaning neck. Always a good idea to remove the octave key from the neck and also clean out the octave vent with a pipe cleaner or a paper clip. Regular cleaning of the neck is recommended after the initial "big clean".

Greg S.

 

[GCinCT]

I often have wondered about cleaning the crook. I have a small pull through, just like the one for the horn itself. I pull it through the crook and the mouthpiece to remove the moisture every time I put the sax away. I say I've wondered because I had the impression that you mature players don't clean the crook. Is that
true?

View attachment 12828

I clean mine every time I play.

 

[Ne0Wolf7]

I stopped cleaning my necks regularly. After a while of not swabbing anymore, I asked my teacher if he did so and he told me he did not.