Request help with cleaning old Trombone

[Haigler]

Hello,

If this is in the wrong place, please move to the correct spot.

I recently acquired an Olds trombone. It reads, "Super Olds by FE Olds and Son Los Angeles." It's in really nice shape for as old as it is.

I believe it was made in 1949. It's complete with 2 mouthpieces, music holder and other accessories, including a period-correct custom case. It appears to be in great shape, but it needs to be cleaned.

My questions are - I plan on selling it because I am not a musician. Should I clean/polish it and if so, with what?

Are there any areas I should avoid cleaning or other pitfalls I need to know?

Lastly, what is the value range of this trombone? I know there are a lot of variables with that question. I'm just looking for a ballpark of what I should be asking when I'm ready to sell it. I attempted to post photographs here but couldn't figure it out.

Thank you

[BGuttman]

If you don't know how the trombone works, don't try to do a major cleaning. If you are clumsy you can make more problems than you resolve.

If there is just some dirt and grime on the lacquer finish you can use a good spray and wipe cleaner to remove it.

If there are brown or black spots on the brass surfaces, this is tarnish. Sometimes you can remove it using a liquid brass polish like Wright's or Haggarty's.

If there is a "growth" inside the tubing you could try a soak in warm water with a litle dish soap. You can loosen the stuff using a long handled brush.

If there is a lot of dust in the case, vacuum it out. If the case smells musty, put a clothes dryer sheet inside.

If you haven't lubricated a slide before, leave that to the next owner. We all have our pet ways of preparing a slide

Chat Member JLowe is our resident Olds expert. He can help with other details.

Value? Really depends on condition. A groty looking horn can be as little as $50. A horn that looks brand new could command $300-500.

As to posting pictures, you need to work from the Full Editor (press the button below the entry box). Underneath the section for adding text there are two tabs: Options and Attachments. Within the Attachments tab is a way for you to upload a picture. Alternatively, if your pictures are already on line (have a URL, like on Imgur) you can add pictures simply by putting the URL between IMG tags (in square brackets, IMG, then the URL, then in square brackets /IMG). Hope this helps.

[Haigler]

Thank you, I appreciate the advice.

I believe I could get the brass looking new with a little polish. The other wear is on what appears to be a nickel surface on the slide and slide brace, likely from the fingers of a former owner.

I'll heed your advice and keep the cleaning minor.

[BGuttman]

The brass is coated with lacquer. Polish will probably have the effect of making things worse.

This instrument has wear at the contact points, which would be expected in an instrument this old that was well used. I probably wouldn't try to mke it look like something it wasn't.

The two silver mouthpieces could be cleaned up with some liquid silver polish like Gorham's or Haggerty's. There's no lacquer on them, just a thin plating of silver.

Note that the Vincent Bach mouthpiece has a location on it. It also has a number. That number is important, as will as the location. I would suspect it is a New York (not Mount Vernon) 12C. While 12C is a very common mouthpiece size, New York is much rarer and could be worth $50 where one without a location might only be worth $15 and a Mount Vernon $40.

[muschem]

I've had an eye out for a 49 Super for a project I have in mind. I sent a dm - when you're ready to sell, let me know.

[Haigler]

The brass is coated with lacquer. Polish will probably have the effect of making things worse.

This instrument has wear at the contact points, which would be expected in an instrument this old that was well used. I probably wouldn't try to mke it look like something it wasn't.

The two silver mouthpieces could be cleaned up with some liquid silver polish like Gorham's or Haggerty's. There's no lacquer on them, just a thin plating of silver.

Note that the Vincent Bach mouthpiece has a location on it. It also has a number. That number is important, as will as the location. I would suspect it is a New York (not Mount Vernon) 12C. While 12C is a very common mouthpiece size, New York is much rarer and could be worth $50 where one without a location might only be worth $15 and a Mount Vernon $40.

The Vincent Bach mouth piece has a location of New York and the number is "22SC" The mouth pieces actually cleaned up quite nicely.

[Haigler]

I've had an eye out for a 49 Super for a project I have in mind. I sent a dm - when you're ready to sell, let me know.

Thank you for your reply. It wouldn't let me respond to your message. I will let you know.

[Mamaposaune]

I would recommend leaving it alone. Assuming you will eventually be selling it I don't think a home cleaning will add much to it's value, and if you are not used to handling a trombone there is a high risk of doing damage. A thorough cleaning will require disassembling it and knowing how, which is hard to describe here. (and there are a lot of questionable videos on youtube, IMO) If there is a musty odor, a good repairman could do an ultrasonic or chemical cleaning which would help, as well as a slide alignment if needed. Of course you would have to clean and deodorize the case, too.

[tbonesullivan]

For the mouthpieces, they look like a prime candidate for the baking soda, aluminum foil in hot water trick. I would wash them with soap and water, and then try that. It will make the tarnish go away fast.