Tip: Drying inner slide

[Reedman1]

I like to dry my horn thoroughly after playing, to avoid trips to the tech (or possibly the hospital). I find that a silk clarinet swab does a great job on the inners - absorbs well, no scratching, dries quickly. And inexpensive. A reason to like reed players! Try it out, if you haven’t already.

[Doug Elliott]

Learn something new every day.
I didn't realize there was a reason to like reed players.

[BGuttman]

I didn't realize a clarinet swab had a long enough string. My friend used to use one to clean his Euphonium valves (clearly with the core and both caps removed).

[Reedman1]

Reed players have a lot going for them, besides being very strong from carrying all those doubles. And yes, the string of a clarinet swab is jut long enough to clean the end of the slide. You may have to give it a little shake to get the weight to pop out to where you can grab it. Then a slow, gentle pull through the slide does it. You may have to repeat.

[afugate]

Reed players have a lot going for them, besides being very strong from carrying all those doubles. And yes, the string of a clarinet swab is jut long enough to clean the end of the slide. You may have to give it a little shame to get the weight to pop out to where you can grab it. Then a slow, gentle pull through the slide does it. You may have to repeat.

Isn't there already enough shame just from using something from a clarinet?? Have you no mercy?

--Andy in OKC

[Reedman1]

Reed players have a lot going for them, besides being very strong from carrying all those doubles. And yes, the string of a clarinet swab is jut long enough to clean the end of the slide. You may have to give it a little shake to get the weight to pop out to where you can grab it. Then a slow, gentle pull through the slide does it. You may have to repeat.

Isn't there already enough shame just from using something from a clarinet?? Have you no mercy?

--Andy in OKC

[Reedman1]

Fixed it.

[Reedman1]

Reed players have a lot going for them, besides being very strong from carrying all those doubles. And yes, the string of a clarinet swab is jut long enough to clean the end of the slide. You may have to give it a little shame to get the weight to pop out to where you can grab it. Then a slow, gentle pull through the slide does it. You may have to repeat.

Isn't there already enough shame just from using something from a clarinet?? Have you no mercy?

--Andy in OKC

You should feel honored that you can use something from a clarinet. Clarinetists aren’t just a target for 7th position.

[PaulT]

https://www.hickeys.com/search/products/sku116565.php

This works great! One trip leaves the inside dry (as can be verified by a second trip with a second yami-swab). Weighted cord is plenty long (as it was designed for the trombone).

Cleaners that depend on brushes (like the HW Brass Saver) just push the the moisture around. Some goes out, plenty remains (as verified by running a yami-swab after one of them).

[PhilTrombone]

Learn something new every day.
I didn't realize there was a reason to like reed players.

I am still not convinced that we should start liking them!

[Kbiggs]

https://www.hickeys.com/search/products/sku116565.php

This works great! One trip leaves the inside dry (as can be verified by a second trip with a second yami-swab). Weighted cord is plenty long (as it was designed for the trombone).

Cleaners that depend on brushes (like the HW Brass Saver) just push the the moisture around. Some goes out, plenty remains (as verified by running a yami-swab after one of them).

Yep. This swab works well. And I’m not indebted to any clarinet players!

I agree about the HW Brass Savers.

[Reedman1]

I have a Yamaha swab. I find the micro-fiber cloth to be less absorbent than silk. If I want the slide to be really dry, I use the clarinet swab.
Since I used to play reeds (obviously) I have no silly bias against reed players, and am happy to have a larger range of resources to draw on. But if you can't bring yourself to buy a clarinet swab ("ew! ew! ew!") then have at it with the Yamaha micro-fiber swab.
BTW a sax swab works great for the bell.

[Reedman1]

Learn something new every day.
I didn't realize there was a reason to like reed players.

I am still not convinced that we should start liking them!

Clarinetists have nothing against trombonists...

[walldaja]

Don't forget clarinets are useful in winter survival situations. They can be used for kindling.

[CalgaryTbone]

One thing to watch for - I used to use a similar product from Reka (a Slide-o-mix competitor) for my alto trombone, because the Slide-o-mix red terrycloth sleeve for the cleaning rod doesn't do a great job on small bore slides. It broke off and was stuck in the outer slide. I had to make a quick emergency trip to the repair shop, and had to borrow a colleague's alto for a rehearsal. Luckily, my repair guy got it out without having to remove the crook from the end of the slide.

If you're going to use something like this, inspect it every time you use it to be sure that the cloth is not starting to separate from the cord.

Jim Scott

[Reedman1]

One thing to watch for - I used to use a similar product from Reka (a Slide-o-mix competitor) for my alto trombone, because the Slide-o-mix red terrycloth sleeve for the cleaning rod doesn't do a great job on small bore slides. It broke off and was stuck in the outer slide. I had to make a quick emergency trip to the repair shop, and had to borrow a colleague's alto for a rehearsal. Luckily, my repair guy got it out without having to remove the crook from the end of the slide.

If you're going to use something like this, inspect it every time you use it to be sure that the cloth is not starting to separate from the cord.

Jim Scott

Good point. But a clarinet swab will not get stuck in a tenor trombone slide.

[Reedman1]

Don't forget clarinets are useful in winter survival situations. They can be used for kindling.

Right. And trombone bells can be used to funnel oil into your car.

[PaulT]

I just ordered a silk clarinet swab and saxophone swab. Thanks for the tip. I'll give them a try.

(last year, after more than a few scotches while doing a deep youtube dive into New Orleans jazz, I had an "if not now when" moment and ended up buying a Yamaha clarinet on ebay. As I had just purchased a new trombone, when it showed up, discretion proved to be the better part of valor and I returned it rather than try explain it.

But, if I could do it all over, I don't know, I sure like clarinet jazz, better than anything.

[Reedman1]

I just ordered a silk clarinet swab and saxophone swab. Thanks for the tip. I'll give them a try.

(last year, after more than a few scotches while doing a deep youtube dive into New Orleans jazz, I had an "if not now when" moment and ended up buying a Yamaha clarinet on ebay. As I had just purchased a new trombone, when it showed up, discretion proved to be the better part of valor and I returned it rather than try explain it.

But, if I could do it all over, I don't know, I sure like clarinet jazz, better than anything.

Hope you like how they work for you.
Too bad you returned the clarinet - it’s really a fun instrument to play, with a huge range and tons of colors. Plus overblowing by a twelfth makes you think a bit.

[greenbean]

...
Right. And trombone bells can be used to funnel oil into your car.

Or for chugging beer at campus keg parties!

[jorymil]

I like the scene from The Great Escape where they turn the trombone into their makeshift moonshine still