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Recently I made some decisions about what pieces I will perform at the Southeast Horn Workshop this year. Part of that decision making process was deciding what horn to play, which will be my compensating triple. With that decision made, there was another thing that needed done. When I first purchased this horn I played it a lot for about four years. Then the last couple years I have not played it much at all. The result is it developed a smell, similar to what I would call an “old tuba” smell. I tried to clean it and flush it well but the smell was persistent and I believe originated in some hard to reach (in terms of cleaning) corner of the high F side of the instrument. Which in short meant it was time for a professional cleaning, and I opted to have a horn ultrasonically cleaned for the first time.
What is ultrasonic cleaning?
Basically the horn is submerged in a tank of mild detergent and it is bombarded with sound waves.
For a bit more of a description, from a FAQ in the website of the manufacturer we learn that
Ultrasonic cleaning provides a more thoroughly cleaned instrument and utilizes environmentally friendly detergents.
What is the basic cleaning process and how long does it take?
The basic process is as follows:
Submerse the instrument in the ultrasonic cleaner for approximately 2-5 minutes at approximately 100 F. Thoroughly rinse the instrument in 100 F clean rinse water.
The photo of a machine in this article is linked from the manufacturer website.
Where do I need to take my horn to have it ultrasonically cleaned? How does the process work?
It must be done by a pretty well equipped shop as it is an expensive machine. We have such a shop locally here and in their website they describe the process as follows:
Ironically, we clean brass instruments using “sound waves”. The Ultrasonic cleaner delivers these “sound waves” into a cleaning solution, by means of a series of transducers mounted to the side of a tank. The sound travels throughout the tank and creates waves of compression and expansion in the liquid. This compression and expansion is so dramatic that the liquid molecules are ripped apart, creating microscopic bubbles. The bubbles are very small and exist for only a split second. The bubbles contain a partial vacuum while they exist. As the pressure around the bubbles becomes greater, the fluid around the bubble rushes in, collapsing the bubble very rapidly. This violent collapse, combined with the liquid jets velocity, provides a very intense cleaning/scrubbing action in a concentrated area. This scrubbing action exists throughout the entire cleaning bath. Utilizing application-specific detergents, I can get your horn cleaner than with any other approach.
Prior to Ultrasonic cleaning, you had a number of options, none of which were really pleasant. If your horn really got somewhat clean inside, your instrument was dunked in all sorts of acids, then brushed out, and hopefully rinsed out. This left the instrument etched, and who knows if it ever stopped etching? Have your valves ever been the same, since the first acid bath? The combination of Ultrasonic cleaning and the power flushing that I do, will leave your horn as clean as it can, or ever will, be. NO harsh chemicals. NO weird taste in your mouth. Just the cleanest, freshest, best playing horn you can imagine. Combine this service with Bore scope valve alignment, and in most cases, it will play better than new.
So how did it turn out?
The smell is gone and the horn feels great! No regrets at all. As noted above, there is basically no harm you can do to your horn with an ultrasonic cleaning. If it is a service offered by a shop in your vicinity I do recommend that you give it a try. I will be cycling other horns of mine through the shop in the coming months.
