The following is a Jupiter Baritone sent into the shop because of valves not working.  According to the customer, the instrument had been cleaned the following summer and had not been played very often during the year.

Upon inspection it was determined this instrument really needed to be cleaned Ultrasonically.

residue accumulating inside tuning slide ...

outer slides were dirty as well

More expamples of dirty outer slides

These are the bottom valve caps, notice the build up (the black sections) of residue

More build up of residue around the edge

These are the valves of this 4 valve baritone after removing the valve guides.  Notice the residue build up around where the valve guides were located.

The instrument is checked for reachable dents and those dents are removed, then it is dissassembled and degreased in a tub.  Once we've cleaned out as much as we can with a brush, it's time for the instrument to be placed into the Ultrasonic tank.

Here is the baritone in the Ultrasonic tank.  Notice the water is clear and look at the left hand portion of the picutre and see the valve caps.  The black cloud rising from the caps is the build up of residue being removed by the ultrasonic sound waves.

Notice more residue being removed from the inside of the tuning slides

After the instrument is cleaned in the Ultrasonic tank, it is rinsed in a rinsing tub, and dried.  All parts are checked over to ensure all residue is removed.  Slides are treated with slide grease, valves are cleaned and oiled.

Here are pictures of the final result ...

Clean valve caps, notice they look almost like they did out of the factory

The tops of the valves before valve guides, felt and stems are put back on

Close up pic of a valve cap

Close up of the top of the #3 valve

valves are clean

slides are very clean, free of residue that can cause the slides to stick and become frozen

ready to be re-assembled

Inside a tuning slide.  Since the instrument was cleaned Ultrasonically, this is how the entire inside of the instrument looks.

Information on Ultrasonic Cleanings

UltraSonic Cleaning

A CLEAN HORN IS A HEALTHY HORN

“Why musicians should have their instruments cleaned professionally”

UltraSonic Cleaning Technology and unique chemistry equal a modern environmentally safe approach that not just rinses the instruments but thoroughly removes the calcium buildup in a horn. This is truly a dream come true for the repair technicians.

More and more band directors are beginning to understand the need for annual professional band instrument cleaning. Do you use the same knife, fork and spoon day after day with out cleaning it? Consider this analogy….. Not thoroughly cleaning your instrument inside and out professionally at least once a year amounts to using unwashed eating utensils over and over.

Every horn player and band director knows that the calcium / organic materials build up inside a horn. This is contamination to the metal and in time causes the metal to oxidize and metal failure occurs.

The difference between a medium-large bore and a large bore trumpet is only .003". Many trumpets have over twice this thickness of debris coating the interior surfaces. In addition to making the horn feel tighter this material can interfere with valve and slide action. An UltraSonic cleaning removes deposits of old oil and grease, corrosion, and plaque deposits from the interior of your instrument. After a thorough scrubbing out, the instrument is re-assembled, replacing all the corks, felts, and bumpers and replacing springs as needed. At the same time the technician makes a thorough examination of your instrument and can find and correct small problems before they become major ones. Instruments should be professionally cleaned yearly.

Although periodic cleaning or flushing of your instrument at home has it’s benefits, the Ultrasonic cleaning process can effectively remove all the internal and external contamination much more thoroughly than you can at home.

Professional musicians can surely tell when the horn does not have the desired tone. They have trained to listen for the proper tone when playing. Some say, the rich sound of the horn is lost when contamination builds up in the instrument. The smooth slide valve action is compromised in some severe cases. Both rotary and piston valves that stick can be quickly and easily cleaned effectively when our trained professional band instrument technicians use the Ultrasonic cleaning system that is designed specifically for musical instrument cleaning and restoring.