Hello all,

I have a quick question. How do you effectively clean a bass recorder?

I own a beautiful wooden Moeck bass which is played with a crook, and I can never get it dry after I've played it. I use my piccolo pull through for the crook, and have been using a clarinet/sax pull through so far but is isn't really big enough to clean it. Any ideas.

Also, how can I dry out the top section?

Thanks

Wrap a large furry rodent in a soft cotton handkerchief and train it to run through each section. Failing that do what I do. Wrap a large mop with a large piece of cotton and use that. I usually stand the pieces up on a towel after playing. They don't get very damp at all when you use a crook I find.

Hmmm....I don't have any rodents and I'm not sure my rottweiler would fit down it

Ha, ha! The thought of a dog (or other animal) running down your bass make the imagination run riot!!!

We used to have a hamster that would have been ideal for the job. I'll keep it in mind if we ever get another one. The budgie just wouldn't work.

That might keep your budgie quiet!!!

Interesting thought!! I suppose his feathers might make a good mop

*Giggles*

On a slightly more serious note, does anyone have any other ideas. My friend suggested a sax pull through with the brush bit to push it out wide enough but I'm scared this may damage the wood.

Funnily enough I thought about one of those sax pull thoughs with the sponge and cloth rather than the spikey ball one.

My mum's just told me to go find a grass snake, make it a fluffy jacket and send that through - she's soooo helpful sometimes.

Could be interesting!! Anything's worth a try

Seriously I wonder if one of those Flute FLags would work that soemone was discussing in another thread. YOu may not be able ot clean your bass assembled but it might do for the sections.

It wouldn't really do, I'm afraid notmusimum, as it depends on the diameter of the flute to push the sides in for the cleaning motion. Difficult to describe unless you've seen one!

I haven't actually seen one Oh well suppose it'll have ot be the snake

I can foresee all sorts of problems with the snake idea, although it does have its merits. First what size of snake would you need? A bass recorder usually has a slightly tapered bore and so the snake would have to fit the smallest aperture. This might make it too thin to clean the larger sections usefully. What would one use to keep the snake’s garment in place? There is nowhere built on to a snake that could be utilized. Perhaps some form of elastic might work, rather like the hold-up stockings of the sixties. This might upset said snake though. An unhappy snake will not work and it might decide to refuse to enter the bore sometimes. You would have to feed it too and I think that snakes require a diet of live mice. This could prove most upsetting to the recorder’s owner.

I think that a fluffy mop wrapped with cotton cloth is still the best option.

Not to mention the owner of the mice

I think petrat's mop idea sounds fine - someone I know who used to work for the early music shop pointed out that mopping out a recorder is really about redistributing the moisture evenly rather than drying it completely - most of the dampness will not go until the instrument has been left out to dry, but what you don't want is a big puddle of wet collecting in whichever bit is nearest the ground. I dry my tenor using a large cleaning rod with an old bloop square wrapped round it. Bloop squares are those muslin ones you see parents of new babies draping over their shoulders before picking up their babies to burp them - and once the babies have outgrown them, they have all sorts of other uses, provided they get washed first...

Ok, so the snake plan might not work. Being a veggie myself I wouldn't fancy feeding it live mice. I am also terrified of snakes which would be a big problem.

Thanks for all the advice though - now for the next question....where do I get a cleaning rod big enough?

And also - does anyone know why wooden basses are soooo much bigger than plastic ones?

Your local woodwind seller should have a nice big furry mop that will do the job. I don't like these when used on their own, but it they are covered with a soft cloth they are fine.
The snake idea is so fraught with difficulties that it was a non-started really. As well as the problems already mentioned I wonder what would happen if the snake grew too big for the task. Would you then have to pass him on to a great bass recorder player? I haven't noticed much difference in size between my two bass recorders, one Moeck and one Yammy plastic.

Thanks for the advice Petrat.

Just to make one thing clear to all - the snake idea was a joke!

Just a thought, hopefully a helpful thought...why not call the early music center in London and see what they suggest...I often pop in there when I go to Howarths...I love all the different sizes...the tiny Garkelins up to some absolute Whoppers which are as tall as me almost...They must have a method for swabbing them somehow...

The only other thing I can suggest is to let the Recorder air for awhile when you have run some sort of swab through it...I often do this with my top joint of my Oboe...I leave the tenon covers off and just let the air get to it...I never use mops, bits of fluff and tone holes are not a happy match...I always use a swab/pull through...

Good luck

Regards

Andrew

Oh No!!! I have just ordered a long snake and some knitting wool. Now you tell me!

Damn!! Well at least it won't get cold!!

A dishwasher is the answer to all lifes problems:

OMG i need to clena my violin: the dishwasher my friend!
OMG i need to smoke a salmon: wrap it in tinfoil, then the fishwasher my friend!
OMG i need to clena my large bass recorder:____________________