[BrianMitchellBrody]

OMG are baritones are expensive to get up and running!

I'm looking for pull through swab ideas and suggestions?

I use a Cannonball Dragonswab for my tenor and alto and might use that for awhile.

I am more concerned about the crook and the bend at the top.

 

[Jmceachern36]

I use these. I like the yellow one better. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073FTXKWZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The other one is a Hodges swab.

 

[BrianMitchellBrody]

I use these. I like the yellow one better. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073FTXKWZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The other one is a Hodges swab.

View attachment 256242

I bought both of these. Does the Hodges open up or is it a stick???

 

[Jmceachern36]

The Hodges is a bendable stick surrounded by absorbing material. It looks like it won’t last a long time, unfortunately. The other one seems like it may last longer. I had to bend the ends of the yellow one slightly to get it to slide in nicely.

 

[turf3]

Same baritone for 35+ years now, myself; when I occasionally clean out the curl, I just twist up a rag and force it down in there, twisting as I go. Always brings up some "stuff". No issues with this occasional cleaning yet. I'm not convinced it's necessary to constantly swab out horns, though I can't see that it could cause any harm, either.

 

[BrianMitchellBrody]

Same baritone for 35+ years now, myself; when I occasionally clean out the curl, I just twist up a rag and force it down in there, twisting as I go. Always brings up some "stuff". No issues with this occasional cleaning yet. I'm not convinced it's necessary to constantly swab out horns, though I can't see that it could cause any harm, either.

I try very hard to swab and wipe down my horns out every time I perform or rehearse.

 

[DavidW]

The Hodge swab works great, but will wear out. I've gone through a few of them over the years, but never found anything better.

 

[BrianMitchellBrody]

The Hodge swab works great, but will wear out. I've gone through a few of them over the years, but never found anything better.

Apparently it works and many people trust them

 

[Dana in Philly]

I swab me instead. I never play a horn without brushing teeth first. After playing, the horn dries on the Hercules stand. With the baritone, I open the spit valve a few times as it's drying, to let the moisture out that collects at the bottom of the crook.

 

[KeithL]

The Hodge swab works great, but will wear out. I've gone through a few of them over the years, but never found anything better.

+1 - the silk on the ends of the thing wear out and I go through one about every year to 18 months. I wish you could send the inside part back to Hodge and have it re-sleeved. I don't mind the silk but it would really be a better design if they covered the tips with something more durable like chamois. One of the many projects I haven't gotten to is figuring out how to recover the worn out ones I have myself.

 

[BrianMitchellBrody]

+1 - the silk on the ends of the thing wear out and I go through one about every year to 18 months. I wish you could send the inside part back to Hodge and have it re-sleeved. I don't mind the silk but it would really be a better design if they covered the tips with something more durable like chamois. One of the many projects I haven't gotten to is figuring out how to recover the worn out ones I have myself.

I used to do furniture upholstery and I have a sewing machine. I will see if I can figure out how they're made and take look into that.

 

[KeithL]

I used to do furniture upholstery and I have a sewing machine. I will see if I can figure out how they're made and take look into that.

PM me your address and when this corona thing dies down I'll send you one to mess with.

 

[Eulipion2]

I have the Hodge as well, but I haven't had my bari long enough to build up any funk. Hopefully regular swabbing will prevent that. For my other horns I like the BG microfiber swabs. I kinda wish they'd make a bari swab.

 

[DavidW]

I've used Hodge swabs on my bari since I bought it new in 2008. The inside still looks new after over a decade of playing.

 

[High Fly]

I think the yellow push swab is great. There are some that have a nice dense pack to them ( I have a yellow one that is dense) and others are more fluffy, depending on the make/mfgr. Its hard to know from on line marketing photos from sellers.

Just do the shaping as you have and carefully put it in down and up a bit. the dense type does a little scrubbing it seems. I might leave it in there for a few minutes and take it out.

You can wash and reuse them for years...same for tiny mouthpiece swabs and all that stuff. Soap and water works wonders.

 

[jmathesonjr]

GEM Swabs makes a pull through swab for Baritone Saxophone.

Click here https://www.heidmusic.com/gem-bari-sax-silk-swab/

I have used this for years. Works great. I drop the weight into the bell, turn the sax on its side like it would lay in the case, let the weight drop into the upper bow, turn the sax over to its other side, and tilt it down until the weight falls out the neck receiver end. I then pull the swab through the body and upper bends. The swab can also be pulled through the neck and mouthpiece. This takes all the moisture out of the upper parts of the sax which is where it accumulates. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

 

[KeithL]

GEM Swabs makes a pull through swab for Baritone Saxophone.

Click here https://www.heidmusic.com/gem-bari-sax-silk-swab/

I have used this for years. Works great. I drop the weight into the bell, turn the sax on its side like it would lay in the case, let the weight drop into the upper bow, turn the sax over to its other side, and tilt it down until the weight falls out the neck receiver end. I then pull the swab through the body and upper bends. The swab can also be pulled through the neck and mouthpiece. This takes all the moisture out of the upper parts of the sax which is where it accumulates. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

Interesting - thanks for posting your process for doing this. I've always resisted getting a pull through swab for bari because of the twisting and turning of the horn that I visualize being necessary to make it work.

 

[High Fly]

my concern would be that the silk has to be wide enough to "reach" the walls of the body tube ( to be effective), but small enough to come thru the loop....which is hard to imagine. but maybe the areas where contact with the walls matters most is the narrower upper body tube.

I wouldnt want to do that juggle more than once!

 

[BrianMitchellBrody]

PM me your address and when this corona thing dies down I'll send you one to mess with.

Hey Keith I'm going to pass on this because I have a new one to work with

 

[BrianMitchellBrody]

I swab me instead. I never play a horn without brushing teeth first. After playing, the horn dries on the Hercules stand. With the baritone, I open the spit valve a few times as it's drying, to let the moisture out that collects at the bottom of the crook.

That's great when you are in one's home. However sometimes when you are playing until 2-3 and then a load out its difficult to focus on anything except sleep.