[Lewis_Moon]

After picking up my daughter's cast off King 613 alto and committing myself to learn to play sax at 63 years old, I've decided to go the next step...my own sax. I've always been partial to the tenor and I found a YTS-23 that looked really nice on FleaBay and jumped. I just looked and it should be here this afternoon.
While it was pretty darn clean in the pictures, it will "need a bath" before I can play it. So, in this time of Covid, what us a good way to disinfect a nice sax? The sax hasn't been played in a while and has just spent 5 days in transit, so the CDC guidelines say the virus is (statistically) dead, but I'm a belt and suspenders kind of guy when it comes to protecting myself from dying alone on a ventilator. The mouthpieces (2) will go into the sink for a good scrubbing, but the body and neck will need some disinfecting. I was thinking of putting some rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and giving it a good misting inside and out, then wiping it down and swabbing it out. Any suggestions here?
I'm going to play/explore it for a bit before i take it to my tech for whatever it needs.

 

[Dr G]

“Belt and suspenders” in this instance could also be accomplished by doubling the quarantine time for the horn.

If the mouthpieces are composite or hard rubber, don’t use anything warmer than tepid, else you’ll risk harming your mouthpiece, with little benefit.

Enjoy the horn!

 

[lostcircuits]

"Belt and suspenders" in this instance could also be accomplished by doubling the quarantine time for the horn.

If the mouthpieces are composite or hard rubber, don't use anything warmer than tepid, else you'll risk harming your mouthpiece, with little benefit.

Enjoy the horn!

That's really all there is to it, if you are anywhere where the sun is shining, you can take the horn outside and let it soak in some rays to accelerate the additional quarantine after swabbing it with a moist cloth. There is really nothing else you need. And like Dr. G. said don't use hot water on the mouthpieces, you'll ruin them faster than you can think.

 

[lesacks]

Welcome to the 23 club!

You could use the tec as a "food taster". Give them the horn directly and if they are good and healthy in 2 weeks, go pick it up... There is a downside to that, mind you.

 

[Lewis_Moon]

Welcome to the 23 club!

You could use the tec as a "food taster". Give them the horn directly and if they are good and healthy in 2 weeks, go pick it up... There is a downside to that, mind you.

to tell you the truth...I'm more worried about catching something from my tech...

 

[JL]

to tell you the truth...I'm more worried about catching something from my tech...

If you want to really reduce the chance of catching something down close to 0%, simply wear a mask when you take the horn in and later when you pick it up from your tech (hopefully he's also wearing a mask when dealing with the public), then when you get home, put the horn in the closet, wash your hands, and 'quarantine' the horn for a couple of weeks after picking it up (hard as that may be to resist the urge to play it). That will take care of it and then you'll have a horn in great condition to play. This is of course assuming it needs work, which it likely will.

 

[Grumps]

to tell you the truth...I'm more worried about catching something from my tech...

Me too. But that was before covid...

 

[lostcircuits]

If you want to really reduce the chance of catching something down close to 0%, simply wear a mask when you take the horn in and later when you pick it up from your tech (hopefully he's also wearing a mask when dealing with the public), then when you get home, put the horn in the closet, wash your hands, and 'quarantine' the horn for a couple of weeks after picking it up (hard as that may be to resist the urge to play it). That will take care of it and then you'll have a horn in great condition to play. This is of course assuming it needs work, which it likely will.

I think couple of days would suffice. If necessary, check on your tech and if he hasn't gotten sick after 2 weeks, you should be safe, too

 

[Lewis_Moon]

Well, the horn came and looks great except for some bent keys. I have no idea how this might happen other than being knocked around in the stands during a football game (band dad here)

 

[theneighbordubh]

I could show you a lot more ways than that to bang up a horn...

 

[lesacks]

Ya don't get to be a YTS23 by sitting round in a comfy protec case y're whole life!

 

[Always_Learning]

I'd probably go ahead and bring it to the shop and have the tech work on it. Waiting 2 weeks to bring it to the tech and then waiting another 2 weeks I'm not sure I could personally do that ha ha.

What you could do instead of quarantining the horn is just ask the tech the standard covid questions before/after he works on the horn. Explain your concern when you're in there and get a feel for if he has been sick with the Rona/been around someone with a confirmed case of Rona.

 

[Dr G]

I'd probably go ahead and bring it to the shop and have the tech work on it. Waiting 2 weeks to bring it to the tech and then waiting another 2 weeks I'm not sure I could personally do that ha ha.

What you could do instead of quarantining the horn is just ask the tech the standard covid questions before/after he works on the horn. Explain your concern when you're in there and get a feel for if he has been sick with the Rona/been around someone with a confirmed case of Rona.

It's the asymptomatic ones that'll get you - although it's great to share awareness.

 

[JL]

I think couple of days would suffice.

Yeah, I think you're right about that. Waiting a couple of weeks before handling the horn is probably longer than necessary. 2 or 3 days should do the trick.

Lewis, given the bent keys, I'd definitely take it in to your tech and have it looked over and worked on as necessary. If the keys are bent it's not likely whoever owned it kept it in top condition.

 

[Always_Learning]

It's the asymptomatic ones that'll get you - although it's great to share awareness.

I guess their is a positive for me. My bodies chemical make up won't allow me to get sick. Virus and Bacteria that hasn't become acclimated just can't survive very long.

In all seriousness I can't imagine getting a horn in, waiting 2 weeks to bring it to a tech, who may also wait two weeks to work on it. Then getting it back waiting two weeks and then finally playing it. The wait just might do me in.

 

[lydian]

Is there any evidence that Covid is saxually transmitted?

 

[Always_Learning]

Is there any evidence that Covid is saxually transmitted?

Ya know just thinking about it, if you get some of those Chinese Sax Gloves, and your own mouthpiece how much quarantine do you really NEED to do on the sax?

 

[AddictedToSax]

Looks like you're going to have to take the sax in to fix those bent keys. Have the tech do some kind of sanitizing while he's at it. You might be able to rent one while it's in the shop. I know I wouldn't want to wait so many weeks but that's me.

 

[JL]

In all seriousness I can't imagine getting a horn in, waiting 2 weeks to bring it to a tech, who may also wait two weeks to work on it. .

I don't see the need to wait 2 weeks to bring it in, necessarily, but if that's what it takes, there's little choice. I'd contact my tech, explain the situation and ask him how he wants to handle it, then follow his instructions. With those bent keys and almost certainly numerous leaks, the horn is useless until it's been fixed up by a tech. Period, full stop. And as lostcircuits pointed out, once you get the horn back, if you really want to be super careful (as the OP stated!), waiting a couple of days should take care of it.

 

[Grumps]

I don't see the need to wait 2 weeks to bring it in...

Me either. Even if you quarantine the horn at home after a scrub-down, a cautious tech will probably not touch it anyway until they're comfortable.