[roofrabbit]

I've been using a Hodge silk swab for my tenor saxophone after each playing session. This swab is a largeish silk cloth attached to a long cord. The cord is dropped from the neck collar to the bow of the sax; when the sax is inverted, if lucky the cord will fall out of the bell where it may be pulled to cause the silk cloth to pass thru the sax body and out the bell. An advantage is that the swab can be used with the neck also.

The Hodge swab works well but threading the cord through the bell often causes embarrassing curses.

»»---> I'm asking for suggestions for a good swab that is easier and quicker to use.

A "good" swab would be one that (1) absorbs all moisture inside the sax; (2) doesn't need to remain inside the sax or the sax case after use; (3) leaves no residue inside the sax after using & withdrawal; and (4) can be stored in an external pouch of the saxophone case without damage. <--«« (My sax is a Selmer SA80 III that has a large flat zipper pouch on the top side of the case, probably meant for storing sheet music.)

Advice?

:rabbit:

 

[artstove]

I use the Hodge, and it works fine. I drop it into the bell end. Doing that, the trick is when you invert the horn, rotate it directly away from the bell. Don't turn it to the side or twist it. You can think of it as three moves - first, drop the swab weight into the bell, second, tip the horn so the swab weight falls from the bell to the body tube, then third continue to rotate it that same direction so it falls from the bottom of the body tube to the top.

Thinking about doing it the other way, I would drop it down the neck, then rotate the horn directly toward the bell.

 

[milandro]

I have several but the best one that I have is Music Medic’s which is my swab to go every time, BG is also good and I use one of those for the necks and mouthpiece

 

[mijderf]

I use the Hodge, and it works fine. I drop it into the bell end.

Exactly! Dropping it in the bell also means that as you pull the silk through the bore, since the bore diameter gets smaller in the direction of travel, the swab actually has a better chance of wiping along the walls of the bore to clean them. The Hodge really absorbs a lot of moisture as well.

 

[dctwells]

I use the Hodge as well and it's pretty good, but I've been meaning to pick up a better one called the Sax Diaper which is the best out there IMO.

http://www.saxalley.com/sax-diaper.html

 

[Rackety Sax]

I use the Hodge as well and it's pretty good, but I've been meaning to pick up a better one called the Sax Diaper which is the best out there IMO.

http://www.saxalley.com/sax-diaper.html

For those of us who have kids and have gone through the trials and tribulations of diaper-changing, this is a really unfortunate choice of names.

 

[Christian1]

I also use the Hodge swab and it works fine. If you feel like it isn't absorbing moisture as well as it used to, then you may just need to buy another one.

 

[Dr G]

I've been using a Hodge silk swab for my tenor saxophone after each playing session. This swab is a largeish silk cloth attached to a long cord. The cord is dropped from the neck collar to the bow of the sax; when the sax is inverted, if lucky the cord will fall out of the bell where it may be pulled to cause the silk cloth to pass thru the sax body and out the bell. An advantage is that the swab can be used with the neck also.

The Hodge swab works well but threading the cord through the bell often causes embarrassing curses.

»»---> I'm asking for suggestions for a good swab that is easier and quicker to use.

A "good" swab would be one that (1) absorbs all moisture inside the sax; (2) doesn't need to remain inside the sax or the sax case after use; (3) leaves no residue inside the sax after using & withdrawal; and (4) can be stored in an external pouch of the saxophone case without damage. <--«« (My sax is a Selmer SA80 III that has a large flat zipper pouch on the top side of the case, probably meant for storing sheet music.)

Advice?

:rabbit:

Drop the cord down the bell, as Art relates. If you go neck first, you have to hope that the silk will expand to wipe the bore walls as you pull it through - better to start at the large end of the cone.

Alternatives? I have the "Sax Dryer" made by Kolbl (Germany). I got mine from Just Joe's Music. The body of it is about 2 1/2 feet long, has four tapered lobes, ending in a disc that is about 10" diameter - I especially like that it has a draw cord at either end, so if it gets stuck (which hasn't happened yet), the trailing cord may be used to extract it. It's likely the best thing out there, but I don't see it at Joe's website, perhaps best to ask if he has them available.

http://www.justjoesmusic.com/Home_Page.html

 

[Sacks Of Phones]

For those of us who have kids and have gone through the trials and tribulations of diaper-changing, this is a really unfortunate choice of names.

You just get through swabbing the horn and it pees on you...............

 

[dctwells]

For those of us who have kids and have gone through the trials and tribulations of diaper-changing, this is a really unfortunate choice of names.

Good point! I have four little girls and just got the youngest out of diapers last week ...... before that I changed diapers everyday for ten years! Maybe the name thing explains why I haven't been able to bring myself to buy one.

 

[pitsen3]

I like the Hodge. I put it in the bell first and bunch it up a little. then pull it through very slow so it has time to soak things up. Two passes and the horn is dry. Don't bunch it up to much and be careful when you get to the pip. If it catches use a pencil or similar tool to work it off of the pip.

 

[JL]

The cord is dropped from the neck collar to the bow of the sax..

As others have pointed out, drop the cord down the bell, just the opposite of what you are doing.

When I read the title, before opening this thread, I was ready to recommend the Hodge silk swab. I still recommend it. By far it's the best swab I've used. And a big bonus is the fact that it works for the neck and most mpcs as well.

So you've already got what you need; just reverse how you pull it through the sax and you're all set.

 

[LostConn]

The bigger the horn, the more awkward I find it to use a pull-through swab for the main body tube. Instead, I use the tenor-size Pad-Saver swab. I do not leave it in the instrument afterward. It's fast and safe. You can swab the horn while it's nestled on its stand. The potential downside is that the Pad-Saver won't reach the bow, but I've found that little to no moisture gets all the way down there anyway, especially on tenor (because the neck traps so much).

I use the excellent BG sax neck swab for the neck.

 

[Billy Baggins]

Cannonball's "dragon swab" is a brilliant design. It's essentially a lei made out of consecutively larger pieces of absorbent micro-cloth. You drop the small end into the bell of the horn, run it back and forth and the square tips of the micro-cloth get all the moisture out of the horn, including the tone holes.

https://www.paigesmusic.com/paiges/run?id=6&_item=7021081&_modbrand=&lvid=423

 

[chknbon]

The Sax Diaper from Mamco in Decatur, Ga. And a clarinet swab for the neck & mpc.

 

[roofrabbit]

OP here.

Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions.

I'll try reversing the direction of motion using my Hodge tenor saxophone swab. The difficulty that I was having with the Hodge swab is getting the cord from the neck collar to the bottom of the bell, followed by a second difficulty of getting the aglet (the weight attached to the cord end) to fall out of the bell instead of falling back down the body tube. I think the swab could be improved if the aglet were heavier. As it is now, the combined weight of the cord and silk cloth is greater than the weight of the aglet.

The info about the alternatives to the Hodge swab is good to know.

:rabbit:

 

[High Fly]

Yeah, you have it backwards. I see people do it with neck swabs too...I don't get it. you want compression as it goes through, not decompression. start large, go toward small.

B and G makes/made a similar one. Its similar to the Music Medic based on the photo above. the quality of the chamois is great and the anchor is strong, and you really see the absorbency from good contact with the inner walls.

If they made a push pull swab made of chamois "flags" that would be great.

OP here.

Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions.

I'll try reversing the direction of motion using my Hodge tenor saxophone swab. The difficulty that I was having with the Hodge swab is getting the cord from the neck collar to the bottom of the bell, followed by a second difficulty of getting the aglet (the weight attached to the cord end) to fall out of the bell instead of falling back down the body tube. I think the swab could be improved if the aglet were heavier. As it is now, the combined weight of the cord and silk cloth is greater than the weight of the aglet.

The info about the alternatives to the Hodge swab is good to know.

 

[ratracer]

When playing out somewhere, I have a whole horn silk Jewel swab. It has a thin weight on the string attached to the swab. I put the weighted string in the bell of the horn and tip it up so that it goes all the way through the assembled horn. Mouthpiece sans reed as well! Do that a couple times, disassemble the horn and put it in its case. This is a pretty quick process...

For after any practice at home, I take a bit more time. I have a swab for the body and tube that has a weight on the end of its string, a cotton, square-shaped cloth with a 1/2" thick, about 3" diameter sponge that conforms to the bell and body tube as you pull it through. Don't know the name of this swab, it came with the horn from Kesseler's. I disconnect the neck from the body tube and disassemble the mouthpiece and run the silk Jewel swab through the neck and mouthpiece separately. Then put the horn on its stand to air dry a bit more...

I have a Hodge's silk swab, should work on a completely assembled horn but the oval weight will not easily fit in the neck at the corked end. The inside diameter is a wee-bit too small or the rubber coating of the weight is a wee-bit to thick and I don't really want to remove the rubber coating so it will more easily slide through...

That's my 2¢, keep the change!

But definitely put the swab in through the bell first. The weighted string should drop down the tube very easily. Except if it decides to exit the horn through an open tone hole. I've had that happen on occasion!

 

[Dr G]

If they made a push pull swab made of chamois "flags" that would be great.

See Post #14.

 

[High Fly]

I was thinking push..you can't push a rope, as they say, nor that thing, no?

Push / pull as in the ubiquitous wirey rigid one we've all come to love/hate , leave in/don't leave in

See Post #14.