[xXTooSaxyXx]

I just received a used gold plated Guardala Crescent mouthpiece in the mail from wwbw.com and when i opened it i found it covered in tarnish with a whole bunch of black spots every were. I played it for two hours and it played great but when my parents saw it they insisted on using tarnish remover. We used a cloth that has a very weak chemical in it and wiped it down getting rid of almost all the spots. It looks a lot better now but I'm worried I may have ruined it in some way, could using the weak tarnish remover have negatively effected it in any way? Thanks in advance.

 

[hakukani]

Gold doesn't tarnish.

 

[xXTooSaxyXx]

Maybe tarnish isn't the right word. It had black spot that were removed with tarnish remover. What could it have been?

 

[jacobnikolau767]

I just received a used gold plated Guardala Crescent mouthpiece in the mail from wwbw.com and when i opened it i found it covered in tarnish with a whole bunch of black spots every were. I played it for two hours and it played great but when my parents saw it they insisted on using tarnish remover. We used a cloth that has a very weak chemical in it and wiped it down getting rid of almost all the spots. It looks a lot better now but I'm worried I may have ruined it in some way, could using the weak tarnish remover have negatively effected it in any way? Thanks in advance.

I wouldn't try to do anything to a mouthpiece.

Mouthpieces are delicate. You can irreparably change them with the tinniest scratch. I don't even swab my mouthpieces. I try to sterilize them..

However, if it still plays well don't let me or anyone else tell you if it is good or not. Have fun making music and don't worry about it.

 

[mfry]

As long as you don't buff too aggressively on the table and rails this is fine. Sounds like the gold plating has worn through to silver underneath, and that silver is the tarnish you see. Just keep out clean in the future and you're ok.

 

[1953SBAALTO]

I don't even swab my mouthpieces. I sterilize them..
.

Are you sure sterilize is the right word? And if you don't swab/brush/mechanically remove the "gunk," any attempt at sterilization would be useless. And I don't know about you, but I wouldn't put my mouthpiece in an autoclave nor use bleach on it, and I don't have access to EtO gas or Gamma radiation.

 

[MojoBari]

I do not think you can do any harm using a treated polishing cloth. A light hand polish using Flitz is also safe.

 

[jacobnikolau767]

Are you sure sterilize is the right word? And if you don't swab/brush/mechanically remove the "gunk," any attempt at sterilization would be useless. And I don't know about you, but I wouldn't put my mouthpiece in an autoclave nor use bleach on it, and I don't have access to EtO gas or Gamma radiation.

I don't mean to say I bleach them, I use a pool of standing lukewarm water to remove "gunk". I use a UV sterilization light on my metal mouthpieces after rinsing (2 hour exposure). I just settle for a washing with some hydrogen peroxide on the hard rubber ones.

All i'm trying to say is the need to be careful with expensive mouthpieces can't be understated.

 

[hakukani]

Wow! Isn't that sort of like fishing with a hand grenade?

 

[jacobnikolau767]

Wow! Isn't that sort of like fishing with a hand grenade?

Jealous admirers have been know to rub some anthrax on my baffle when i'm not looking. Always have to tell the poor tenor player to leave me alone. Bari envy. I can swear that man is out for my job! :twisted:

In all seriousness though. It works, and it doesn't damage my equipment. What more can I ask for?

 

[jacobnikolau767]

Wow! Isn't that sort of like fishing with a hand grenade?

Jealous admirers have been know to rub some anthrax on my baffle when i'm not looking. Always have to tell the poor tenor player to leave me alone. Bari envy. I can swear that man is out for my job! :twisted:

In all seriousness though. It works, and it doesn't damage my equipment. What more can I ask for?

 

[jacobnikolau767]

Sorry about the duplicate post.

 

[hakukani]

How do you know it works? I just wash my pieces out with soap and water. I haven't had even a cold or sore throat since '09 when I got the flu--and that was definitely not from my mouthpiece.

 

[jacobnikolau767]

How do you know it works? I just wash my pieces out with soap and water. I haven't had even a cold or sore throat since '09 when I got the flu--and that was definitely not from my mouthpiece.

This is what leaves my mouthpieces the least stinky!

 

[hakukani]

This is what leaves my mouthpieces the least stinky!

What about your mouth?