Bassoon Maintenance
If taken care of properly, your instrument should require fewer trips to the repair shop. Making these little extra efforts a part of your daily practice routine will keep your instrument in good shape and sounding great while saving you on expensive repairs. Please enjoy the following information on daily maintenance and basic repairs for the instrument. Special thanks goes to John Pedersen of Pedersen's Band and Orchestra in Burbank, California for this excellent video on periodic woodwind maintenance and his skill as a repairman in Southern California for nearly 50 years.
Daily Maintenance
Swabbing
The most important thing is to swab out the instrument every time it is played. Use a drop swab with a weighted end.
- Swab the wing joint, dropping the swab through the small end where the bocal goes.
- Dumb any excess water out of the small side of the boot joint.
- Drop the swab into the big side of the boot joint and pull through the small side. This will keep the moisture on the lined side of the boot.
Wash the Bocal
Blow out excess moisture from the cork end every time it is played.
Use a bocal brush and fill the bocal with warm soapy water and run the brush trough the reed end. Then rinse until the soap is removed. If the bassoon is being played regularly, this should be done about once a month.
When the bocal becomes loose, the cork can be wrapped with Teflon tape to tighten.
Use a bocal brush and fill the bocal with warm soapy water and run the brush trough the reed end. Then rinse until the soap is removed. If the bassoon is being played regularly, this should be done about once a month.
When the bocal becomes loose, the cork can be wrapped with Teflon tape to tighten.
Clean the Finger Holes
If the finger holes on the wing and boot joints are not cleaned frequently, they will become coated with dirt and grease. When this happens, the pitch of the notes that vent from these tone-holes will be affected. This is especially true for the three finger holes of the wing joint. To clean these, simply dip a cotton swab in denatured alcohol and swab out the inside of the finger holes. This should be done approximately every two months.
Oil the Keys
The keys should be oiled at most once or twice a year. First remove any dust with a small stiff paint brush. Then use a synthetic oil or grease like "Mil-Comm TW25B" and apply the oil to every pivot point on all of the keywork. Work in the oil by moving the keys, then wipe off all excess oil with a paper towel. Do not over oil the keywork, or excess oil can run down the keys and attract dirt that will get into the mechanism and cause trouble.
Tenons
The tenons should be tight enough to form an airtight seal, but loose enough that you can assemble and disassemble the instrument with ease. If a tenon should become loose, you can tighten them up by wrapping the tenon with waxed dental floss or Teflon tape. Depending on the weather in your area, a drop in humidity can cause the tenons to become loose. When the humidity levels return to normal, it may be necessary to remove any floss or tape you used to tighten up the tenons.
Periodic Maintenance
This video will explain the techniques of professional maintenance on woodwind instruments and the importance of periodic adjustments and repads.
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Basic Repairs
Bridge Key
The bridge key that connects the whisper mechanism down the wing joint. Like many bridge keys, it can easily become bent and stop working properly. The whisper key is automatically closed when the E key (pancake key) is depressed by the right hand thumb. If the whisper key pad on the bocal doesn't close when the E key is pressed, the low register will not respond well, especially at soft dynamic levels. If you you notice this happens, check to see if the bridge key is bent. You can bend it back into place using a pair of pliers, but be careful not to bend it too far. Adjust it a little at a time and test the E key to see if the whisper key closes.
The U-Tube
The U-Tube on the bassoon is located inside the boot cup of the boot joint and makes an air-tight seal where the bassoon bore turns back on itself. This can be a problem area if the cork that acts as a gasket between the U-tube and the boot joint leaks. Make sure the large nuts that fasten the U-tube to the boot joint are right. If every note from low G down does not speak, the problem could be in the U-tube. These nuts should not be tightened with pliers, only hand tighten them.
B Vent Mechanism
The B Vent Mechanism causes the B vent key to open when either the C# or high C key is pressed and the left hand third finger ring is not pressed. If either the C# or high C key is bent down so that is is always pressing against the lever below these keys, this will cause the B vent key to open whenever the left hand third finger is not used. If this happens, use your hands, not pliers, to bend the thumb key up until there is a slight space between the key and the lever below it.