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Do they exist? Ready to buy a new snake but it seems most are just trombone snakes. They're good for the lead pipe...and that's about it. They never seem big enough for anything after the first valve tubing.

I do have a bottle brush, but that obviously doesn't get around corners and turns well.

I have one that is Conn-Selmer branded with white wire and has a big bushy brush at the end.

I also have one of these and used it for about 10 years, but the bristles aren't as stiff as I'd like:

https://www.amazon.com/HW-Products-Bras ... I9QQO?th=1

I've found the little wand thing to be good at getting into valve ports and cleaning out green crud. But if you have lime buildup, obviously it's not gonna work for that.

Yeah, that linked one does look basically useless compared to price. I bet there's a better cleaning snake that's not marketed towards musicians that's a fraction of that cost. It's so funny how much a product can get marked up when saying you can use it on a musical instrument.

The benefit of the one that I linked is it's extremely flexible, and can get around tight bends, but at the expense of scrubby stiffness. I would often use it when giving the tuba a bath.

It seems to me that one that would actually clean a mouthpipe tube significantly well would be one that is sturdy with threads brazed onto the end and a brass brush that is short and also threaded, whereby it will be fed into the first valve casing, screwed on (yes: awkward), and pulled back all the way to the receiver. ...I wouldn't recommend it.

Better (in my view) is to regularly run really generous amounts of lamp oil through the mouthpipe - after having it chemically cleaned. If it is oiled just about every time you play, it's unlikely to gather any scale or even much filth.

Lamp oil is thinner than most all valve oils, and the chemical / petroleum composition of most nonsynthetic valve oils is probably pretty darn similar to lamp oil.

bloke wrote: ↑Thu Oct 12, 2023 1:17 pm
Better (in my view) is to regularly run really generous amounts of lamp oil through the mouthpipe - after having it chemically cleaned. If it is oiled just about every time you play, it's unlikely to gather any scale or even much filth.

That's a lot of work, but a unique solution. I just am going to do the vinegar bath after Oktoberfest, and it's been suggested that the horn should be thoroughly cleaned first, given the bath, then thoroughly cleaned again to get rid of the acid (which is probably not that harmful) and the vinegar smell (which would probably just make me hungry every time I play the horn). So I guess a standard cleaning snake just to get the mouthpipe is all I need.

Post-Oktoberfest cleaning is especially important! All those beer deposits!

Beer, brats, and pretzels!

Possibly a bore snake made for cleaning rifles/shotguns ?

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I haven't tried it on a tuba, but maybe?

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To come up with something that actually will scrub it really well - yet with virtually no risk of it getting stuck - is a pretty tall order.

bloke wrote: ↑Thu Oct 12, 2023 7:49 pm To come up with something that actually will scrub it really well - yet with virtually no risk of it getting stuck - is a pretty tall order.

Use Zip ties and strip of plastic dish scrubber [like scotch-brite but safe for dishes] centered to get a push pull effect.
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It's easy to control, having both ends of the scrubber in hand.

I came up with this method (7 years ago?) as a field repair for slide grease getting down into the valve section on a very very hot day. It's now my preferred method for cleaning my horns. For best results do a preliminary power rinse with hot water or soak in hot water with detergent and hot water. Follow with the zip-tie scrubber and see how much crud you get, you might be surprised!

Luckily for me, my one tuba with a super long mouthpipe tube features five screws to take it off and soak it in acid, and it is also made of nickel brass, so it will not rot.

groovlow wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 8:33 am

bloke wrote: ↑Thu Oct 12, 2023 7:49 pm To come up with something that actually will scrub it really well - yet with virtually no risk of it getting stuck - is a pretty tall order.

Use Zip ties and strip of plastic dish scrubber [like scotch-brite but safe for dishes] centered to get a push pull effect.
-----------%----------
It's easy to control, having both ends of the scrubber in hand.

I came up with this method (7 years ago?) as a field repair for slide grease getting down into the valve section on a very very hot day. It's now my preferred method for cleaning my horns. For best results do a preliminary power rinse with hot water or soak in hot water with detergent and hot water. Follow with the zip-tie scrubber and see how much crud you get, you might be surprised!

Can I see a pic of this?