General trombone care
Join the bell and slide sections together and secure them simply with resistance. Insert the mouthpiece gently into the mouthpiece receiver.
Before use: Pour a small amount of lukewarm water (NEVER HOT) into the slide section and work the slide, rinse and drain. Run lukewarm water through the bell section. Rinse and drain.
Be very careful when using mutes as twisting the mute in the bell may damage the seam. Don’t try too hard with a plunger or wah wah mutes as this will dislodge the bell from the slide!
How to clean the pBone tuning slide
Remove the tuning slide. Apply a generous amount of tuning slide grease or petroleum jelly to each slide and spread it over the entire surface. Insert tuning slide completely into receivers and wipe off excess grease with a soft cloth.
Caring for a plastic trombone slide
Apply a small amount of slide cream to the stockings or apply oil/liquid slide lube to the inner slide top, allowing the oil/lube to run down to the stockings. Spray inner slides with water and work up and down to distribute the cream/oil/lube.
When new the slide may feel slow and scratchy. The slide will “run-in” with use as the brass stockings polish themselves and at the same time smooth down the interior of the outer slides. During this “running-in period” you will need to clean the inner slides frequently with a lint-free cloth or baby-wipe.
You should expect to find a dark deposit both on your cloth and in the condensation coming from the water key, this is normal and shows that the stockings are doing their job smoothing down the interior of the outer slide tubes. With use and over time this process will diminish and disappear as the slide becomes quicker, quieter and smoother to run.
You may find that the slide needs less lube during the “running-in” period. If during this period, the slide slows it will almost certainly be a build-up of the dark deposit so always give the slide a good clean should it slow down.
How to keep your pBone in great condition
To maintain your instrument's finish, never clean it with hot water, chemical agents or harsh detergents or solvents. Use only lukewarm water for cleaning purposes. The coloured parts can be cleaned with a soft cloth. The glass fibre outer slides may be cleaned with warm soapy water and then lightly dressed with vegetable oil to restore the look of the surface.
Any minor damage to the coloured plastic may be mended with superglue.
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