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 Trumpet care
Michael from Brisbane asks:
My son's mouthpiece has become stuck, is it ok for my husband to free it using pliers or a vice grip?

Masson Music: Definitely not, this is a job for the teacher, your local music store or a qualified brass repairer. There is a special tool used to free a stuck mouthpiece. A job that might be done for free or cost maybe a few dollars could become very expensive, especially if the lead pipe is bent or broken off in the process!!!

  • Read more questions and answers about Brass Accessories

  •  Cello Bow
    Casey from Melbourne asks:
    My cello bow is dirty, how do I clean it?

    Masson Music: If it’s the hair DON’T! If it’s the stick read on.

    The hair cleaning really is a repairers job and there are too many pitfalls, which could be disastrous.
    But the stick, if it has a rosin build up, could be cleaned with Hills Violin Cleaner. This product contains no oils and is suitable for this job. Be careful you do not get any of these products ON or NEAR the hair.


  • Read more questions and answers about Cellos

  •  Clarinet purchase
    Ivan from Brisbane asks:
    My son has been chosen to play the Clarinet in the school band. What should I buy?

    Masson Music: We would suggest a good quality student instrument with a good history in the market place.

    Clarinets basically fall into three categories. Student, Intermediate and Professional.
    A Student Clarinet is generally made from plastic or resonate, this reduces the costs and produces an instrument requiring little maintenance apart form the annual service. It is also not affected by the climate.
    There are a number of student instruments on the market today some good and some not so good. As a rule the cheapest is not always the best value, if you can, pay a little more for quality. Check this out in your market place. Talk to your teacher. Speak with your local music retailer. What do the manufacturers offer on warranties. You may also find a good used instrument.
    Here in Australia we offer a number of ways to assist parents and they are,
    Rental/ Second hand/ payment plans/ cash prices/ Internet prices.
    We prefer to only deal with proven products, which have performed over a period. In conclusion this is a good motto to follow.

    "Quality remains, long after price is forgotten."



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  • Read more questions and answers about Clarinets/Oboes

  •  Cleaning Clarinets
    Glenda from Auckland, New Zealand asks:
    My clarinet seems to smell can I wash it?

    Masson Music: NO!! Under on circumstances do you take it near any water!!!!!

    If it has any unusual odours, we would first suggest the following
    1.Make sure you use the recommended cleaning procedures, pull through, after every playing session.
    2.Remove the reed from the mouthpiece, and place in the reed guard after each playing session.
    3. Air and deodorize the case with a scented spray (without the instrument in it) leave open to the air for a short period and this should fix it.
    By following the final step you should eliminate the problem.


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  • Read more questions and answers about Clarinets/Oboes

  •  Cymbals
    Roger from Brisbane asks:
    What is the difference between a Crash and a Ride Cymbal?

    Masson Music: These were originally named by Avedis Zildjian III, this also included HiHats. The following is an extract from the Educational Reference Guide from the Zildjian Company. This company has been producing cymbals for over 380 years. This tradition continues even to this day.

    CRASH cymbals are used to accent beats in the rhythmic pattern and should reach a full sound as quickly as possible. The Crash tends to be a thinner and smaller cymbal than the Ride. Crashes should be set up high
    and slightly angled so they are easily played with the shoulder of the stick.

    RIDE cymbals are used mainly to play different “ride” rhythmic
    patterns. This is why the ride tends to be heavier, larger cymbal than the others. A heavier cymbal will usually be louder and have a higher pitched sound. You want to be able to hear the “ping” of the rhythm even when you are playing loud. You should generally set up your ride so you can hit it with the tip of your stick comfortably.

    HIHAT cymbals are used to establish a rhythmic time feel. The bottom cymbal is usually heavier than the top to help produce a brighter more “chick” sound. When setting up your HiHats, make sure than the tilter is adjusted to an angle so the bottom cymbal meets the top in a way that will not cause an air pocket. The amount of space in between the hats should be set so it’s comfortable for your foot to control them.


  • Read more questions and answers about Cymbals and Accessories

  •  Clarinet care
    Tara from Perth asks:
    How should I care for my clarinet?

    Masson Music: There is a couple of things you should do to keep your instrument in good working order. First make sure you take it to your repairman or music store for at least an annual service, this will keep everything in good order. Finally, here are some basic tips that you can follow.

    1. For resonite Clarinets, these are not affected by moisture, which is the common cause of cracking in grenadilla (wood) instruments. To prevent damage to the pads, it is recommended you use a pull through either chamois or cotton style after every playing session.
    2. Use Cork Grease on all the cork joints to preserve the resiliency of the cork and to make it easier to assemble and disassemble.
    3.All friction points should be oiled regularly, however its probably a good idea for this to be done by an experienced serviceman, if you start getting oil on or near the pads it will not be good.
    4. Check the small register holes regularly to see that they are not clogged with dirt. Clean them with a pipe cleaner or a feather.
    5. After each playing session the mouthpiece should be cleaned to dry any excess moisture. Using a pull through specially designed only for the mouthpiece can do this.
    6. From time to time dirt and dust etx. This can collect around the posts, springs and under the rods. Use a small Camel hairbrush to gently remove any of this matter.
    7. CAUTION. Do not use chemicals or household solvents to clean your clarinet.

    Finally use extreme care when you assemble and reassemble your clarinet! It is a precision instrument. The joints will fit together easily if you grip them firmly, without squeezing the key rods, and gently but firmly screw and push the joints together. To avoid jamming of the bridge key, hold the upper joint in your left hand and press the ring keys down as you assemble the body.


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  • Read more questions and answers about Clarinets/Oboes

  •  Clarinet tone
    Shane from Brisbane asks:
    When I play my clarinet the tone isn’t very clear and it seems to be out of tune. What could it be?

    Masson Music: This could be a number of things, firstly how long is it since you have had your instrument serviced by a professional repairer? Some of these problems could be corrected in a general service. For now, if there are pads that are in poor condition or not seating correctly, this could cause an air leak and be one of a number of problems. My recommendation would be to have it looked at by a professional.

  • Read more questions and answers about Clarinets/Oboes

  •  Truss Rod
    Damon from Ballarat asks:
    What is a Truss Rod?

    Masson Music: A Truss Rod is an adjustable metal rod, which is imbedded in the neck of a steel string acoustic guitar. This rod enables you to adjust to the changes in the neck, which can be caused by the climate, or changing of string gauges. It will take out a reasonable bow in the neck, however for more serious bowing we would suggest you contact your local Guitar repairer or music retailer.
    Most guitars of quality will have a truss rod fitted. Make sure if you are buying a new instrument that it has one.

    A customer recently purchased a very inexpensive guitar off a major internet bidding site and we had to break the news to her that the guitar, which came into the repair shop for the fitting of a new string, had a bad warp in the neck making it totally unplayable, and was not fitted with a truss rod, so it could no be adjusted. In short this guitar was not worth fixing.
    It’s a good rule if you do purchase on the Internet, (and there are some very good sites) to buy from a provider who has good security and a retail store to backup any claims. They like us have invested many dollars in providing consumers with high quality sites, good after sales service, and reliable well known products.
    Speaking from our own experience we have many satisfied customers throughout the world.
    As to our customers problem, she should have some come back from the on line company she purchased with, if action is taken quickly.

  • Read more questions and answers about Acoustic

  •  Left hand Guitar Playing
    Peter from Brisbane asks:
    I’m interested in learning the guitar but I am Left Handed. Can I change the strings over?

    Masson Music: Good for you if you want to learn and play music. Firstly most major manufacturers make Left Handed Models. The guitars not only have the strings reversed, but the internal structure of the strutting is in mirror reverse to a normal guitar, because the tension is reversed. (Here we are referring to acoustic steel string guitars.) These instruments are a little higher in price than a normal acoustic, as the manufacturer has to do special runs.
    You may have to do some research, as not a lot of retailers carry them, but I’m sure they will be able to obtain them for you.
    Secondly, you could reverse the strings on a nylon string guitar, as the tension is much less than a steel string. However I would suggest that you take it to your local music store or repair professional to do a good job. He /She will modify the nut and the saddle so the action is playable.


  • Read more questions and answers about Classical

  •  Spruce vs Cedar
    Sam from Sydney asks:
    I’m thinking of buying an acoustic guitar, some have solid Spruce tops and others solid Cedar tops. Which is better, and what is the difference?

    Masson Music: Firstly both Cedar and Spruce tops share similar virtues in terms of better sound and the ability to age. Spruce tends to have a slightly wider grain of the two, and very blond in colouring. The sound tends to be brighter and matures more over a longer period of time.
    Cedar on the other hand will produce a warmer sound and it ages faster than Spruce. In conclusion, the question can only be answered by playing both of the instruments, and choosing the tone of the instrument you like the best.


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  • Read more questions and answers about Acoustic

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