You dont want rancid oil on your instrument. Mineral oil, canola oil, or coconut oils can all be found at the grocery store. If you are unsure whether your instrument needs new corks, an instrument repair technician will be able to evaluate the instrument for you. Without cork grease, the corks of your instrument would quickly become dry and stiff, making it difficult to assemble the instrument. So, does the cork grease melt or does it remain intact when its hot? It is designed to protect the cork, and only weighs 0.15 ounces. A gentle amount goes a long way. It doesnt just smell amazing, but it also protects your instruments cork and keeps it supple. The scent is moderate, and your cork will be in good condition for a long time. We are now lifelong customers. Thank goodness for thus product. Let us review every product and evaluate if it is a healthy substitute or not. Lanolin-based cork grease is an absolute steal if you are looking to moisturize the cork of your clarinet. There may be. I have found that this makes my cork last for years. Natural corks are derived from bark. The all-organic cork grease comes in a sleek black, and white Chap Stick design that makes your dispensing nonmessy and easy. 12 Pieces Cork Grease for Saxophone Clarinet Cork Grease Flute Grease Lubricant Tube Cleaning and Care Product for Saxophone Clarinet Flute Supplies. There are common ideas about cork grease substitutes. So consider letting the grease blend into the cork a bit before you assemble your instrument. Cork grease is especially smart if you also play a woodwind instrument or know someone who does. Currently, parents of two kids initiating their music careers took us to rediscover everything related to instruments and music in general. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. Keeping your trumpet valves and slides moving is critical to being able to play. It contains cork grease, thumb rest, pad drying paper, microfiber cloth, fingering chart, pencil, and cleaning instructions. Why? We all know what would happen to your cork if all the cork grease melted in the middle of a performance. Every clarinet player needs a cork grease. Before you toss the tube that came with your piccolo, consider why its so important and how to use it. Some cork grease companies strive to keep things in moderation while eliminating the traditional horrible scents that came with many cork greases. Smooth cork connections for a better seal and improved performance. What Are the Best Oil Alternatives for Trumpet Valves? This cork grease from Duo Korea fitted the expectation. Before you toss the tube that came with your piccolo, consider why it's so important and how to use it. There is no particular brand that is best, but Yamaha, Rico, Vandoren, DAddario, and Selmer are some good ones to start with and are commonly used by woodwind players. In addition, it can provide stability in your tuning if you dont have to keep changing corks constantly. When you use cork grease for your clarinet, go with the standard product that instructors and experts in the market approved. Blend these by melting in a saucepan at a low heat until they are fully liquid. Typically petroleum jelly (like Vaseline), lip balm, and lanolin are used as cork grease alternatives. Lubricates and maintains the health of corks on recorder, clarinets, saxophones, oboes . The Vandoren brand is known for delivering exactly what it promises, and their cork greases are not exceptional. Alternatives To Cork Grease: Some Will Surprise You My first impression of this cork grease was the pleasant blossom smell that it produced. It is known for prolonging cork life and making it smooth and supple. This may leave a strong residue, thereby affecting the cork in the long run. You can find baby oil in many drugstores and department stores. Cork material is a natural product that appears on the bark tissue of the oak tree. However, do not let it go loose by applying too much grease to the clarinet. Grease generally consists of a soap emulsified with mineral or vegetable oil . [citation needed]. Nevertheless, the clarinet needs to be regularly greased to produce tones as expected. Mix together and poor into jars or other heat resistant containers. If its close to the oil you need, you can give it a try. For example, the Armstrong 204 and other all-metal models dont feature a cork on the body tenon. Say goodbye to forcing things to fit with this cork grease. If you have any doubts about how important cork grease is, this is what happens when its not used: When I bought a 2nd hand clarinet to replace my hire the previous owner hadnt used cork grease. As a trumpet player, valve oil and slide grease are two of your best friends, but if you run out of them or cant find your current stash, you may consider other options. Everyone keeps telling you to get a clarinet swab but what the heck is it and why do you need it? Safe for all corks, cork glue, and musical instrument woods and finishes. Corks: Pros, cons to what goes atop your favorite bottle of wine Many plant oils can be a great ingredient for cork grease but should not be used by themselves. Here are some instances where Id say you should use it. If you have a wood or plastic piccolo, most of them have a cork on the tenon where the body connects to the headjoint. As the son of a music teacher, I know firsthand the importance of keeping instruments clean and maintained. I find this a great idea as it is complete, and the player learns to keep the clarinet clean.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'woodwindbreeze_com-netboard-1','ezslot_15',176,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-woodwindbreeze_com-netboard-1-0'); The cork grease from this package glues well with the cork and avoids potential damages to the cork. The Clarinet Swab: Everything You Needed To Know And More. Those extra ingredients that make the lip balm more attractive could cause buildup or rancid smells on your cork over time. You can use baby oil on a trumpet, but be careful. There are cork greases that smell awful, and others are strongly scented. As a result, you need to grease it regularly to protect joints and improve sound quality. Some of these items ship sooner than the others. Those that are made with beeswax and other durable materials like cork, work best. The teacher saw potential or at least interest and helped me. It is natural and easy to use on the instrument. The main producer of corks - which come from oak trees, actually - is Portugal. Verdict Lanolin can be considered a wonderful alternative to cork grease. All I can say is that this product is so much better than the tube/lipstick cork grease that you see everywhere. You can usually find it at Walmart, your local musical instrument shop, or we have some all-natural cork grease that we recommend itll ship quick, right to your house. There are many flutes to choose from not all are suitable for beginners. There was a problem adding this item to Cart. Please try again later. While you could get away without using it, you will be better off with it. While replacement corks arent that expensive its a real pain for a beginner to put them onto the clarinet. These toddlers have a high affinity for cute, round things, and you should be careful around them with this product. Many musicians have used Vaseline or other petroleum jelly for their joint corks for years and havent had an issue. The tube weighs only 0.2 ounces and was first availed to the market in 2004. Go through all the reviews and settle for the best product according to the majority of opinions. When putting on the mouthpiece, make sure the neck is not connected to the body. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Now, you only need a little bit to get good results. The downside with a lip balm is that the moisture effect is for a short period. I eliminate the product after any red flag. Works on musical instrument connections including saxophone neck cork, clarinet and oboe tenon corks, bassoon bocals, and more. With all the variety of cork greases available, what is the best cork grease for clarinet? Does Vaseline work? Cork grease is a lubricant for woodwind and reed instruments such as saxophones, clarinets, bassoons, and oboes. I like how you can get one tube or a bulk order of a dozen tubes. Since they typically go on lips, they are made with ingredients that are gentler to the skin and wont cause irritation. But also, not touching the piccolo for a while means the cork could dry out on its own. As a lubricating liquid, oils can be quite messy and will be harder and take longer to apply. Do not use cork grease on flute tenons. Unfortunately, many oils arent good alternatives for trumpet valves. (Pictured here and above). The goal behind using the perfect cork grease is to safeguard the cork and improve the instruments longevity with simple, easy-to-follow routines. A good cork grease will be made of quality ingredients and is specifically designed to lubricate and preserve your tenon corks - so well worth the small cost. From hours of research, here's a breakdown of the common alternatives to cork grease. Cork grease is a lubricant that is used to keep the cork in great shape and is used for woodwind instruments, including saxophones. To see our price, add these items to your cart. Select the Pickup option on the product page or during checkout. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Piccolo Perfection | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. Lanolin is another alternative that spreads smoothly but comes in a different consistency. Adding some grease before you store the piccolo can keep the tenon in good condition for longer. So if you cant get to a music store or wait for an online order, baby oil is a suitable alternative. Before playing, apply cork grease by gently rubbing a tube of grease on your corks or applying the grease with your finger. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges. Sewing machine oil is relatively thin like valve oil. Happy greasing and maintaining your clarinet! It is easy to use and is like a lip balm pop-up tube. An error occurred when processing your request. WD-40 can also have an odor, and it can be toxic. And not all beginner flutes are equal. Verdict Hence, a petroleum jelly like Vaseline cannot be a cork grease substitute. It has a different consistency (more sticky) and wont come in a Chapstick-type tube but is all natural and spreads on smoothly, so a little goes a long way. Your cork grease should be made with nontoxic material for obvious reasons. The one concern is that baby oil may also contain fragrance. Amazon.com: Cork Grease You can get cork grease in a tube that looks like lip balm. What are woodwind corks? Help us continue to grow \u0026 bring you AWESOME Music Lessons!|| FOLLOW DR. SELFRIDGE ||INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/dr.selfridge/Subscribe to Dr Selfridge Music: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqipAeDrpKzXr7wR3yl6vVw?sub_confirmation=1Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrSelfridge/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drselfridge Key Leaves Cork Grease smells like clean air. But first, this post contains affiliate links. Sold in the form of a glue stick or a roll-on, it lubricates and maintains the cork airtight. The Duo Korea cork grease is good quality and has fun scents. DAddario is a sub-brand of Rico, so the products are very similar. Valve oil is much thinner than trombone slide oil, so that the slide oil may be too thick for your trumpet valves. When we tried it out on my friends saxophone, we found that it made the cork soft, and not dry, unlike some cork greases we had used before. If you need to use WD-40 on your trumpet, make sure you clean it off completely. However, you may not want to rely on it all of the time. A good quality cork grease is good to go with only a gentle amount. This can cause the instruments joints to stick together, even leading to damaged corks. If you buy the pure lanolin in bulk, you can really get the cost down ($9 for a half pound) versus the lanolin youd by on Amazon in an easy to use container ($6 for three 0.25 jars). Whether youre new to playing the piccolo or have played for years, you may need to use some grease. If you are new to lanolin-based cork grease, it might take time to get used to this consistency. Beeswax, combined with regular cork grease, is a fantastic product to purchase for your clarinet. How to Apply Clarinet Cork Grease - YouTube This will last longer. The process of applying cork grease changes significantly based on the age of the clarinet. I do not find any significant difference in how it works on the clarinet. Hence, when your clarinet is used to this form of lubricant, you need to store it in bulk. Cork Grease. How do you clean your instrument? My clarinet didnt really play and makes an awful sound. What is cork grease and how can it help you with your piccolo? Lip balm looks pretty similar to cork grease but its not the same. Cork grease is a basic clarinet accessory, but plays a vital role in lubricating the instrument and protecting the cork. Consider looking for fragrance-free baby oil to keep from harming your trumpet. The lanolin cork grease from Instrument Clinic is sold in 3 jars of 0.25oz each. After all, many brass players use petroleum jelly on their tuning slides. Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2023, Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2022, Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2022, Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2023. However, did you know that you can also use lip balm as a cork grease substitute? We are Isabella and John, a couple of band instruments enthusiasts. Traditionally, tallow and lanolin were used in making cork grease but many folks dont like using animal products. Due to its sticky nature, you cannot use beeswax directly. This means that the corks of your instrument will not dry out so quickly, so this grease lasts longer and goes further than others on the market. It might not offer the kind of lubrication that you desire. Bandtuning.com - Read our privacy policy.Disclosure: Bandtuning.com uses affiliate programs to monetize and help us continue to publish valuable content. A slimy grease, on the other hand, will slide and might not hold your cork in place as you would like. If nothing else works, consider taking the trumpet to a technician for more help, and then you can give WD-40 a try. Best cork grease for clarinet - Clarinet Expert Cork grease is what a lot of woodwind players use as part of regular instrument maintenance. Depends on ingredients, takes time to make. How to Fix a Crack in Your Piccolo: What You Need to Know, Gemeinhardt Piccolo Guide: Metal, Plastic, and Wood. Cork grease is used to improve the clarinet corks' moisture so that the cork lasts longer and doesn't crack and break. This cork grease by Duo Korea is a pleasantly scented product that comes in two colors and scents. So, when to apply cork grease to a clarinet? Trombone slide oil and trumpet valve oil arent interchangeable. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Deep Cleaning Your Clarinet: 10 Easy Steps With Tips. The market is flooded with many varieties, and can get confusing to settle on the right one. Periodic maintenance - Yamaha Corporation You know they love the flute but don't know how to connect a gift to that. Using too much cork grease, however, can cause just as many problems as not using enough. Right from the texture to the product itself, it matches those of cork grease. It resembles a honeycomb, and it is durable. 11 Popular Gift Ideas For Flute Players That They Will Love. Hair clipper oil and valve oil are both very thin mineral oils, and you can substitute the two in either direction. If convenience is more important for you, heres a convenient link to purchase lanolin cork grease. The box is 4 ounces, and a single purchase will last for years. Valve oil uses water as the lubricant, while products like silicone or oil lubricants can damage the nickel in the trumpet. However, applying cork grease is essential to maintaining your instrument and should you should use it every 2 or 3 times you play, depending on how dry or tight your tenon corks are. The Chap Stick design makes application easy, and it barely possesses any choking hazard. Check out our recommended supplies Lets say youre out of cork grease. Further, this is also a lot easier to use than cork grease. Unfortunately, many oils aren't good alternatives for trumpet valves. Ive had the same tube for years, so it can last you for quite a while. Any cork that has become overly thin or soft or has started to crumble or break away from the instrument needs to be replaced at a repair shop. The only downside with Lanolin is that it is not widely available. This can cause the cork to break down and fall off over time which means an extra visit to the musical instrument repair technician: an extra cost that you dont need. Cork grease should be used only when it becomes difficult to slide the joints of your instrument together. Still looking for an alternative? You can pure lanolin at the drug store with the breast feeding supplies, or online. Easy to use chap-stick-style tube for no-mess application and clean storage. However, it can leave residue behind, and it can work as an adhesive when it gets hot enough. Lanolin is a natural wax excretion from sheep that waterproofs their wool. It is also fairly thick, meaning it will last for some time. 2. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. From bandmommy in the Sax On The Web forum: A young lady in one of our beginning bands used cork grease for chapstick with some very unsightly results. The best part about this product is the ability to develop a protective coating on the corks surface. If it goes wrong, it does not increase moisture and damages the quality of sound in the long run. Whenever he is not performing, he teaches individual online classes. These balms may be made from some of the same ingredients as cork grease including bees wax, natural plant oils, and other natural extracts. Cork grease can help woodwind players adjust their instruments' tuning pieces (e.g. View all here. Every few years, it is important to check the corks on your instrument to see if they need to be replaced. If you are new to it, you might find it difficult to spread it evenly. I was used to beeswax and hadnt heard of it before. I was impressed by its cork material. Baby oil primarily uses mineral oil, which is very similar to standard valve oil. Can degrade the glue that holds cork in place. This can lead to the neck being possibly bent. Cork grease is a tube or container of grease that you apply to the corks of your woodwind instrument to soften the cork and make putting the pieces of the instrument together easier. Cork grease is a vital tool for most (though not all) piccolo models. Bring your order ID or pickup code (if applicable) to your chosen pickup location to pick up your package. Using too little, on the other hand, causes the cork to stiffen up and it eventually becomes immobile. Grease is a solid or semisolid lubricant formed as a dispersion of thickening agents in a liquid lubricant. When settling for cork grease, many people often get lured by the sweet scents and the sleekness of the bottles. There is little information about clarinets. When settling for cork grease, many people often get lured by the sweet scents and the sleekness of the bottles. This cork grease comes in a pack of 6 pieces, and it is sufficient for several months, although you are a regular clarinet player. However, the smaller containers are far more convenient to use so its really about cost versus convenience. Ive played the trumpet since first grade. Your question might be answered by sellers, manufacturers, or customers who bought this product. If you try to put the mouthpiece on the neck while it is attached to the body, this can cause strain on the neck which can lead to problems. It is always a good idea to stick to an accessory as it maintains the quality and is easy to troubleshoot whenever it encounters errors. Use just enough so that you can easily slide the instrument together. Cork grease is a lubricant for woodwind and reed instruments such as saxophones, clarinets, bassoons, and oboes. When using cork grease, ensure to use as little as possible. It will be 100% airtight. Both petroleum jelly and lip balm can be harmful to your instrument so these alternatives may not be a good idea. As you apply the grease, the moisture increases, and you can feel the softness on the surface. Required fields are marked *. Unlike other accessories like mouthpieces that allow you to test before you purchase, the cork grease will require you to make a purchase. It is easy to apply with no mess, and you store it as clean as you bought it. How about using it for clarinet? It is one of the most important cleaning tools every saxophonist should have. Cork grease is used as a lubricant and works in reed instruments. Theres actually quite a few different alternatives to cork grease but most of them shouldnt be used on your instrument. You will require a grease that lasts for a reasonable amount of time. ${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}. This product is not new in the market as it has been around since 2009. May cause residue. Conn-Selmer Cork Grease for Woodwind Instruments (Cleaning and Care Product) (2929SG) Vandoren CR103 Bb Clarinet Traditional Reeds Strength 3; Box of 10. Then, you wont add too much of the oil to your trumpet, potentially causing damage. $10.99 $ 10. Banging out notes without even knowing what they were. The black and white sleek tube fits perfectly into your cork grease compartment. This product works best for those who dislike strong scents. What is it used for, and why does it matter? When you take your piccolo out, you can use cork grease before putting the instrument together. Follow the steps below to apply cork grease appropriately. We liked that it is USDA certified and comes with nontoxic ingredients from Mother Nature. A good mix is the combination of lanolin oil and beeswax. The problem with the majority of cork greases is the unpleasant smell. Petroleum based products have been shown to degrade the glue that holds on the cork for the tenon joints in clarinets, saxophones, and other woodwind instruments. [1], Cork grease is made with ingredients such as elm extract, organic sunflower oil, coconut oil and hemp seed oil. Especially for new piccolos, the cork may not have had much (or any) grease applied to it. Without cork grease, the corks of your instrument would quickly become dry and stiff, making it difficult to assemble the instrument. Unless you are looking to make it yourself, its really better to just buy cork grease, either in the tube or in the jar form. I have seen many of my friends using lanolin oil instead of cork grease, and the quality and sustainability of the instrument are satisfactory. Only use if unscented or unflavored. When it comes to the piccolo, youll find a cork on the part of the body that connects to the headjoint. Cork grease is what you use on woodwind instruments to moisten the cork on the instrument body. ), Hi, Im Robert Davis. Whether you never used it before or for some other reason, you might need to replace the cork on your piccolo. How to replace a clarinet cork - Clarinet Expert Hope you find this tutorial helpful! It is cost-effective and easily available on the market. Pearl vs. GUO Piccolos: Which Brand Wins? The best alternative to tuning slide grease is pure lanolin because it doesnt seize up like other materials and lasts longer than alternatives. Lip balm looks similar so can you use it on your clarinet or saxophone cork? Then, you can put off having to replace the cork yet again. These are purely anecdotal but some musicians say that these alternatives do the job too: If youre willing to do a little work and experiment a bit, you can make your own cork grease. The tree regenerates, but it takes years. Proper maintenance of these corks will allow you to slide the joints of your instrument together with ease and prevent excessive trips to the repair shop. Furthermore, it has been tried and tested and found to be of high quality. Lets look at some of the best cork greases available. Too much grease left on your corks for too long leads the cork to become soft and begin to crumble or break away from the instrument. The typical nature of the clarinet is that it gets drier and stiffer as you keep playing.