Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 380 Location: Pennsylvania
Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2021 12:45 pm Post subject: Blow-Dry Brass vs Herco Spitballs
I've been using Spitballs for a while, but the cleaning solution dries out quickly while the foam balls still have a lot of life.
I just saw a thread where members were talking about Blow-Dry Brass. It's a good bit more expensive than the Spitballs. How do they compare in terms of cleaning effectiveness and longevity (does the Blow-Dry solution last significantly longer than Herco)?
Are there other products besides Spitballs or Blow-Dry that any of you like better?
Or how about a formula for a solution to replace the Herco fluid? I tried to see if I could replicate it, but couldn't find Amine Polyglycol condensate. I could probably just do distilled water and a little alcohol, but figure there's a reason Herco thought it needed other ingredients. _________________ 1945 Martin Committee
1939 Martin Handcraft Committee
1963 Olds Recording
1906 F. Besson flugel
Joined: 03 Jun 2003 Posts: 1607 Location: Clarksville, Tn
Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2021 12:49 pm Post subject:
I can't speak about Blow Dry since I've never used it. But with the Spit Balls, I refill the container with alcohol after it dries out. I feel like blowing spitballs through my horn helps get a lot of the crud out. I should use them every time I practice, but I wind up using them 2 or 3 times a week. I use the trombone size. The trumpet size doesn't seem big enough. _________________ Music is a fire in your belly, fighting to get out. You'd better put a horn in the way before someone gets hurt.
Joined: 13 May 2015 Posts: 295 Location: Mississippi
Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2021 2:28 pm Post subject:
I use blow dry brass virtually every time I play the trumpet. The "solution" is nothing more than rubbing alcohol. I replenish the little blow dry brass container after each use. A 32 ounce bottle of rubbing alcohol, which costs only a few dollars, will last for months. I've had techs comment about how clean my horn was, so it must be working.
Herco Spitballs. A jar of 18 costs $4.50 (plus tax & shipping) from Dillon Music.
Works out to let's say $.30 per spit ball. A Blow Dry kit is....$25 (give or take). And ya get ONE spit ball in the kit.
I've been using Herco's for over 50 years. Usually get 5 to 6 years use out of a jar.
The first thing I do when I buy a new jar is pour out the "solution" & rinse out the jar.
Then I rinse the spit balls in warm soapy water and squeeze them dry. Put them back in the jar and they're good to go.
They work perfectly fine dry. Trumpet legend Buddy Childers used to blow a couple thru his trumpet & flugel after every rehearsal, performance or session. Dry.
Blow dry. Moisture is in your breath. When you blow something thru your horn, the air behind it has moisture in it. So the "Dry" of Blow Dry...kinda don't think so. _________________ Tim Wendt
Joined: 11 Nov 2018 Posts: 246 Location: Kansas City, MO
Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2021 4:59 pm Post subject:
trpthrld wrote:
Herco Spitballs. A jar of 18 costs $4.50 (plus tax & shipping) from Dillon Music.
Works out to let's say $.30 per spit ball. A Blow Dry kit is....$25 (give or take). And ya get ONE spit ball in the kit.
I've been using Herco's for over 50 years. Usually get 5 to 6 years use out of a jar.
The first thing I do when I buy a new jar is pour out the "solution" & rinse out the jar.
Then I rinse the spit balls in warm soapy water and squeeze them dry. Put them back in the jar and they're good to go.
They work perfectly fine dry. Trumpet legend Buddy Childers used to blow a couple thru his trumpet & flugel after every rehearsal, performance or session. Dry.
Blow dry. Moisture is in your breath. When you blow something thru your horn, the air behind it has moisture in it. So the "Dry" of Blow Dry...kinda don't think so.
Actually there's many bits (I haven't counted because I'm still on my first) included in the BDB kit which are re-usable. I have used one on my horn for years (before I started selling them) and still am on the first one. I use it every session when done. Takes seconds. There's something also very different about the nature of the material each uses. The BDB expands and does dry out the instrument after use which IMO will prevent red-rot.
There's definitely a price difference but a one-time $20 investment is far better than any red-rot replacement (and of course subsequent performance) issues.
We have a longer (hour or so) interview with the creator of BDB and hopefully will launch that on the channel shortly. We believe in this product so much we include it with every pro trumpet we sell at the shop. It is that good and IMO a huge improvement over the old spitballs.
YMMV,
T _________________ As of 1/1/2022 ACB will no longer post online here nor monitor TH.
It's a shame how far this forum has fallen. If you need us call 816-410-0826 or email.
Tried the spitballs once, but they kept getting stuck in my horn, especially at the valve cluster. Would like to try BDB but its a little harder to find in Europe, not to mention quite a bit more expensive. It seems their Spanish dealer is having a sale though, so I’m gonna see if I can order some.
Joined: 03 Nov 2011 Posts: 2322 Location: Beavercreek, OH
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2021 4:20 am Post subject:
I've used both for quite a while. Both do the job that is intended.
(I purchased Herco Spit Balls and Blow Dry came with a Flugel purchase)
If I had to pick one over the other, I'd lean toward the Blow Dry. The sponges are a little bigger and softer.
With both when the original liquid is used up, I've always just used rubbing alcohol.
NEVER have had an issue with either getting stuck.
TIP: use a mouthpiece brush or the mouthpiece swab stick (Blow Dry) to push the sponge passed the mouthpiece receiver of your trumpet/cornet/flugel
AND: be sure that your valves are up or down completely (ports lined up). Half way is when you run into issues.
Use them frequently and prolong the time between full-on cleaning. _________________ Freelance Performer/Educator
Adjunct Professor
Bach Trumpet Endorsing Artist
Retired Air Force Bandsman
It seems their Spanish dealer is having a sale though, so I’m gonna see if I can order some.
Seems my Spanish isn’t up to the challenge . Pity because the other official dealers listed are a lot more expensive (some asking as much as 35 euro, nearly 40 dollars, excluding shipping). That’s more than I can spend unfortunately.
I'm a bit late to this discussion but wanted to mention that I am a BIG fan of the BDB. My 15 year old Yamaha C trumpet has valves that look brand new because I use the BDB about 2-3 times a week.
I agree with Trent that the difference in the material between the Spitballs and BDB is enough to make a significant difference in the results. I put the bit through twice, once with the valves down and once with them up. After that I will blow some Yamaha Regular synthetic oil through the lead pipe and it is set to go. Takes all of a minute.
Do not ignore the instructions to only use the BDB on a clean horn! The crud in nasty horns will cause issues with the bit getting through the horn. Once you have cleaned it and started using BDB you should not have to clean it again. _________________ Scott Apelgren
Indialantic, FL
Well, I bit the bullet and ordered some BDB. I'll share my findings once I've tried it a couple of times.
ScottA wrote:
Do not ignore the instructions to only use the BDB on a clean horn! The crud in nasty horns will cause issues with the bit getting through the horn. Once you have cleaned it and started using BDB you should not have to clean it again.
Is a DIY soap/water clean enough, or does it need to be 'professionally clean'?
If your horn is relatively clean a DIY bath with a snake and warm water with a good rinse should be okay. On the other hand, if any of you slides/valve ports are green inside or have significant buildup of crud I would recommend a good ultra-sonic cleaning if available in your area.
Hope this helps. _________________ Scott Apelgren
Indialantic, FL
This is a verbatim review that I posted on another site about a year ago regarding BDB:
I started using BDB on a New trumpet in 2016. This horn IS my utility trumpet and gets played everyday, often for many hours. At the end of the day, I take a couple of minutes (literally) to use BlowDry Brass to return the inside of my horn to the state it was in at the beginning of the day. Besides a clean horn, I get a very consistent playing platform from day to day. My horn is 4 years old Thanksgiving week 2020 and still looks like unpacking day 2016 on the inside with no risky bathing in the tub ever! Great, easy to use product that is part of my DAILY routine!
I have posted this picture a few times before, and it is a true representation of the easiest part of the tubing to see. This trumpet will be 5 years old next week, and it still looks like this on the inside with minimal effort on my part.
I have since started using BDB on all of my horns, some after a very thorough cleaning at home (a chore that I really didn't look forward to) and 4 after professional cleaning while having other services done. A very clean starting point is the idea, and use of BDB on the horns played that day keeps it that way. For me, it's just part of my daily routine now, like wiping the fingerprints off the outside before putting away.
I am a BDB fan!
Mike _________________ '71 LA Benge 5X Bb
'72 LA Benge D/Eb
'76 Bach CL 229/25A C
‘92 Bach 37 Bb
'98 Getzen 895S Flugelhorn
'00 Bach 184 Cornet
'02 Yamaha 8335RGS
'16 Bach NY 7
'16 XO 1700RS Piccolo
Reeves 41 Rimmed Mouthpieces
Last edited by cbtj51 on Fri Dec 24, 2021 11:02 am; edited 1 time in total
Tried the BDB for the first time today (after cleaning my flugel with a new brush that is NOT suited for cleaning it at all *sigh*, the same narrow bends that made the spitballs get stuck also stimied the brush). It didn't get stuck, which is a big plus already . Can't say how clean it'll keep the horn yet of course, but it'll be better than doing nothing at all. Best part, the flugel plays like a dream again, being freshly cleane, greased & oiled .
It's hard to find in Europe unfortunately. Half the 'official retailers' don't even have it listed in their webstore, and international shipping makes it pricey.
Been using it for a while now. Works great for my trumpet (the first blow through removes quite a bit of water). On my flugel, once it gets to the point where there's no longer a perfect seal (because the bell diameter gets too large) it can be a bit more tricky to get it out given that you're more likely to blow air past it, rather than against it. Still, a good product. Easy to use, does what it advertises and does it well.
Joined: 03 Jun 2003 Posts: 1607 Location: Clarksville, Tn
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2021 5:42 pm Post subject:
zaferis wrote:
NEVER have had an issue with either getting stuck.
TIP: use a mouthpiece brush or the mouthpiece swab stick (Blow Dry) to push the sponge passed the mouthpiece receiver of your trumpet/cornet/flugel
AND: be sure that your valves are up or down completely (ports lined up). Half way is when you run into issues.
Use them frequently and prolong the time between full-on cleaning.
I use a pencil to push the spitball a down into the mouthpipe about 6 to 8 inches. this gets it past the venturi. I use trombone size spitballs and when I try to just put it in the receiver and blow it through the horn it feels like my brain is going to shoot out of my ears. _________________ Music is a fire in your belly, fighting to get out. You'd better put a horn in the way before someone gets hurt.
I've been doing both Bb and C once a week with Spit Balls. Generally they're pretty clean.
Did it a few weeks ago and then checked the mouthpiece. Didn't look good so I got my brush and found a good bit of green gunk inside. Just for laughs I ran a cleaning brush and it was far dirtier than it had been in a while.
Obviously the Spit Balls weren't doing much
(no eating while playing and teeth brushed before any playing)
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. Pity because the other official dealers listed are a lot more expensive (some asking as much as 35 euro, nearly 40 dollars, excluding shipping). That’s more than I can spend unfortunately.
. Can't say how clean it'll keep the horn yet of course, but it'll be better than doing nothing at all. Best part, the flugel plays like a dream again, being freshly cleane, greased & oiled 