Ultrasonic Cleaner to clean Alembic Hardware

[Picure]

Anyone has experience using something like this for cleaning their hardware?

[lbpesq]

No personal experience, but I suspect effectiveness may depend on the finish.   Alembics tend to come in two different flavors: raw brass and finished brass.   While an ultrasonic bath might help clean up raw brass, the real work is in polishing to obtain a shine, something that I doubt the machine can do.   It might help a little more with finished brass.  I have both.  Either way, I question whether removing brass parts for cleaning wouldn’t be a bit less convenient than the Flitz and a microfiber cloth method.

Bill, tgo

[gtrguy]

Yes, Alembic parts are either raw or painted with a clear coat. When the clear coated parts, like a stop tail, get bunged up, you have to strip the clear coat off the brass and then clean and polish the part. Then you carefully remove any and all residue from cleaning and apply another coat of clear (if you want to continue having that part clear coated).

[Picure]

Thanks for the replies! Yea, it could be just easier to clean the brass parts without removing it from the bass 😆

[jazzyvee]

In the 20 odd years of alembic ownership i have never removed any of the hardware for cleaning. That said, one of my europas is showing some white powdery stuff around the nuts on the bridge. But i will try using an old electric tooth brush first.😏

[gtrguy]

I always remove the brass parts to clean them from the Alembics that pass through my hands, even the headstock logo. I also replace all tail stop screws with stainless ones at the same time and do a complete set up. When I take apart the bridge, I clean or use a tap and die on all threads as well to make sure they will adjust smoothly. I do the same on the bridge sustain block, if any. Several times I have found that a previous owner has put the wrong bridge saddles in the wrong spot, etc.