FAQs

If you find the valves are sticking we recommend the following:

1. Remove each piston and clean and dry the piston and inside of the valve casing with a lint-free cloth. If you have used oil previously, remove all oil thoroughly from the piston and inside of the valve casing.
2. In the early stages of use, some wear of the piston surface is normal and extra cleaning may be needed as the valve system beds in.
3. Ensure there is no obstruction or plastic residue inside the valve casing itself, especially around the ports. You can run your fingertips inside the valve casing to feel for any rough edges.
4. When playing pTrumpet, hold the valve block with a relaxed left hand as excessive tension in the hand-grip may cause compression of the valve casing and sticking of the valves.

The valve system is low maintenance – designed to operate without any oil or lubrication. However, regular valve oil can be used sparingly and applied thinly across each piston. You may find the application of valve oil or water does not improve valve performance, in which case, clean and dry each piston and the inside of the valve casing thoroughly with a lint-free cloth.

pTrumpet comes with 3 training caps to help position small fingers correctly.

You can clean the pInstrument mouthpieces fully in warm soapy water and even put them in the dishwasher!

pTrumpet is completely made from plastic, making it very durable and robust. It is also coated with antimicrobial technology that kills microorganisms and inhibits their growth. To clean the external surfaces, use a soft cloth with warm soapy water and dry the instrument with a lint-free cloth. We recommend that you clean the instrument before first use, being careful not to get soapy water into the valve system.

Oil the valves as normal for a trumpet. Remove the valve, and apply valve oil liberally to the valve. Insert the valve upside down into the bottom of the valve casing, and twist to ensure the valve oil is evenly spread, then place the valve into its correct position.

For pTrumpet hyTech, use a synthetic oil such as Ultra Pure Professional Valve Oil or Yamaha AVO-L Synthetic Valve Oil - Light.

Apply tuning slide grease on the main, first, second, and third valve tuning slides. Wipe off any excess grease.

Clean the mouthpiece as normal for a trumpet mouthpiece. Submerse the mouthpiece in water, insert a mouthpiece brush into each end, and repeat as necessary. Use a dry cloth to remove excess water and make sure that the mouthpiece is dry before use.

Use a soft cloth and warm (but not hot), soapy water.

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. Just be careful to only use a small amount as otherwise it will clog up and just make the slide slower. A lot of pBone players simply use water to lubricate the slide and that works great on its own!

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.

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 colored parts can be cleaned with a soft cloth. The glass fiber outer slides may be cleaned with warm soapy water and then lightly dressed with vegetable oil to restore the look of the surface.

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.

To correctly assemble the pBone, a 5-8mm (o.2-0.3 in) gap should be left at the black joint.

You can clean the pInstrument mouthpieces fully in warm soapy water and even put them in the dishwasher!

The pBone has a bore size of 12.7mm which is .500 of an inch.

To clean the external red surfaces, use a soft cloth with warm soapy water and dry the instrument with a lint-free cloth. We recommend that you clean the instrument before first use, being careful not to get soapy water on the clear tube as this may damage the colored paper insert. We do not recommend placing or immersing the pBuzz fully in water as this can damage the colored paper insert sleeve inside the clear plastic tube.

1. Remove the mouthpiece.
2. Remove the black rubber washer – be careful not to let the middle pipe fall on the floor as you remove the washer.
3. Carefully push the middle pipe through the bottom of the bell – you will now have 2 separate sections.
4. You can gently click upwards the top of the clear plastic cover to reveal the paper insert

To re-assemble pBuzz reverse steps 4 through 1

You can clean the pInstrument mouthpieces fully in warm soapy water and even put them in the dishwasher!

pBugle is completely made from plastic, making it very durable and robust. To clean the external surfaces, use a soft cloth with warm soapy water and dry the instrument with a lint-free cloth. We recommend that you clean the instrument before first use.

You can clean the pInstrument mouthpieces fully in warm soapy water and even put them in the dishwasher!