This is the second review featuring a product from Ukrainian company, KGUmusic. To read my first one follow this link.
In this blog post, I am going to demonstrate with a video (below), me using the Aqua Nozzle for the first time. They make these in various sizes to fit different brass instruments.
I am far from lazy, but I really don't like cleaning my euphonium! It never used to bother me so much but lately I am finding it needs cleaning more regularly. In the past, I have always stripped the instrument and given it all a soak in the bath. Cleaning every bit separately and getting a brush inside all the tubes. Putting it back together, drying, polishing and the usual stuff.
I usually clean my valves regularly anyway, so when I clean the whole instrument my valves don't need much cleaning. I always think that if you play your instrument regularly, then unless there is a problem with it, it should just work fine. Issues start when an instrument is played and then left for a while, dirt inside dries and solidifies and becomes harder to clean or gets in the way of moving parts. I teach whole classes in primary schools to play brass instruments and this is always the case after a school holiday.
I have seen various products out there similar to the KGU Aqua Nozzle but I had never thought to try one. I wasn't sure the best method to use and wasn't sure exactly what would happen either so my first use of this product was a bit of an experiment.
A few things to consider ahead / after using this product:
How good is the pressure from your tap? If your water comes out very slowly from your tap or shower then it might be good to have a plumber come visit to increase the speed if possible.
Do your slides move freely? If your slides move too easily then you need to have a plan to stop them moving because as soon as you send the water through, they will pop out. This was happening with two of my slides as you will see in the video.
When finished, it is important to dry the felts that sit on top of your valves because if they are wet or even a bit damp it can cause your valves to stick. This is something especially true of Sterling euphoniums. I have talked about this in the past, see here. The felt pads on the top of the valve caps will also be wet but after playing for a while they soon dry or just use some kitchen roll because the feel of the valves is different when those pads are wet.
Have a brush or pipe cleaner to hand and be sure to use it to brush through the tubes in between flushing the instrument. Also find a way to get into the small pipe bends, I can usually do this with my fingers but this is the spot where a lot of sludge will build up.
Lets have a watch of the video. In this video, I am using the product for the first time. It has been about a month since I last cleaned my instrument and I didn't feel that it was overly dirty inside and probably wouldn't usually be cleaning it at this time. I am glad I did though because a lot of dirt came out, this is not necessarily clear in the video.
The music in the background is me playing, with a few tracks from my solo CD - Hustle.
It is a bit of a nerdy video to be honest, why anyone would want to watch this for 15 mins of their life I am not sure but I guess there is much weirder stuff out there!
It was strange not removing anything like valves or slides but it will not work if you do this. It can also highlight any leaks your instrument might have. I know mine has a few where moisture seeps out, nothing major but worth fixing at some point.
The product, is aluminium and it was easy enough to screw into the shower thread. It comes with a KGUmusic branded cleaning towel and adapter to use with a garden hose but it does not come with a brush.
The results after were good. I felt like my valves were good and I got on with some practice straight after without needing to oil or grease anything. This is great from a time point of view. It took about 15 minutes in the video but did take a bit longer to completely get all the water from the instrument, dry it and give it a polish.
I play my euphonium a lot and can notice small differences. Sometimes I wonder whether it is just in my head but I do find I enjoy playing my instrument more when it in the middle between cleaning times. When it has just been cleaned I find the instrument harder to play and do not have as smooth a tone and when the instrument badly needs a clean, some notes feel stuffy, because there is sludge built up inside some of the tubes, especially the small ones between the valves.
Using the KGU Aqua Nozzle is going to make cleaning my instrument a lot easier and I think I might even do it more often. I think it will still need a full clean (completely stripped) sometimes but maybe less often so it will save me a lot of time. I highly recommend giving this product a try!
Please check out the KGUmusic website and browse their products. I know they will welcome any support and feedback.
Thanks for reading! ❤
Mark Glover
9/3/25
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