Instrument Care and Maintenance Tips

Congratulations on your purchase of a new ZO Next Generation Instrument!

Your instrument has arrived to you ready-to-play, however we have a few tips to ensure it stays performing at its best…

    • Before playing it for the first time, disassemble the instrument and rinse it thoroughly with cool, soapy water.

For Piston Valve Instruments

    • To disassemble the instrument, unscrew the top and bottom valve caps and remove the valves, and then remove the valve slides and tuning slides.
    • After rinsing all the parts and the body, reassemble by reinserting the slides, replacing the bottom caps and (very carefully) replacing the valves. NB: All valves are the same, so it doesn’t matter which casing they go back into! As the valve inserts into the casing, spin it a little so that the locating guide lug finds its guide channel. Do this patiently and gently without using force.
    • To maintain your instrument, please use plenty of SYNTHETIC oil before its first use and be sure to lubricate the valves regularly (every time you play). Use a good quality tuning slide grease to keep the tuning slides working smoothly, and be sure to keep the instrument dust-free with a soft lint-free cloth.

For Rotary Valves Instruments

    • We do not recommend disassembly of the rotor mechanism, except by experienced technicians.
    • To lubricate the rotor valves…
      • Remove the corresponding valve tuning slide.
      • Carefully apply drops of SYNTHETIC rotor oil directly down the slide tubes, aiming to prevent the oil hitting the inside surface of the tubes.
      • Operate the valve lever a number of times to move the valve and disperse the oil throughout the inside of the valve housing.

For Trombones

    • We recommend lubricating the handslide in the same fashion as a brass trombone. Use either a “slide cream plus water spray” method, or one of the SYNTHETIC “all in one” slide lubricants available from some leading brands.

ENJOY PLAYING YOUR ZO NEXT GENERATION INSTRUMENT!