Instrument Care
Check this page often for videos regarding instrument care and set up! Remember, we offer a free 30 minute lesson to students who purchase their instruments through our school, so they know how to properly play, care for, and set up their instrument.
PROPER CARE OF INSTRUMENTS
ALL LEVELS OF INSTRUMENTS NEED PROPER CARE TO LAST.
Please ask your salesperson what level an instrument is when purchasing it.
The life of a beginner instrument at this level is about 2-3 years, depending on how it is managed.
The life of an intermediate level instrument is about 4-10 years, depending on how it is managed.
The life of a high quality instrument usually lasts more than 10 years, depending on how it is managed.
Please ask your salesperson what level an instrument is when purchasing it.
The life of a beginner instrument at this level is about 2-3 years, depending on how it is managed.
The life of an intermediate level instrument is about 4-10 years, depending on how it is managed.
The life of a high quality instrument usually lasts more than 10 years, depending on how it is managed.
Woodwind Set Up
How To Set Up a Flute:
How To Set Up a Clarinet:
How To Set Up a Saxophone:
How Instruments Get Damaged
(Have you ever wondered why you get charged an extra cleaning fee
instead of getting your deposit back?)
WOODWINDS
WOODWINDS of all levels, even for a professional level player on a professional level instrument, an adjustment is needed for woodwind instruments usually twice a year. Adjustments usually cost about $50-$60. We sometimes charge less if it is a minor adjustment.
Reasons for needing adjustments include:
1. normal everyday usage
2. a slight bump in the wrong direction on the instrument or anything more severe than that
3. leaving the instrument exposed to other things happening to the instrument (people bumping, items dropping, etc).
4. handling the instrument consistently in a way that aggravates the alignment of the keys.
There is no predicting when or how often an instrument may need adjustments because it depends on what happened, personal habits handling the flute, etc.
If you believe there is a manufacturer defect, you can bring it in and our repair tech can usually determine probable causes for damage or if it is a manufacturer defect.
Clarinet, Oboe, Saxophone broken or missing cork comes from:
1. not enough cork grease applied to tenon cork (on the joints of the instrumet), creating friction that tears the cork ($35 per tenon cork)
2. normal wear and tear on tenon will still result in broken tenon cork at some point. A beginner instrument may still require new tenon after one year of daily usage.
Clarinet, Oboe, Saxophone broken or missing key pads or cork:
1. may still happen with normal usage. This will happen more often on a used or older instrument. ($15 to replace and will include a minor adjustment on instrument for upkeep)
If you believe there is a manufacturer defect, you can bring it in and our repair tech can usually determine probable causes for damage or if it is a manufacturer defect.
Clarinet, Oboe, Saxophone broken or missing cork comes from:
1. not enough cork grease applied to tenon cork (on the joints of the instrumet), creating friction that tears the cork ($35 per tenon cork)
2. normal wear and tear on tenon will still result in broken tenon cork at some point. A beginner instrument may still require new tenon after one year of daily usage.
Clarinet, Oboe, Saxophone broken or missing key pads or cork:
1. may still happen with normal usage. This will happen more often on a used or older instrument. ($15 to replace and will include a minor adjustment on instrument for upkeep)
BRASS
The life of a beginner instrument can be indefinite if properly maintained.
Most common reasons requiring unexpected repair on a brass instrument:
1. lubricating valves and tuning slides once (or not at all), then leaving them unused for 2-3 months or more, resulting in frozen valves or slides $30 and up depending on degree of freeze and how many need to be unfrozen.
2. mouthpiece stuck on instrument can happen if pushed to hard or left in the instrument for a long time. Trying to remove a mouthpiece that is truly stuck may lead to further damage. If a mouthpiece is stuck and you need help removing it, please bring it in. If we can use our tools to remove it, it is free of charge. If the mouthpiece is truly stuck, our technician may have to use other tools which should cost $10.
3. Trombones have a primary slide which is easily bumped, resulting in misalignment. This will hinder the playing of the instrument. The more dings or dents, the more hindrance the slide will have. Cost to undo dents: $40-$60
Reason for needing dent removal repair on valved instruments is more obvious as a result of a ding or drop. ($25 and up per dent removal, depending on location and severity of dent)
STRINGED ORCHESTRAL INSTRUMENTS
Most common reasons requiring repair on a stringed instrument:
1. string breakage comes from trying to tune the instrument too suddenly. Please ask for help when learning how to tune your instrument. Cost to tune instrument: $0. Cost to learn how to tune instrument $0. Cost to replace string: $8 plus the price of the string which varies a lot.
2. chin rest may fall off. Cost $0 to reset.
3. chin rest breaks if it is mistreated. Cost: $0 plus cost of new chin rest.
4. bridge of the instrument may break if the instrument is bumped, or continually placed in extreme hot, cold, or humid conditions. Cost to replace bridge: Cost: $110 and up
5. item falls in sound hole of instrument and needs to be removed Cost: $20
6. end pin on cello is lost Cost: $50
7. end pin rubber tip on cello is lost Cost: $10
8. body of instrument is punctured or cracked. Cost: price of instrument
Brass Set Up
How To Set Up a Trumpet:
How To Set Up a Trombone:
How To Set Up a Trombone:
How To Oil a French horn:
How to Oil a French horn (Close Up)
Daily Cleaning Routine For Players
Who Spit a Lot
Who Spit a Lot
Strings Set Up
Bow Basics:
Rosin Basics: