Instrument Repair

Brass instrument repairs can be as simple as soldering a joint back together or as complex as a total overhaul. I can do and have done these repairs many times over the past nearly 30 years of repairing instruments.

Making sure all slides and valves move smoothly and properly is very important to making the experience of playing a brass instrument enjoyable. Also, the routine professional cleaning of brass instruments is crucial to the longevity and performance of the instrument. I offer a simple tiered approach to evaluating the repairs needed on your brass instrument.

Your brass instrument is disassembled and immersed in a state of the art ultrasonic cleaner. This process is much more thorough and much more environmentally friendly than the old “chem flush” method. The instrument is reassembled using premium lubricants where needed and replacing waterkey corks and felts as needed.

Brass instrument repair with the details of Job #1 listed above, plus adding up to 2 stuck slides that do not require soldering to remove and easily accessible dent removal.

Brass instrument repair with the details of Job #1 and Job #2 listed above, plus adding more extensive dent removal.

Cosmetic overhauls to brass instruments will be done by estimate only.

Many times brass repair does not require professional cleaning so I do offer valve repairs, slide repairs, solder work, dent work along with other stand alone repair on an ala carte estimate only basis.

No matter what level or repair is needed to get your instrument in great playing condition, I back up my work, but in order to be able to back up my work, I will not do partial repairs. I will only return an instrument back to the musician in the best playing condition possible.

Repairing percussion instruments is completely different than brass or woodwind repairs because they are much more mechanical in nature and mostly involve the replacement of parts. Because of that reason, I do percussion repairs on an estimate only basis.

No matter what level or repair is needed to get your instrument in great playing condition, I back up my work, but in order to be able to back up my work, I will not do partial repairs. I will only return an instrument back to the musician in the best playing condition possible.

I do and have repaired all types of woodwinds, from piccolos to baritone saxophones and everything in between. In my nearly 30 years of repairing instruments there are not many things I have not seen and repaired.

Even though I have done repair work for many professional musicians over the years ( I have had a number of musicians credit my work on their album covers), my main emphasis is to make the playing experience for the student and amateur musician pleasurable by putting instruments back in their hands that play correctly.

From something as simple as replacing a pad or two all the way to complete mechanical overhauls, I can do the work for you. I offer a simple tiered approach to evaluating the level of repair your woodwind needs.

Up to 4 pads are replaced on your woodwind instrument, key corks as needed, bent keys straightened, regulation and play testing.

Woodwind instrument repair with Up to 10 pads replaced, body is disassembled and cleaned via ultrasonic immersion, and tenon corks as needed. Also includes repairs from Job #1 above: key corks as needed, bent keys straightened, regulation and play testing.

All pads are replaced and all key corks are replaced. Keys are refit to proper tightness. Also includes repairs from Job #1 and Job #2 above: key corks as needed, bent keys straightened, regulation and play testing, body is disassembled and cleaned via ultrasonic immersion, and tenon corks as needed.

Overhauls requiring new lacquer are by estimate only

Any repair not covered under these levels of repair are done on an estimate only basis to make sure that the proper repair is done

No matter what level or repair is needed to get your instrument in great playing condition, I back up my work, but in order to be able to back up my work, I will not do partial repairs. I will only return an instrument back to the musician in the best playing condition possible.