Tag: Flute Repair

Relationships with the Music Stores

It’s important to find and support a good music store. That store will support you. I hope this guide helps you find your music store home.

I walk into my favorite music store and the people who work there all know me by name. They greet me with a genuine smile and I know they’re happy to see me. My day is instantly brighter.

Perks of Having a Good Relationship with the Music Store

If you have read any of my blog posts, you know that I like lists. They clarify things. I’m writing the list below and explaining what I mean for each item in the sections afterwards. There are more perks than just these four things, but these are the main ideas.

  1. Good Advice
  2. Networking
  3. Trust
  4. Try Things Out

Good Advice

If you find yourself stumped, you have a ton of musicians at your fingertips to give you advice. For example, my first time switching a piano student from Faber to Bastien after the primer level, I wasn’t sure what to do. The student needed the faster-moving method book, but there was a big gap between where the Primers ended between the methods. Faber goes much slower than Bastien.

I asked the person behind the counter what he would recommend. He mentioned a couple of ideas – write a few pieces of music to get her through the gap, or use the first few pages of a third lesson book to get her to that point.

I didn’t want to re-invent the wheel, so I chose the second option and the student got through the gap famously.

Networking

The people at the music store know the best local bands, where they play, and what times. They know what music seminars are coming to town. They know which ensembles have openings and which ensembles have good reputations. All you have to do is ask, and they’ll help you out.

Trust

If you have created a good relationship with the people in the music store, you can trust them to give you good service. The repair techs will take their time on your instrument. If you have a problem with a product that you bought, they’ll trust you that it was an actual problem, and they won’t doubt you.

Try Things Out

A good music store will allow you to try things out that you would be surprised about.

When I accidentally put my electric metronome through the washer and dryer, I went to my favorite music store. I told them what happened and I brought my piccolo along. They opened up the metronome packages and allowed me to try each electric metronome that they had. The very last one was the one I could hear above the sound of the piccolo. The salesman knew how to open the packages so they would close up without anyone knowing.

I had no clue that trying out the packaged metronomes was even an option. When I was younger, they had metronomes behind a glass case that you could try. That’s why I brought my piccolo. I was very appreciative.

Supporting a Good Music Store

I personally drive half-way across my city in order to go to the music store that treats me right. The techs know what they’re doing and the staff is fabulous. In order to go there, I drive right past the music store that is 8 blocks from my house because they don’t treat me right. In the past, I have driven up to three hours in order to take my flute to a tech that I liked.

What with the amount of students that I have, the amount of sheet music that I buy is the equivalent of buying a student instrument once a year. I recommend this music store a lot to my students and to my colleagues. I support them the best that I can.

It’s important to me to have the resources that I need from the places that I go. I try not to order online if at all possible so I can support my local music store. I hope music stores never go away because online shopping can’t hold a candle to the service you get at a good music store.

Finding a Good Music Store

Good music stores can be hard to find. Some choose to hire people who are arrogant and condescending. Some choose to hire people who are only after your money and treat you like a cash cow. Some choose to hire repair techs who use shortcuts on your instrument, which makes things worse in the long run.

Test out the music stores within driving distance from you, systematically.

One test is to peruse the music. Do they ask if they can help? Do they stand there with an attitude?

Another test is to try to strike up a conversation. How do they respond? Do you have a nice conversation, or do they act like you’re stupid?

A really good test is to ask if they carry a folding music stand that gets at least 5 ft tall. They probably don’t. How do they treat you? If they just apologize or offer to order one, those are the best responses. Do they say that those stands don’t exist? They exist online. Do they talk about how you don’t need a stand that tall for various reasons? It’s a good idea to have one that tall for practicing while standing up.

If you need to get your instrument repaired, call around to all the stores in the area and ask to talk to them. Ask about their processes. How do they treat pads that stick? If they mention powder paper, run the other direction. That’s an emergency-only item.

As you can see, it’s a process, but it’s important. What if you unwittingly took your flute to a tech that makes your flute worse? What if you were sold something that’s unnecessary or the wrong thing for you? It’s important to take the time to find a good music store.

Conclusion

It’s important to find and support a good music store. That store will support you. It’s also just as important to not support the bad music stores, for obvious reasons. I hope this guide helps you find your music store home.

Tips on Buying a Used Flute: An Interview

Chad Walker owns a local small business, Musician Gear Garage. He buys old student and intermediate instruments, fixes them up, and sells them. He also has a thriving instrument repair business.

I wanted to interview Chad because I’ve learned a lot of things over the years from former teachers about older instruments. As I find myself discussing various things with other flute players, I have begun to realize that some of these “facts” that I was taught by my former teachers were really just opinions. I wanted to get information from someone in the trenches.

I actually encourage my beginner students to buy used. They’re probably only going to use their student flute for 3-4 years (plus marching band) before they move on to an intermediate, so it makes sense for the the parents to save their money for the intermediate flute.

If the price tag of an intermediate flute is holding the student back as much as their flute is, it’s better to buy a used intermediate than to not upgrade at all.

One nice thing about buying a new intermediate flute is being able to choose the flute that has the best tone for the student. The process rather reminds me of buying a wand in Diagon Alley. If you have someone like Chad in your area who has several flutes to try out, that’s a viable option, too.

Enough philosophy, on to the interview.

What are some things you personally look for in a used flute?

Pros: Favorite Brands

Cons:

  1. Physical Key Damage
  2. Trill Keys out of alignment
  3. How the flute bends in the middle (there should be a slight bow in the middle, but not a big one)
  4. G# tone hole
  5. Broken Keys

What brands do you look for?

  1. Buescher Aristocrat
  2. Pearl
  3. Gemeinhardt
  4. Yamahas made in Japan and China, but they’re usually priced higher than they’re worth.
  5. Music Medic has a new line – Wilmington.

What are some good questions to ask a seller when buying a used flute?

  1. Are you the original owner?
  2. How often has it been tuned up?
  3. More pics, please. I want to see the pads and all sides of the flute.

I hear a lot about how the technology changes about every 10 years or so, which makes the newer instruments better and more in tune. What’s your experience with the technology differences?

This was your best question [I sent him the questions ahead of time]. I don’t see a difference with new scales. I’ve measured them and I don’t see a difference. Usually it’s a rebranding marketing strategy.

Technology on pads have come forward by leaps and bounds in the past 10 years. They used to be very soft. Now they’re made of pressed felt, rigid cardboard, and don’t need to be clamped.

I’ve seen a lot of myths over the years about how overhauling a flute isn’t worth it unless it’s a pro instrument. What’s your take on that?

Putting better pads in it will make a flute last another 30 years. [An overhaul] will make it almost better than the factory because the pad technology has come so far, and everything is tight to your specifications.

Most student flutes aren’t worth overhauling, except Pearl and some other special situations, but most are worth a repad, especially if you compare it to buying brand-new.

What’s your favorite flute to repair?

Pearl and Emerson.

I haven’t seen a difference in the newer Emersons since Selmer bought them out. I think they’re still treating that division as special, but I’m still keeping an eye on it.

Take-aways

I don’t know about you, but I learned a lot from this interview. It gives me more confidence in buying a used flute. It also makes me realize that if I need major repairs on my flute that I love, I shouldn’t just buy another one. I should give it the love that it has given me and fix the major issues.