Hi everyone! I took my flute to school today and had my band director look at it, only to find out that it's clearly unplayable at the moment. It has a very loose mechanism, a few leaks, needs a full repad and recork job, and needs to be cleaned! I knew there was going to be some damage after not being played for 12 years, but that seems like a lot. I called up a few places, and so far I have a price range of about $80-$200! My parents have been on my case about why I want to start another instrument, since I decided that I don't want to major in music, at least not right now. I always reply that I love music and I want to learn as much as possible. They always say, "Well you need to master the instruments you've got now." I'm trying, but it doesn't come overnight. They're really skeptical about paying for another horn. My Mom is not gonna be too happy when I tell her the repair costs...
What brand is it? Perhaps it is not as bad as the band director makes out. After all, most band directors actually know VERY little about flute repairs. There are less-than-a minute-to-correct faults that can make a flute unplayable. And some people think a flute needs repadding just because the pads are discoloured.
It is entirely possible that all it needs is a competent adjustment.
"...I called up a few places, and so far I have a price range of about $80-$200!"
Do you mean you phoned? A technician cannot possibly ascertain just what needs to be done by phone, so it would be only a silly technician who gave a price for the job without seeing it.
So cheer up. Ask experienced players and teachers in your area who they recommend for repairs. Keep asking until you fined a pattern in the answers. Otherwise you may just get a recommendation based on a personal friendship, or one based on kick-backs, commissions, etc. It is important that you choose a technician by REPUTATION. Charges and advertising mean zilch!
Then have a sensible discussion about the flute with this technician, face to face - NOT via some shop front or counter clerk.
I believe that any serious technician WANTS direct contact with the customer, so that accurate communication can occur.
I'm going to the shop this weekend to talk with the repair guy. The flute is a Gemeinhardt student model. It really does need the repad because they are discolored and rotting. The luster has also been replaced by a grayish tint with little green spots. I don't know what could have caused that.
You might be better off getting one of those cheap students flute from WWandBW like the Barrington or BandNow.
However you may want to find how much you can have invested in a flute and try fluteworld or flute4u and see if they can offer you something in your price range... since they don't carry non-big name brands you may get lucky.
Try something along the lines of... "I was looking at WWandBW to get a flute, but I was told I should avoid that place and try here. I was looking at their (your price range flute) did you carry something like that? At most I really only have $$$ for a flute."
Just because pads get discoloured does not mean they need replacing. They need replacing when the membrane covering the felt is punctured, split, or torn.
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