I have been convinced that I should probably have my flute examined by a repair technician, however, I don't want to be taken advantage of since I don't know a lot about my flute. Basically, my experience has been that if you take something be repaired without knowing what (if anything) is wrong with it, you'll get fleeced.
Can anyone recommend ways to avoid this? I was thinking I could try to find 2 repair shops that will examine the flute for free, and compare what each says needs to do fixed, then go with whichever is cheaper?
Does anyone else have any suggestions on how to get my flute in working order without getting taken to the cleaners?
Also, the person who gave me the flute said that I could change the pads myself? I've never heard of that. Is that true? They appear to be just glued in somehow, not screwed in with a washer like some I've seen.
I hope I'm not coming off like a cheap-skate, I just am at a time in my life where I don't have a lot of spare money!
I think that most places will look at the flute for free. Then they give two estamates, one to make the flute just playable and the other to completely fix the flute.
The important thing is to tell them when you drop it off not to do any work at all without approval.
Unless you have had some instruction, you will probably not be able to replace the flute pads yourself. Flute pads must have precision seating or they will not seal properly. Then you will be back to were you are now, with a flute that doesn't play right. You should get a repair person to replace any pads.
You say that you do not see any screws, could they possibly be held in place with plastic caps that you didn't notice?
I have never seen flute pads that were all glued in. Only the trill keys and the C key are glued on most flutes. Piccolos have all the pads held in place with adhesive and I will tell you now from recent personal experience. They are a pain to get properly seated. I will not be working on any more piccolos.
i'd take it to a few trusted techs and get them o examine it and see what each says and get them to quote then go to the on you think is charging the fairest price
I wouldn't recommend replacing a pad on your own, particularly if you have a nicer handmade flute. Each flute manufacturer generally has a list of authorized repair people, and you definitely want a person authorized by the manufacturer working on your instrument. Also be aware that many repair people have a waiting list for their repairs, depending on what exactly you want done. So if you are looking for a couple of repairs, you'll be able to get estimates and should be able to get work done pretty quickly. But if you are looking for a servicing, you might need to make an appointment in advance.
You cannot go by price... Both the cheapest and the most expensive guy may well put the flute in a worse condition than it is already.
You need to hunt out quality of workmanship. Then what you pay will be worth it. If you cannot pay what it will cost, then you discuss affordable priorities with that quality technician.
To locate such a technician, you ask established teachers and players in your area, who they use, until a pattern emerges in their answers.
You cannot ask just one or two, because sometimes (often?) a player/teacher has a personal allegiance to a useless technician, and thy just do not know better. Other times, the teacher/player may get a commission for sending work to a particular technician. Offering commissions are actually more likely to be an indication of a sub-standard technician.
"... Also, the person who gave me the flute said that I could change the pads myself? I've never heard of that. Is that true? They appear to be just glued in somehow, not screwed in with a washer like some I've seen..."
Of course you can change them yourself (like I could do dentistry on you), but the guy is ignorant.
Actually changing them is about 1/20 of the job of making the flute play well. Adjustments need to be made so that the pads sit level on the tone holes, and paired pads close together. This is to an accuracy of better than 0.01 mm (0.0004") There are often other issues to correct as well as the pads, especially if you do it yourself and bend keys or break springs. Attempt to do it yourself only if you are confident that you can do all this, or if the result is rather unimportant.
"I hope I'm not coming off like a cheap-skate, I just am at a time in my life where I don't have a lot of spare money! "
A flute is a piece of high-precision contraptionary. You need a "maintenance" fund to keep your car going well. Likewise flute, especially if it is more than a few years old, and/or made to compromised standards.
Think about it... Another high precision mechanical gadget in your life is a computer printer. You use it a few years until it does something not quite right, and then throw it out. You expect to pay to replace it. Flutes seldom get thrown out, so think of that replacement money being spent to maintain it. It is usu sally cheaper than throwing your flute out and replacing it!
(How the world has changed. A few decades ago it was good economy to repair rather than replace almost everything, including even holy socks! Flutes have remained unchanged form this era - so far.)
Thanks everyone for the great replies! I have a much better idea of how this works now!
To Micron:
I agree with your assessment of the disposable economy. I happen to be a person who sews up the holes in my socks, which I think makes me something of an oddity to other people my age (I'm 27). What irks me is that there just are no facilities to fix a TV or a DVD player... That or its cheaper to buy a new one.
However, my thinking with the flute is simply that I want to start out with the smallest initial investment I can, until I know that flute-playing is the thing for me. What if I were to spend lots of money on repairs & lessons, only to discover that I am tone-deaf? That is kind of a hyperbolic example, but my point is that I am a person who doesn't rush into new ventures, emotionally or financially. That's all.
I do appreciate your insight on the different economy of flute-repair!
searching...
That is kind of a hyperbolic example, but my point is that I am a person who doesn't rush into new ventures, emotionally or financially. That's all.