Hey everyone! I'm playing my piccolo in a little flute choir group soon. While practicing I became extremely sharp and my bflat sounded harmonic. I had a loose pad and forgot about it, had been a little while since I played it! Anyway that was my problem one of my trill keys the pad fell completely out and gone forever :O(

Anyway I don't have many music stores around me. I live between nyc and philly and there is only 1 real major band type store between the 2 where I got my curent yamaha flute, oboe, jones reeds and HORDES of music (really maybe it is 60% of my entire collection.) I'm saying all this b/c I have spent SO much at this store. Not to mention it's an hour away from me.

I called to see if i could just buy 1 pad. Really I would've even considered buying an entire set just to have. They were like i don't think so you'll have to give it to repair person. I go down there and once again really asked can i not just buy 1 pad, the lady looked at me like I had 3 heads, you mean "put it in yourself?" I'm like em YES! I'm no professional but i've dealt with couple loose pads and just glued them back. I know this is a new pad and maybe needs to be leveled but I just wanted something to tide me over to practice and play since the performance is soon. I explained this. And they're like "no" but NASTY as if i'm stupid. I mean i thought you negotiate here. I guess not anymore. I said well is the repair perosn in tomorrow (she wasn't in when i was there) and the lady is like "well she should be" nasty then asked when I wanted it how about in 3 days and I'm like well I'd like it by tommorrow even if i can come in at night for it (place closes 8pm.) She looks up from her pad and gives me this nastier look then says, we'll call you. they wouldn't give me a receipt b/c "it's locked up downstairs." Mind you they fixed pads on this pick 2 years prior and this pad was loose a year later. I thought well maybe b/c i rarely play it. I need to bring my flute in for adjustments and I am demanding a reciept if they take it since it's so expensive. I just didn't want to push them for fear they'd get annoyed/angry and slow down the repair process.

My question, would other type music stores let you buy pads? I'm ticked off right now. I only like to shop online from major websites for fear of theft, so I tried amazon, flute world, and ebay. None seemed available on the first 2 and ebay only had one section that sold bulk bulk pads. I just wanted to buy a couple or just 1 set in case more fell out. Now maybe since the repair person was gone they would have no clue which pad to get. When I get it back i will ask. I thought maybe part is to get repair costs. But had it oiled, i thought realigned and several pads replaced earlier and it only came to $25. I thought that was pretty cheap.

It upsets me b/c more and more I'm feeling the staff is very snobbish and b/c they are the only store like this in our area has the attitude, this is what we have... deal with it or screw you. A mellaphone was brought in by one customer one time i went there his keys were bent he had just bought it and didn't realize. The store staff and him were litterally yelling back and forth that they both didn't do it. I was so scared i almost walked out of the store. I went to a corner instead, now the customer was irrate, then he almost started crying. Maybe it wan't mellaphone but some type sized brass instrument and i know something was bent but not exactly what, must've cost him a lot but the store staff was just as nasty. See they're only nasty when there's a problem. My last issue was when i first bought my yamaha flute, it didn't come with plugs. A year later i had a free check of my flute under a warranty and while sent it there asked for plugs which i thought were suppose to come with it, the staff was like, "you know it's not suppose to be played with plugs." Well like i didn't know that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so annoyed. I explained it's if i injur my fingers say i have a bandaide!!!!!!!!!! Then she was like "oh....i see" and made me woodend plugs which are annoying b/c it's hard to put in. I rarely use them but WANT them in case

Sorry for the rant but am i missing something here? I just like going the place i got my flute since you'd think they'd know it the best. And the repairs seemed releativy cheap compared to others. I guess I'll have to deal with them but sheesh!!!!!!


Hey check out on youtube this little girl playing a carmen piece. WOW!!! It looks like she is definitley playing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9qvzCc31Ec


Oh my gosh I just found her playing chaminade!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bS-jZ1GpKU&feature=related


Someone Playing a zelda theme that sounds really nice:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nad5AJaIcBI

Yea there were similar posts on youtube about burnout. I never thought injury but she is tiny and must be playing SO MUCH! I mean she's got all the music memorized! It's one thing to memorize marching music but wow...

OH the music store called me back and my pic is ready. I figured that's what they were thinking about it getting messed up but your right they don't have to be rude about it. I'm still going to look for sperate pads.

"My guess is that your got a reaction that could be construed as rudeness because you did not take no for an answer, and wasted their time arguing their non-negotiable stand."

No really she was rude and I wasn't rude either and it was not arguing whatsoever by pushing or persisting at all. You get nowhere arguing for the most part so I don't. Well maybe walmart but that's a different story.

First off I asked on the phone if they could sell me a pad, I would have bought an entire set if they had let me.

2nd the girl said "I don't think so we usually don't."

When I got there an hour later that's how long it takes I had a different person I could tell by the voice and I asked very politely about it explained my performance was in several days but the rehearsal sooner and that i lived an hour away is there any way I could possably purchasea pad. I didn't think to ask for an entire set but they probably wouldn't either.

I only asked 1x at the store and that's when I got "you're going to put it in yourself?" with a nasty grimace. If i wasn't so desperate I would have laughed. Which of course what else am I'm going to do I sent it in for repair.

And the receipt thing bothered me but that was my fault I sould have insisted.

I understand about getting it done right first and now I'm a little more frustrated how they handled me. They should have EXPLAINED it to me. I'm not unreasonable. Maybe they get stuff like that all the time and I'd get annoyed too but I've had issues with my pic before in marching band (and that was 10 years ago yikes!) reinserting a pad only this time I lost it. I'm not a repair person but I'm not being niave I knew the risk and wanted to take it to save time. I would have paid too if I messed up by more time, money, GAS if I screwed up and yea it may be annoying to repair people my groveling self bringing it in but i'd have to pay extra to fix my screwup! Honestly I think it would have been fine but understand the policy and just have to find other ways to go around it. But it being fixed I may just leave it at that. The pads are all secure and I don't play in the rain in marching band any more thank god!!!!! That's how it was originialy damaged.

But I got it when I needed, I still plan to go back but some of the staff just irk me. Did I explain about their response to getting plug holes for my yamaha? This was 2 years ago and state to me "you're not suppose to" sternly then I EXPLAIN for dry hands and cuts. Then they realized and made it for me. Just EXPLAIN! That's all.

Thanks for the links Micron!!!

Thanks Suzie...And guess what? After all that hoopla? I had rehersal in the church today and found my pad by a pew!!! It looked like it was swept into the base of a pew leg and looked like part of the furniture!!! It's not ripped or damaged either. So well I've got my extra pad if needed!

Rub the pads in oil before installing.

LOL!!