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Repair & Maintenance Tips
Here are some tips for keeping your instrument in top performance shape.
- Lubricating brass instruments - Lots of players lubricate their
instruments right before they play. That's ok, but it only helps for
that rehearsal or performance. To keep your instrument not only
lubricated, but protected as well, lubricate after you play. Empty out
all the water from the instrument, including slides. Then, lubricate the
valves. This puts a protective coating of lubricant on the valves and
helps prevent corrosion. Store the instrument so that condensation flows
away from valves.
- Flushing out your brass instrument - Some players flush out their
instruments. Is this a good idea? Well, it can be. But if
you leave the valves in the instrument (for whatever reason) it can just push
dirt and grime into them. Better to pull the slides off the instrument
and flush them out separately and snake out the mouthpipe on a periodic basis.
This gets out most of the dirt and grime that gum up valves and tubes, but
reduces the risk of pushing it into the valves.
- Snaking out your instrument - Remove the main
tuning slide. Insert the "snake" into the mouthpiece receiver and push
until it comes out of the tuning slide receiver, then pull the remaining
snake through and out of the mouthpipe. It helps to put a few drops of
oil in the mouthpipe just before snaking. Be sure to use the right
snake for your instrument. After snaking you can run water through it,
if you wish, especially if a lot of junk came out with the snake.
If you can safely pull the snake through the main tuning slide, do that as
well. Wipe the slide legs, lubricate them sparingly, and replace the tuning slide when you have finished.
- Sticking piston valves - A lot of repair shops will reach for the
can of lapping compound on any sticking valves and just lap the heck of them.
Don't do that! Lapping makes your valves leak. Most valves didn't
stick at the factory and were fitted well in manufacture. Why are they
sticking now? It's either dirt or damage. If it's dirt, then a
chemical clean will do the trick. If it's damage, then the piston and/or
casing needs to be rounded out using a proper mandrel and other techniques.
Lapping is a last resort method to fix a sticking valve.
- Stuck mouthpiece - It's almost always a trumpet mouthpiece.
Do not use pliers or other force to pull it! Use a mouthpiece puller and
penetrating oil. Any other method will probably pull your instrument
apart.
- Noisy rotary valves - Why are your rotary valves so noisy?
There are really only a few reasons why they suddenly become noisy. It's
almost always because something is loose. Check all screws and linkages
and tighten them sufficiently to hold things in place without binding.
Check the linkages to make sure they're not hitting anything during playing
actions. For string linkages, make sure the string is taught and has
proper tension throughout the play and return strokes. Make sure that
the top bearing plate is seated properly (if it doesn't seat properly, then
the tests you perform below are not valid). Last, check the valves to
see if they have end play or side play: grab the rotor stop arm wiggle
it up and down. If you hear a "click click" and the rotor wiggles up and
down in the casing, then it has end play. Pull the rotor stop away from
the casing and simultaneously wiggle the valve side to side. If you hear
more clicking or feel it wiggle, then it has side play. A technician can
eliminate end play and side play. It may reduce leaking due to
play, but this does not eliminate leaking in the casings! If your valves
still leak in the casings you need them plated and fit. After taking all
the above steps, lubricate your valves. Valves which are fit in the
bearings (no play), and which are not loose in any other way should not make
noise when lubricated.
- Swab out your woodwind instrument. It's so
basic, but if you pull a swab through your instrument after you play you
pull out dirt and wick away moisture. Dirt and moisture are the
enemies of your instrument, especially the pads. Use a high quality
swab, preferably silk. Silk swabs are washable, and will give years of
great service. Dry your swab so that you don't have a wet ball of
cloth hanging around in your case to create mold and mildew. Once a
case is mildewed, it's almost impossible to get the smell out.
- Should you use a "shove it"? They're called
by many names, but the kind of swab that stores in the instrument and pulls
out before assembly is a popular item. We recommend only high quality,
brand name "store-in instrument swabs" (SIS). Treat your SIS like you
would a pull-through swab - dry it and wash it periodically. If it
creates fuzz and bits of fabric that fall off the SIS, then stop using it.
A SIS that comes apart will only cause more problems that it solves.
- Polishing your silver instrument. Should you
polish your silver instrument? Well, polishing removes metal, albeit a
very small amount. Certainly, do not use polishing creams, liquids, or
powders or such. Use a good quality polishing cloth for instruments.
They come with two patches of fabric sewn together. The inside patch
is treated with polishing compound, and the outside cloth protects your
hands from the compound and is used to wipe the instrument after polishing.
A better method is to buy a micro-fiber cloth (you can get them almost
anywhere) and wipe your instrument down after each use. This removes
the grime, oils, and acids that accumulate from your hands and promote
tarnish. It will keep you instrument clean without removing metal.
Flutes are particularly susceptible to problems from polishing because the
compound will eventually deteriorate the pads. You can also buy silver
protector strips that inhibit tarnish, and put one in your case to help
retard the development of tarnish. If your instrument has become black
(silver sulfide) with tarnish, take it to a reputable repair shop for
cleaning and removal of tarnish. If it has become brown (silver oxide)
with tarnish, then your silver finish is probably on the way out.
Black tarnish can be removed without removing as much silver as polishing
removes (see our "re-silvering" process), but brown tarnish is tough to
remove without removing silver, too. Prevention is the key!
- Remove the tension on your string instrument bow each
time you put it down. It's so basic, but you have to do it.
Remove the tension by loosening the nut and frog. If you leave tension
on your bow hair, it will fracture and break.
- Things not to use on your instrument:
- Alcohol on anything resin or plastic.
- Alcohol on a string instrument finish.
- Any polishing compound on a lacquer finish.
- Anything abrasive anywhere, anytime, on any instrument.
- Anything sharp to move a stuck valve (really, anything at all to move a
stuck valve.)
- Pliers, ever.
- Don't bend a crease or dent back by yourself. Take it to a repair
shop. You will only make the crease worse.
- Don't leave music or other objects in your case on top of your instrument.
Stow that stuff elsewhere. The case is only made to hold your
instrument.
- Don't use hot water on your lacquer finish.
- Never use powdered detergent to wash an instrument - only liquid.
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