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 info@brassarts.com

Repair Services

Brass Arts Unlimited maintains a complete repair shop for brass and woodwind instruments.  We use the highest quality parts available, including original equipment parts.  Our tools, methods, and techniques follow industry standards.  Moreover, as instrument is a changing field, we are constantly evaluating new methods and tools for their effectiveness, using them where they best serve our customers' needs.

We are members of NAPBIRT, the National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians, and regularly attend repair clinics to augment our skills and knowledge. 

Brass Repair

We can do almost any brass repair imaginable.  Naturally, the majority of our work is routine maintenance and repair, and it almost always starts with an ultrasonic cleaning. 

Please note that we are not doing ultrasonic cleanings, temporarily.  Our move to a smaller shop location necessitated selling our large cleaning system because it would not fit in our new location.  However, we are currently offering excellent chemical cleaning services which take into account both the health of the instrument and the health of our environment.  We take cleanings very seriously, because a properly cleaned and adjusted instrument is the rock bottom foundation of a instrument that plays as well as possible.

Ultrasonics are, in our opinion, the best in cleaning technology.  Using high frequency sound waves transmitted through a special solution of surfactants, instruments get cleaned inside and out without the use of harsh corrosive chemicals which are detrimental to the environment.  We disassemble the instrument, run the parts in our cleaning system (which can hold up to a 6/4 tuba!), neutralize any remaining acids, rinse, dry with compressed air, lubricate and reassemble. 

Think a horn cleaning is just a horn cleaning?  Think again!  Every time we clean your horn at Brass Arts Unlimited we perform our complete inspection.  This way we can find and fix problems as soon as they come to our attention, keeping your horn in tip-top shape.

 Our inspection checklist every time we clean a horn:

• Customer survey – problems noted

• General visual inspection for dents

• General visual inspection for broken solder joints

• General visual inspection for finish problems

• General visual inspection for other damage

• Visual inspection for potential red rot or other metal fatigue

• Visual inspection of water keys, water key corks

• Test for condition of bell ring

• Test for valve compression – pop test

• Test for valve compression – blow by test

• Test for end play, side to side play

• Test for valve mechanics

• If warranted, test for valve compression – oil seal test

• Removal of tuning slides, check for fit and solder joints

• Inspect solder joints on 3/F  and 3/Bb slides

• “Shake” test for broken solder joints

• Test fit of mouthpiece in venturi

• Remove valve caps and inspect

• Remove string and/or unscrew linkages and inspect

• Remove key levers and inspect

• Test top bearing plates for fit

• Check alignment, condition of bumpers

• Check condition of screws and linkages

• Remove rotor stop screws and inspect

• Remove rotors and top bearing plates

• Inspect rotors and top bearing plates for unusual wear

• Remove rotor stop plates and inspect

• Inspect inside of slide tubes and inside of horn tubes for problems, such as solder blobs

• Inspect horn for leaks

If you are considering an acid bath cleaning at another shop, don't forget to ask your technician if the instrument is degreased before the acid bath and acid-neutralized afterward.  An acid bath is only as good as the degreasing done beforehand, because grease will inhibit the cleaning action of acid.  Afterward, the remaining acid must be neutralized and rinsed from the instrument or you risk corrosive damage.  Without those critical steps your instrument will not be cleaned as safely and thoroughly as it ought to be.  Neither of these is an issue with our ultrasonic cleaning process! (See above - we are temporarily not able to offer ultrasonic cleanings.)

Another service we offer is Re-Silvering.  Re-Silvering is not polishing (which removes silver) and it's not plating (which adds silver and is quite costly), but is a low cost method to remove the sulfur which causes silver tarnish and replace the original silver on your instrument or mouthpiece.  Silver tarnish is silver sulfide, which occurs when the sulfur in the environment reacts with the silver on your mouthpiece or instrument.  Compare the procedures:

• Polishing uses abrasives to remove both the layer of silver sulfides and a small amount of silver in order to achieve a high luster and specular appearance.  But, it removes metal each time you do it. 
• Chemical dipping removes the tarnish by reacting with and removing the silver sulfides.  You lose the tarnish but you also lose some silver.
• Plating is an electro chemical process that bonds silver to your instrument.  It can replace lost metal, but is expensive and time consuming.
• Re-Silvering is a simple electro chemical process that reverses the tarnishing reaction.  It unbinds the sulfur from the silver, leaving the silver in place.  It is low in cost and safe for your instrument or mouthpiece.  And, it may extend the life of your instrument or mouthpiece by years.  Unlike plating, Re-Silvering doesn't add metal that wasn't there.  Instead, it retains more of the original metal than with any other removal process, with only a tiny fraction of the cost of plating.

Tarnished tuba mouthpiece This mouthpiece had been sitting around for several years and was black with tarnish.	After Re-Silvering This is the same mouthpiece after Re-Silvering. It has not been dipped or polished.

 

Woodwind Repair

Our repair department can fix almost any woodwind problem.  Flutes, clarinets, and saxophones are done in house.  We do some oboe work in house, but subcontract bassoon work to top technicians.  Each instrument is carefully inspected top-to-bottom to insure that we are addressing all the problems and affecting the necessary repairs. 

Our special services include repadding and our special organic oil process for wooden instruments.

Repads all include:

• Complete key disassembly and old pad removal.
• Full instrument and key cleaning, and mouthpiece cleaning.
• Replacement and reseating of all pads and resonators.
• Replacement of all tenon corks.
• Full regulation of the instrument.
• Tenon fitting.
• Play test and adjustment.

Not included in standard repad prices are body work, tenon or tone hole finishing or replacement, body finish, or spring replacement. 

Our organic oiling process for wooden instruments is a great way to restore the original density and dimension of your wooden instrument.  Woods contain oils naturally, and those oils can evaporate causing the wood to shrink, warp, and crack.  Our organic oils restore woods to their original state by deeply penetrating the wood.  Unlike petroleum-based oils, which only oil the surface of the wood and can actually promote drying, organic oils penetrate the cellulose fiber structure much like the natural oils lost. 

If you wooden instrument has cracked or warped, or if the keys are all loose (indicating shrinkage), the you should consider an organic oil treatment.  

String Repair

We can do many simple string repairs here in our shop, such as bridge fitting, simple crack repair, peg shaping or replacement, and so forth.  Complex problems, especially involving top or back removal, are sent out to top-notch subcontractors.

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Send mail to dave_weiner@brassarts.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 11/29/09 , Copyright  2007-2008, Brass Arts Unlimited, Inc.