DIY Musical Instrument Repair

I'm all for Do-It-Yourselfers. I'm one of them. I've put a new roof on my house, installed new windows, put linoleum down, etc. But I also know when to call in the professionals.

So it's interesting to me to see some of the things that come in the shop that were obviously done by a non-repair technician. Here are a couple good examples:


I love this one. A pivot screw was loose, backed out, and was lost before the student knew it. Someone replaced the pivot screw with a toothpick. It did the trick perfectly. The toothpick was just the right taper and length to hold the key securely in place without binding. And it was easy to remove at the shop where a new pivot screw could be installed. This person was thinking and did a nice job.



The socket on the lower joint of this clarinet was smashed. All (well, almost all) the pieces were collected and glued back in place. A good attempt but definitely a time for professional help rather than a DIY project. But sometimes you don't know until you try. And no harm done as the socket needed to be replaced regardless of the attempt.

Posted 1/11/2008 @ 8:32 AM | Band Instrument Repair