What NOT to repair

What Not to Repair

A common problem that any musician faces is an emergency instrument repair and perhaps more importantly the question of when to stop and send the horn to a professional repair shop. Below we will offer some tips for minor and emergency repairs to keep your horns performing in a pinch.

General “Dos” and “Don’ts”
– DO use zip ties, twist ties, fabric-covered hair bands, string or Teflon tape to hold an instrument or key together
– DO use paper to shim tenons, sockets or neck corks
– DO use a “Bobcat” style mouthpiece puller for stuck mouthpieces
– DO use penetrating oil and mild heat from a hand torch to remove a stuck tuning slide
– DON’T use tape or rubber bands to hold a damaged key, broken solder joint or other part together
– DON’T use super glue of any kind to repair any part of an instrument
– DON’T turn adjustment screws
– DON’T use a screwdriver to drive out a stuck valve
– DON’T use a screwdriver to drive out a rotary valve
– DON’T use pliers or vice-grips to remove stuck parts
– DON’T use a towel, rag, sock, shoelace or any other kind of implement to remove a stuck tuning slide!
– DON’T use a currency bill to relieve sticky pads

If in doubt on what to do ALWAYS just bring it in to the repair shop. You can often do more damage by trying to fix it yourself. We are happy to sit down with you and talk out what the playing issues are so that we can properly restore your instrument back into good working order. We are happy to help you in any way that we can.