Interestingly, by far the most horrible damage I've seen comes from
cleaning. I suspect it is the work of a greedy person who manages to
get a contract to clean all the brasses of a school district in
preparation for the new year. Seeing this as easy money, they use
chemicals that literally dissolve the brass. A quick dip does the job.
Longer than a quick dip dissolves the metal. Then you're faced with the
problem of neutralizing the residue. Even if the procedure works as
planned, doing this every year soon ruins the instrument for any kind
of restoration.
Now, here I am spreading horror stories, but the person doing it can
easily convince you that he has 'special' equipment and expertise. I
certainly don't intend to demean any of the technicians contributing to
the list. One of the major advantages to subscribing to the list is for
locating trustworthy repair techs. You're doing the right thing.
However, learning how to take your horn apart to thoroughly clean it
out with brushes and cheap detergent once a year will add greatly to
your confidence and piece of mind.
Perhaps the repair people who are contributors here and are
represented at shows and conventions could arrange a $20 seminar at the
shows where players can take their own horn apart under supervision,
clean it, and learn how to assess what additional work might be a good
idea next time shop services are needed.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: horn@music.memphis.edu
Sent: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 10:16 PM
Subject: RE: [Hornlist] RE: Horn Digest, Vol 43, Issue 22
Along these lines...does anyone have a recomendation for a repair
person in
Iowa? I do not need any major work, just a cleaning and possibly some
work on a
slow valve. Thanks.
-Joni
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on
behalf of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Tue 7/18/2006 11:50 PM
To: horn@music.memphis.edu
Subject: Re: [Hornlist] RE: Horn Digest, Vol 43, Issue 22
I guess I'd have to agree with that. I've gone through a lot of eBay
horns and I always get a money back agreement if the horn is wrecked.
Home handymen usually limit themselves to applying a pound of plumbers
lead to fix a loose brace. The worst damage, by far, is done by people
who are operating as repairmen. I can understand the reasoning behind
warning people to refrain from working on their own instruments, but
it
is the same horror story the incompetent repairmen repeat. Every
chance
I get, I instruct players how to take their rotors apart for cleaning
out a valve sticker. For some reason, that bit of knowledge seems to
give them better judgment about finding good repair techs. It also may
help that I leave them with the names.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: horn@music.memphis.edu
Sent: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 2:43 PM
Subject: [Hornlist] RE: Horn Digest, Vol 43, Issue 22
of course the problem is that the biggest damage-doers (wow, sounds
like W
there) never recognize themselves. My comments are based on 30 years
of undoing
bad repairs done by "experts".
- Steve Mumford
Bill writes:
It's interesting that the schedule of repair surcharges is in no way
related to actual damage, only to the perceived audacity of the
attempt. I find that very few people are the incompetent idiots you
portray.
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