Brass Restorations
- Silver Clean Only
- Complete Overhaul remove dents
Glossary of terms
bore size
The diameter of the tube of a woodwind or brass instrument. The shape of the bore in part dictates the timbre or tone color of the instrument. A conical bore instrument, in which the bore grows larger throughout, such as the cornet, produces a mellow timbre while a cylindrical bore instrument, such as the trumpet, which has a constant bore until the flare of the bell, produces a brighter, more brilliant timbre.
brass instruments
The family of a wind instruments which are made of a brass or silver tube (either cylindrical bore or conical bore) that flares into a bell at the end, have cupped mouthpieces similar to that of a trumpet, and usually have valves or slides.
The members of this family include the trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba and their families.
ease of blowing
When you can achieve a nice, quiet sound from a woodwind or brass instrument without putting excess wind through the instrument, or 'over
blowing'.
This usually means that the instrument is an "easy blowing" one, which we feel is one of the most important aspects matching an instrument to the
given player. Most musical retail shops do not take the time to check for this quality.
Every woodwind and brass instrument that we sell is checked for ease of blowing.
embouchure
(OHM-ber-shur)
1.The position of the lips and mouth when playing a wind instrument.
2.The mouthpiece of a wind instrument.
frog
The lower part of the violin bow also called the nut.
lacquer
Please note this statement by the National Association of Band Instrument Manufacturers
"Lacquer is only a temporary finish and should be sold as much"
The materials used in lacquer finish on instruments are applied in the best possible manner. However, it should
be remembered that lacquer is not permanent and cannot be guaranteed.
pitch
The specific quality of a sound that makes it a recognizable tone. Pitch defines the location of a tone in relation to others, thus giving it a sense of being high or low.
reeds
One of the biggest mistakes that new students make is using a reed that is too strong. We recommend beginning on a #2(or soft) reed and as your embouchure
strengthens, your buildup will advance upward into a #2 1/2(medium soft) and further. When you use a reed that is too strong, you defeat the purpose of an
easy blowing instrument by having to exert too much effort.
tone
1. An interval consisting of two semitones, that is a whole step.
2. The particular sound of an instrument or voice, as well as the performer's particular coloring of that sound.
For example, the tone produced by a certain clarinetist could be said to be rich, dark, and mellow; this is the result of the natural sound of the instrument, combined with the performer?s particular technique of playing.
triggers
The trombone is in the key of B-flat. Typically the bass trombones and many large bore tenor trombones will have a trigger to put the instrument into the key of F (lower the key by a perfect fourth).
This allows the performer to perform the low C and B-flat (on the bass clef staff) in 1st and 2nd positions rather than the normal 6th and 7th positions providing better flexibility in fast passages.
It also extends the playable notes in the low range between the F below the staff (FF) to the low C (CC). As a side note, the extra tubing associated with the trigger systems will always have a tuning slide to allow the performer to correctly tune that portion of the instrument.
Often long tuning slides are used that can be pulled out far enough to allow the same attachment to be tuned to E (a half step lower) and increase the range of
possibilities for certain musical passages. The use of the trigger also changes the positions of the notes slightly.
tuning slide
A device attached to brass instruments allowing the adjustment of the tuning of the instrument.
Pulling the tuning slide out will add more length to the instrument and flatten (or lower) its overall pitch.
Pushing the tuning slide in will subtract length from the instrument and sharpen (or raise) its overall pitch.
woodwind instruments
Those instruments that are made of wood and sounded by means of air. The clarinet and oboe families fall into this category, as do the saxophone and the flute families.
Although the saxophone is made of brass, it is derived from the wooden clarinet, and is sounded by a reed, thus is is considered to be a woodwind instrument.
As well, the flute is made of metal (usually silver), but since it is derived from a wooden ancestor, it too, is considered to be a woodwind instrument.
Restorations
Woodwind Restorations
Repad Only (student horns): Instruments are disassembled completely. All pads, corks and tenon corks removed. All keys and body sections are cleaned. Keys and posts are lightly chamois buffed. All pad seats are checked for chips or cracks and repaired as needed.
New resonator pads, key corks and tenon corks are installed and the horns are reassembled. Excess key play is removed and all adjustments made.
Repad Only (pro horns): All same as above but using better quality materials throughout. Keys are fitted better and more attention
is paid to very light pad seats and a higher level of noise free operation. Saxophones are supplied with plastic or metal resonator pads.
Overhaul with Plating: All work performed as in
above plus all keys, posts, rings and metal parts are stripped, de-dented, polished and nickel plated.
Professional instruments are also available in silver or gold finishes.
Brass Restorations
Silver Clean Only: Applies to silver plated instruments, both bright silver or satin silver. Horns are disassembled and cleaned
chemically internally and externally. Bright silver horns are color buffed lightly, satin silver horns are scratch brushed and color buffed. All are reassembled with new
corks, felts, and springs. All slides are fit and lubricated. Saxophones are supplied with new pads and corks. Keys are refit.
Complete Overhaul Remove Dents: Instruments are disassembled and stripped of lacquer or plating. All dents are removed from the entire horn. Light strapping for overall
smoothness and bright polishing are done and then re-lacquered with baked epoxy lacquer. All
slides and keys are refit. All instruments are then reassembled as above.
