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HomeServicing & Repairs

Servicing & Repairs

Windology Instrument Servicing & Repairs

 

Woodwind & brass repairs are carried out by our team of experienced technicians. We offer a full range of services for all instruments.

Below is a breakdown of common services carried out by our specialist repair technicians. It is important to identify the level of work required on an instrument ahead of carrying out repairs. Our team will be able to assess your instrument, free of charge so we can best advise you on the work required and quote based what your instrument needs.

Woodwind

Checkover
General Service
Full Repad
  • Address specific issues that prevents the instrument from playing
  • Check and adjust regulation throughout
  • Replace worn or missing bumper corks
  • Oil clattery keywork
  • Remove excess residue from pads
  • Strip instrument
  • Clean bodywork, pillars and socket rings
  • Remove old oil from mechanism and screws
  • Clean out tone holes, thumb bush and speaker pipe
  • Oil rusty springs as necessary
  • Oil Bores
  • Clean and polish keywork
  • Replace key corks and felts as necessary. Tenon corks are assessed and charged separately.
  • Supply and fit only worst affected pads
  • Oil keywork/mechanisms
  • Re-assemble instrument
  • Check and adjust key regulation, pad seating throughout.
  • Adjust key venting as required
  • Check and adjust spring tensions as required
  • Check tenon corks/head joint cork
  • Play Test
  • Strip instrument
  • Clean bodywork, pillars and socket rings
  • Remove old oil from mechanism and screws
  • Clean out tone holes, thumb bush and speaker pipe
  • Oil rusty springs as necessary
  • Oil bores
  • Remove old pads
  • Clean and polish keywork
  • Replace key corks and felts, head joint cork. (Tenon corks are assessed and charged separately)
  • Repair and dress chipped or grainy pad seats.
  • Supply and fit with new pads.
    Seat and adjust all to achieve an airtight seal.
  • Oil keywork/mechanisms. Re-assemble instrument.
    Check and adjust key regulation, pad seating throughout.
  • Adjust key venting as required
  • Adjust spring tension as required
  • Play Test

 


Sundries

  • Tenon Recork
  • Tenon Adjustment for binding/tight tenons
  • Crook Recork – Crook cork on saxophones and bassoons.
  • Bore Out Mouthpieces – the process of adjusting a French bore ebonite mouthpiece, such as a Vandoren, D’addario etc. to suit the bore of a ‘Wide Bore’ instrument such as a Boosey & Hawkes.
  • Split Repairs – repair splits and crack on wooden instruments.

Brass

 

Checkover
Valve Instrument General Service
Trombone & Slide Instruments
Re-lacquering / Overhaul  
  • Address specific issues that prevents the instrument from playing.
  • Clean valves / rotors
  • Ensure tuning slides move freely
  • Replace worn water key corks.
  • Strip down instrument
  • De-grease
  • Lap in valves / rotors.
  • Refinish slide legs, rotors and valves and casings as necessary
  • Remove and improve accessible dents
  • Clean instrument (Both Sonic and non-Sonic cleaning available)
  • Replace valve springs and guides if required.
  • Re-felt and oil valves.
  • Re-assemble and lubricate rotors
  • Re-string rotors (if required)
  • Replace rotor bumpers (if required)
  • Grease and align slides
  • Replace water key corks
  • Test
  • Strip down instrument
  • De-grease
  • Polish and refinish slide legs
  • Remove and clean rotor
  • Lap-in rotor
  • Remove and improve accessible dents in bell and slides
  • Clean instrument (Both Sonic and non-Sonic cleaning available)
  • Re-assemble and lubricate rotors
  • Re-string rotors and adjust tension (if required)
  • Replace rotor bumpers (if required)
  • Grease slides
  • Remove dents from outer slide as
  • De-scale outer slide and clean.
  • Align playing slide
  • Replace water key corks
  • Test
  • Strip down instrument
  • De-grease
  • Complete disassembly of instrument
  • Strip old lacquer off whole instrument
  • Remove and improve existing dents
  • Polish & lacquer instrument

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  • Post-Lacquer General Service
  • Now the instrument is re-lacquered, our technicians will go through the servicing process, re-assembling & regulate with new felts, corks and valve & water key springs.
  • Align valves & slides.
  • Test

 

Dent Removal

Dents are assessed are quoted on an individual basis.

Sundries

External Polish
Water Key Cork Replacement
Stuck Mouthpiece Removal

Sympathetic Restoration

Quite often we presented with vintage instruments for servicing. Our technicians are able to carry out sympathetic restorations on these instruments, meaning they are preserved and receive the same quality of repair, whilst taking into consideration the aesthetics of instrument, and the type of cleaning they require without damaging or detracting from its original state. 

Bespoke Modifications

Feel free to contact us with a request to make your playing experience easier.

Technicians 

Woodwind repairs west midlands windology music

Mark Steventon

Mark is a former musician with the REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers). On leaving the army after twenty-two years' service, he now carries out service and repairs on brass and woodwind instruments for a number of music retailers from his home in the West Midlands. Mark operates a service centre for Yamaha UK's brass and woodwind instruments, working with their UK-based endorsees and advising them on warranty issues.

In more recent times Mark has taken on the role as workshop manager for ConnSelmer Europe and regularly travels to their facility in Slough.

Mandy Charman

Mandy started working for T. W. Howarth at their manufacturing workshops in Worthing in 1982. Over the next 15 years she worked in virtually every department from wood finishing to key making. In the mid 1990's Mandy joined the team at the London showrooms where for 12 years she also managed the international mail-order department.

Mandy is now a freelance woodwind technician and has undertaken services and restorations to the highest standard for Windology Music as well as private commissions.

COVID-19

In order to allow for health and safety precautions, we require an instrument to quarantine (eg: not played or handled) for 72 hours prior to repair work commencing. Once repairs/technical work has been carried out, the instrument is test played by one of our specialists in order to fully ensure the instrument is working ahead of collection. Once ready, you will be notified. The instrument will require a further 72 hours quarantine ahead of personal use.

 

How Often Should I Have My Instrument Serviced?

Our Technicians usually recommend having your instrument fully serviced every 1-2 years. With padded woodwind instruments, not using your instrument can be just as wearing on the pads as regular use.  

Regular servicing of your instrument will prevent the need for larger repair work in the long run, saving you money, and prolonging the life of your instrument.

Advice on Instrument Maintenance & Handling 

Our specialists are on hand to advice you on the best ways to keep your instrument working well and clean for longer. Ask in-store, call 01952 929100 or email us: [email protected] You can always drop us a message via our social channels too! 

In the meantime, you may want to browse our Maintenance Materials section.

New Instruments

Windology Music Guarantee Checkover

On all new instruments purchased from Windology Music, we offer a ‘Guarantee Checkover’ free of charge, within the first year of purchase. This means our technicians can ensure your instrument is playing well and in great condition, one year on.

Wooden Instruments

A new wooden instrument requires a gentle breaking in process to prevent cracks and splits occurring. A new wooden instrument, or even a second hand instrument that hasn’t been used for a long time, is not used to the moisture and humidity that occurs when playing. Wood is a natural material and needs time to acclimatise to this. 

Our Woodwind Specialist advises that playing is limited to 20 minutes at a time for the first month of the instrument’s life, before adding 10 minutes on per week until you reach normal playing time.