REPAIRS & INSTRUMENT SET UPS
Woodwind Workshop is a one woman shop dedicated to the finest, most meticulous repairs of the oboe, clarinet, and bassoon families. Only professional quality instruments of serviceable age and condition are accepted for repair.
Some of the many services typically performed include crack repair (including pinning and tone hole inserts), tuning, voicing, padwork, springwork, custom body and key fabrications and modifications, and general and new instrument setup.
The typical shop hours are Monday - Thursday from 9-5. The shop is located in Floral Park, NY, within easy walking distance of the Floral Park LIRR station. We are easily accessed by train from Atlantic Terminal and Penn Station and by car from JFK, Long Island, and Westchester.
INSTRUMENT SET UP INFORMATION
One of the most beneficial things you can do as the owner of a new instrument is a "set up". Most new instruments are a diamond in the rough, quickly finished on the factory floor, and the best way to reach the full potential of the instrument is to set it up to the highest standards. A properly set up instrument will be reliable from the start and will require fewer servicings in the long term.
Buffet Clarinets
Buffet clarinet setup is particularly important. The padwork is not always precise, the spring tensions stiff, and the materials less than reliable. Having worked from the Buffet New York Showroom for many years my experience with Buffet instruments may well be unparalleled!
An ideal Buffet clarinet setup will first involve a resurfacing of the toneholes, sealing any open grains and checking for level, then sealing with an oil finish. All of the pads and bumper corks will be changed to a longer wearing material, and the spring tensions adjusted to be lighter yet more crisp and even. The vulnerable nylon pins should be reinforced, and the keys carefully fit for minimal mechanical noise. Finally, key heights and regulations are set, then a playtest, and a final fine tuning.
Although this is a substantial amount of work a new instrument setup within the first six months after purchase can be surprisingly affordable. It is less than a complete overhaul because the instrument requires no cleaning, less key fitting, and (typically) no tenon corks. Please call or e-mail for a price quote on setting up a new Buffet clarinet.
Bass clarinets can also benefit from a new instrument setup. While a bass clarinet setup typically doesn't require a full repad, perfecting the tonehole surfaces, sealing the leather pads, balancing the spring tensions, and reducing friction in the mechanism can make a good bass clarinet into a great one.
Professional Oboes
Professional oboes such as Loree, Marigaux, and Buffet can also benefit from a thorough setup. While a new oboe typically comes from the factory in quite good condition, you can keep your instrument in tiptop shape longer by perfecting the tonehole surfaces, reducing friction in the mechanism, and balancing spring tensions. It is also helpful to replace the cork under the adjustment screws with a longer wearing material so that adjustments last longer and the mechanism stays more quiet.
New Bassoons
These days, it's rare that I come across a professional bassoon that is younger than I am. Still, for the rare new bassoon, it is always beneficial to seal the leather pads, adjust the spring tensions, and reduce any friction in the mechanism.