We know what it is like to haul around your instruments and equipment. We also know the importance of protecting your musical instrument. As we know, sometimes instruments and equipment can be costly. Our gear is our investment in our careers.
Wood Clarinets in Cold and Dry Climate: A first hand experience We are located in New York, and this 2014/2015 winter has been a brutal one. It was exceptionally cold, exceptionally dry, and the weather persisted far longer than normal. This weather has wreaked havoc on our display model clarinets. I’d like to share what […]
Repairing a Wood Clarinet Banding vs. Pinning It’s common knowledge that wood clarinets are susceptible to cracking. Even when great care is taken with proper maintenance, awareness of climate changes, humidity levels, and following all due caution it can happen, a big ugly crack in your expensive wood instrument. Worst yet, the crack is […]
Forget about cleaning out your closets and cupboards – your trumpet might be where the real attention is needed this springtime! If you can’t remember the last time you gave your instrument a good and thorough cleaning, chances are that it’s time for some TLC for your trumpet. Yamaha is a trusted brand, and they […]
Intonation – Good vs Bad, Hype vs. Reality Intonation refers to the pitch accuracy of an instrument. In short, does the instrument play each note in tune? When someone says “this note plays a little sharp on this instrument”, or “these three notes play slightly flat”, they are referring to intonation. This post will surely […]
How to Evaluate a Band Instrument The internet has provided an amazing venue to showcase a product. We can see pictures of a product, we can look at videos of a product, we can listen to sound samples of a product. The end result can be frustration! So how do we evaluate a band […]
Breaking in a new wood clarinet is important to avoid damage to the instrument. Wood clarinets, like all things made of wood, expand and contract with temperature and humidity. Wood products that expand too fast risk cracking. Most wood clarinets are made out of Grenadilla wood, also known as African Blackwood. Grenadilla is an exceptionally […]
The most common issue encountered by beginning trumpet students is an apparent jam in the trumpet. Air blown into the trumpet refuses to pass through, rendering the instrument unplayable. While there are many possible causes, it’s most likely that one or more of the valves has been turned from its proper position, blocking the air […]