Repair Turnaround Time
Tom McCartney
horns repaired. There's a guy in my area that's highly recommended and used
a lot by professional woodwind players, but when I called the shop they told
me it would be a 2-4 month wait! I called another local music store, where
they have experienced techs, just not with the renown of the other guy, and
they said about 1 week. Is this much of a range typical?
Dexdex
for a "simple" repair, it is usually within one week. I know techs who do
small jobs like changing a pad or a broken spring immediatly. For bigger
jobs like an overhaul, repad, etc..., most shops plan it ahead, which might
well mean 2-4 (or more ?) weeks wait. But once they start the job, it is
done within a week. Dex
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P. Tung
false (i.e. "usually" within 1 week).
Before I started doing horns myself, I went to almost everybody in New York
and others on the west coast, and inquired elsewhere. Nobody who was any
good could offer less than a 1 month turnaround time, from receipt.
Take it from somebody who has no reason to lie to you about this, and who is
turning away business for 2-3 months in advance right now, based on horns
already scheduled for work: if a repairer is any good at all, eventually,
word will get around, and s/he will usually be working on 3-5 horns at a
time, simultaneously. Anybody who can complete work on 3-5 horns a week,
doing good work, has missed his true calling as a superhero in a Marvel
comic book.
lol
Personally, if I have a horn on my waitlist, I would rather have it here in
advance because that way I can do certain parts of the work in an assembly
line-type set-up, saving me some time by making the grunt work more
efficient, and saving the customer some money because I can charge a little
less. Also, some work, such as dentwork, is hard on the fingers and hands,
and I would rather be able to attack it over a stretch of time.
My waitlist, at 2-3 months to even start any new work (it is probably closer
to 3) is less than half the length of the waitlists of other saxo
specialists who have been in the biz longer.
On the other hand, there are people whose work is really garbage who have
waitlists of equal length (or even longer), as well. Which is to say you
can't judge the quality of a person's work by the length of their waitlist.
Believe me: if you like & trust the work, and the prices suit you, 1 week
is a PHENOMENALLY short turn around time, and you should kiss your
repairer's feet every time you see him.
"Dexdex" <dex dex at blue win ch> wrote in message
news:3fc36efb$1...@news.bluewin.ch...
Tom McCartney
confusing: The highly sought after guy had a 2-4 month wait just to start
working on my horn, and the other shop could look at it within 1 week.
The work on my horn will be considerably less scope than an overhaul. I
don't have the trained eye of a repair tech, but from what I can see, the
neck tenon fit needs some adjustment, a couple of bumpers need to be
replaced, and a couple of pads may need replacement. Even though this seems
like "routine" stuff, my gut feeling is that I should have the highly sought
after guy do the work, because I want to make sure issues I might not notice
are found and fixed. This is a Mk VI tenor that I've had for 26 years, and
it has never been in the shop for anything. I have hardly played it the
last 15 yrs, and I don't have any major complaints about the way it plays,
but I'd think that after that amount of time, there must be some things that
need attention. Kind of like a car - as problems develop, you don't notice
them much, but if somebody else drives it they do.
"P. Tung" <pt...@nobspaam.justsaxes.com> wrote in message
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Dexdex
sounds rather puzzling ! I thought you were both joking. You can still come
over to Switzerland.... Dex
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Steve Marshall
"Tom McCartney" <temcc...@juno.com> wrote
> It was probably obvious from my post, but to make sure I my wording was
not
> confusing: The highly sought after guy had a 2-4 month wait just to start
> working on my horn, and the other shop could look at it within 1 week.
>
I think it varies depending on the area. I live in a rural area which has a
low population and there aren't a huge amount of wind players. Most of the
time a can fit in small jobs within a week or so as I have a low volume of
work. When things get busy then people may have to wait a month or more,
even here !
Steve M
Peter Willis
for the kind of work you're talking about. He does mostly school and rental
business, but with 30 years in the business, he knows his way around VIs and
pretty much any other pro horn you walk in with. He may be a trombone player,
but again, 30 years, starting off with more experienced techs, going to
conferences (he's told me about watching Saul Fromkin work on VI's at
conferences), and that kind of thing has given him plenty of knowledge on
woodwind repair. So, two weeks for most people, probably a week for regulars,
it's more than once been five minutes for me when a spring broke, or a pad
tore, or whatever. For a repad, he won't have a waiting list, just say he
won't be able to get to it for a couple weeks. Once he gets to it, it'll
probably be done in less than a week.
One of the other guys in town who works with most of the local name players has
a looong waiting list. A guy I know had his bari overhauled there, and he
waited 6 months just to take it in, then another 3 to get it back (partly
Anderson plating's fault, I'm sure).
Whether that guy's work is any better than my guy's I don't know, as I haven't
had any complaints in the 7 years I've been going to him. And I was thrilled
as hell when I first went there because the place I went to before that was a
pain to deal with (and the work was generally poorly nor not done).
Good luck,
Stephen Howard
<pt...@nobspaam.justsaxes.com> wrote:
<snip>
>My waitlist, at 2-3 months to even start any new work (it is probably closer
>to 3) is less than half the length of the waitlists of other saxo
>specialists who have been in the biz longer.
>
>On the other hand, there are people whose work is really garbage who have
>waitlists of equal length (or even longer), as well. Which is to say you
>can't judge the quality of a person's work by the length of their waitlist.
>
How true this is!
I've seen work from guys that clients have told me have a two months
waiting list - and I've had to wonder why.
The only explanation I could come up with was that they were doing a
spot of painting and decorating on the side.
I find my repair schedules are in a state of constant flux - I
generally like to turn around large jobs within a month, but I run a
sort of informal prioritisation system whereby working pros can jump
the queue, along with teachers bringing in student's instruments.
On top of that there's an element of pure self-interest, whereby a job
that appeals to me can get my juices going and make it to the top of
the pile.
At the moment though, everything's shot to hell due to my falling prey
to the lurgy that`s been doing the rounds. I'm three weeks behind, and
I was a week behind when I took to my bed.
>Believe me: if you like & trust the work, and the prices suit you, 1 week
>is a PHENOMENALLY short turn around time, and you should kiss your
>repairer's feet every time you see him.
Tip heavily and pay in cash - works every time ;)
Regards,
--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{who is at}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk
Colin Campbell
"Stephen Howard" <sees...@email.uk> wrote in message
news:5409svoa1tj8jga0p...@4ax.com...
> I find my repair schedules are in a state of constant flux - I
> generally like to turn around large jobs within a month, but I run a
> sort of informal prioritisation system whereby working pros can jump
> the queue, along with teachers bringing in student's instruments.
> <text snipped>
>On top of that there's an element of pure self-interest, whereby a job
>that appeals to me can get my juices going and make it to the top of
>the pile.
> <text snipped>
> Tip heavily and pay in cash - works every time ;)
Stephen - I just got a job as a working pro, teaching teachers with loads of
students who want their instruments repaired !!! That Buescher soprano you
mention on your webpage sounds like it would be great to work on !!! I'm a
great tipper !!!
>At the moment though, everything's shot to hell due to my falling prey
>to the lurgy that`s been doing the rounds. I'm three weeks behind, and
>I was a week behind when I took to my bed.
Oh-Oh. On second thoughts. Maybe you should wait until all traces of that
bug are gone. Don't want to have to steam sterilise the soprano when I get
it back :)
Get well soon.
Colin (MM5AGM)
Stephen Howard
<mycal...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
>Stephen - I just got a job as a working pro, teaching teachers with loads of
>students who want their instruments repaired !!! That Buescher soprano you
>mention on your webpage sounds like it would be great to work on !!! I'm a
>great tipper !!!
>
>>At the moment though, everything's shot to hell due to my falling prey
>>to the lurgy that`s been doing the rounds. I'm three weeks behind, and
>>I was a week behind when I took to my bed.
>
>Oh-Oh. On second thoughts. Maybe you should wait until all traces of that
>bug are gone. Don't want to have to steam sterilise the soprano when I get
>it back :)
>Get well soon.
>
I'm on it!
I don't know what this bug was, but I'm pretty sure I picked it up
whilst being incarcerated in a recording studio over a weekend with
half a dozen guys who were in various states of health.
Talk about dedication - because my sleep patterns got all out of synch
I ended up pulling midnight to 6am shifts in the workshop, just trying
to keep on top of the work - but it got so bad that I couldn't hold a
screwdriver still, so I gave up and sulked in bed ( which I hate ).
I've heard some horror stories about this bug, one of my client's
children had it and ended up with a perforated eardrum. Another client
had to be hospitalised with a severe lung infection.
I took the precaution of keeping away from loud noises, smoking more
fags and drinking two fingers of Lagavulin each night - which seems to
have done the trick.
About the only odd physical symptom ( apart from feeling like death
with a hangover ) I had was not being able to close a pair of pliers
with any force...which was bad news for your soprano as the action
needed a heavy session with the swedging pliers!
But I'm back on form now, and about to decide whether to run with the
white kid pads or not.
Any day now really!
Cheers,
--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
Robert
repairs most of the wind instruments for the military bands in the DC
area as well as many professionals on the east coast. He has a one-man
shop. So far, he will repair my instrument while I wait. This includes
repadding and dent removal.
I figured out his repair schedule. He asks his customer when they need
it back. If the customer says "not right away" he won't get it back for
a year, or until the customer complains. If the customer says "two
weeks," he'll say he will have it in two weeks but to call two days
before to see if its ready. The clever customer will find that the
repairman hasn't begun to work on his instrument when the customer
calls, and he calls again the next day. Having been reminded twice, the
repairman begins work only on the day promised.
I always say I need my sax that very night, and so he fixes my sax while
I wait. I always pay him more than he asks (which he protests), and add
a bottle of Scotch whiskey, which costs about $50 more. The latter he
does not protest. Thus, he answers the phone the next time I call.
P. Tung
> repadding and dent removal.
Does he let you bring a sleeping bag and thermos?
lol
I'm sorry: inside joke, probably.
Stephen Howard
<pt...@nobspaam.justsaxes.com> wrote:
>> shop. So far, he will repair my instrument while I wait. This includes
>> repadding and dent removal.
>
>Does he let you bring a sleeping bag and thermos?
>
>lol
>
>I'm sorry: inside joke, probably.
>
Beat me to it!
--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations