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Question: Flute refurbishing for other people-- good idea or bad!?
I am a flute player going to 11th grade next year, and i've been thinking about some things I could do to help out the section!. I am trying out for Flute captain, and I really love helping people with flute related problems!. My idea, which seems brilliant to me (lol), is to buy a few cheap, used student flutes, that I know are actually fairly decent, fix them up, clean, adjust, etc, and give them to our school system's middle school directors to give/sell at a low price to flute players who can't afford to get a flute!. I'm not looking to get flutes that are super good, just flutes that are decent, that they can learn on until they decide if they really want to play flute or not, or perhaps they can afford a better flute!. I was thinking of grabbing up some used yamaha, jupiter, pearl, etc!.!.!. flutes that I know will work!. Does this sound like an okay idea!? I am fairly good at fixing flutes myself, i've fixed my student flute once or twice!.!.!. I just need feedback on any suggestions, etc!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
great idea! may i suggest finding a local music store that has an instrument technician that you could voluntarily apprentice yourself with in order to increase your skills and get access to proper tools,!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

it takes an expert to align pads!. you have no idea how hard that really is!. you should just buy flutes that already work, which shouldn't be hard since they break less than just about any other instrument!.

besides that, it seems like a nice idea!. you can replace springs and stuff, just dont mess with those pads!Www@QuestionHome@Com

This is a very cool idea!. I really like it!.

Well, how long have you been playing flute!? How good at you mechanically-wise!? Are you good with your hands!?

I've been playing Saxophone for 8 years now, and I know them like the back of my hand, I understand how they work, I've seen enough to know exactly how the keywork works, even if it's a vintage horn, and it's not the same!. If you know how EVERYTHING works on the flute, then yes!.

Personally, I'm very good mechanically!. When I was little I used to love taking things apart, which is probably why Im' so good with my hands now!. Example: I play sax, as I mentioned, but I started playing Oboe (very briefly lol), it was an old Oboe, so naturally, some of the mechanisms weren't all that great, I was able to take it apart and bring it back to working order, even though I wasn't very familar with Oboe (shh don't tell my band director! lol) So if you are good mechanically, yes!.

If not, maybe find a friend who IS good mechanically, and (if you don't), someone who knows the flutes keywork!.

I'd say go for it!. It's a fun, and generous idea, that will get more kids into playing instruments!. If you decide to go through with it, best of luck!. :)Www@QuestionHome@Com