Dr Mal's Woodwind and Brass Repair

01/09/2021

Hello, I'm currently not able to take on any more woodwind or brass repairs for the near future but, I am able to direct you towards other repairers in the local area. You could also try the find a repairer function on the NAMIR website

https://www.namir.org.uk/Professional%20Repairers/Professional%20Repairers%20Page.html

I will let you all know when I'm back in the workshop and able to take on more repairs.

Mal

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10/11/2019

Finally completed this bass clarinet which I've been struggling with for a couple of weeks. The right hand stack was completely stuck having been very corroded and the rod being worn badly. It's now cleaned up, posts realigned, all put back together and ready to go. Thanks to John at Bluenote Sax-music for helping me unstick this mechanism so it can be played this week in rehearsals.

10/11/2019

Productive day in the workshop. This Euphonium is ready to go having had a full service of valves and slides, dents and creases removed from bell, new water key corks, and bottom caps unstuck and thoroughly cleaned. Back to playing order ready to be gigged this coming weekend.

01/11/2019

Working on a sticky bass clarinet octave pad. Cleaning pad and tone hole and improving action.

31/10/2019

About to send back this corner which needed a little tlc with a valve service and some slide cleaning and lubricating.

06/10/2019

Today's job: Diagnosing a non-replicable intermittent fault with a flute Bb key.

20/05/2019

Not a lot of glue in the Buffet factory when this was corked. A quick fix before it is needed for rehearsal this evening.

04/04/2019

Bari sax neck much straighter but with a bit of a ripple near the new cork.

25/02/2019

I've been a bit quiet recently as I've been very busy with my other job but over the last few weeks I've been working on servicing a couple of saxes, and recorking a clarinet (photos all disappeared somewhere in the ether...) I'm also working on improving this poor bari sax neck which took a little tumble at the end of a gig landing on the neck and squashing it a little. The rest of the sax seems relatively unscathed which is very lucky.

07/04/2018

This conn bari is getting a full repad. I want to use shellac to match the vintage feel, but it's really brittle if it gets too cold. These came out too easy. If your pads are loose and you find this sort of glue on the back, ask your repairer what sort of glue they would recommend.

04/04/2018

On the bench this week, an overhaul of a very sad and beaten up old Conn Bari sax.

28/01/2018

Action fixed on the alto sax. Its very fast and responsive now. Apologies for poor filming skills, turns out its quite hard to coordinate when looking through the camera.

25/01/2018

Some of the pads need a little attention/replacing too.

25/01/2018

I'm working on this sax at the moment. The key work is very sticky and slow. A combination of two things. Mechanical fit and the wrong oil. I suspect the hinge rods were too tight and someone tried to oil it to loosen it up, using thicker oil than should have been used... Or tar. A lot of cleaning and filing but we're getting there.

22/12/2017

Sorry I've been a bit quiet, we're moving house and therefore moving workshops. In the mean time, if you're in Sheffield and looking for a top quality Christmas gig, check out the Langsett Dance Orchestra tomorrow in Crookes social club!

Dec 23, 2017 - Sheffield, United Kingdom

05/09/2017

Yesterday I delivered some fully serviced/overhauled instruments to a school including a yamaha bari sax which was full of factory defects (I see this a lot, especially with yamaha). Now onto this old B&H alto which is in for a full overhaul.

10/08/2017

Next job, removing these rusty and damaged pads from an old school tenor sax. How did they rust you ask? Good question... remember when your teacher told you to clean your instrument before putting it away? This is what happens if you consistently do nothing.

10/08/2017

Finally got some pics of the cornet I've been working on. It came to me with a bent bell section and some stuck slides. I've straightened the bell and removed the dents that went with it and buffed out a few scratches. It's not perfect but it plays well. The slides were really stuck so after some gentle persuasion followed by some less gentle persuasion they are now working much better. Valves have been serviced too.