Playing Condition
Instrument is assessed and adjustments made as needed to correct any damage or simple wear and tear. Pads, corks and other materials are replaced as needed.
Woodwind Repair Services
Updated May 4, 2024
Woodwinds are very delicate instruments with a multitude of movable parts. Each individual tone hole and pad must be able to seal properly for the instrument to play properly.
We offer a variety of services to insure your instrument will play the way it was designed to from making simple adjustments to complete overhaul and rebuilds of the instrument. When you get your instrument back from Harris Band Instrument it will be right!
Below are price estimates for our services. Please keep in mind these are estimates only and to be used as a rough guide. They may not reflect your exact situation.
Clean, Oil & Adjust (COA)
The Clean, Oil & Adjust is a common services that should be completed on any woodwind instrument every 12 to 18 months depending on how much the instrument is being used.
- Instruments are inspected for damage and missing or defective parts.**
- Instruments are completely disassembled.
- Dents, Bent keys, cracks and other potential body damage are assessed and repaired as needed.
- Bodies are chemically cleaned with natural and environmentally safe products.
- Keys are cleaned and sanitized as needed.
- Pads are examined and replaced as needed.
- Corks, felts and other silencing materials are examined and replaced as needed
- Missing or defective parts will be replaced with manufactures original parts when possible.**
- Instrument is reassembled; moving parts are oiled and regulated to playing condition.
Complete Overhaul / Repad
A complete overhaul / repad for a woodwind instrument should be completed every 5-10 years for the smaller woodwinds such as the flute and clarinet. Larger instruments which use leather pads such as saxophones, basoons and some larger members of the clarinet family should receive this service every 8 to 15 years depending on how much the instrument is used.
- The Instrument is inspected for damage and missing or defective parts.**
- Instrument is completely disassembled.
- Bent keys, cracks and other potential body damage are assessed and repaired as needed.
- Bodies are chemically cleaned with natural and environmentally safe products.
- All pads, corks, felts and other silencing materials are removed.
- Keys are cleaned with natural and environmentally safe products.
- All pads are replaced with appropriate pads for the particular make and model of the instrument.
- Corks, felts and other silencing materials are replaced
- Missing or defective parts will be replaced with manufactures original parts when possible.**
- Hand polishing is performed as needed.
- Wood bodied instruments are treated as needed.
- Instrument is reassembled; moving parts are oiled and regulated to a like new condition.
Flute & Piccolo
| Service | Closed Hole | Open Hole | B-Foot | Plastic & Metal Piccolo | Wood Piccolo |
||
|
Playing Condition Level 1 (PC) |
$80 | $115 | +$15-$30 | $80 | $80 | ||
| PC level 2 up to 4 pads replaced |
$125 | $150 | +$15-$30 | $125 | $125 | ||
| PC Level 3 Up to 8 pads replaced |
$165 | $185 | +$15-$30 | $170 | $170 | ||
|
Clean, Oil and Adjust |
+$100 | +$130 | +$30 | $+75 | $+100 | ||
| Complete Repad All pads, corks, and felts replaced and instrument is thoroughly cleaned |
$400 | $480 | +$30 | $350 | $380 | ||
| Key polishing | + $60 (With complete repad only) | ||||||
| Dent and body repair | $60 / hour with one hour minimum | ||||||
| Replace head cork only | $30 | ||||||
Clarinets
|
|
Plastic Clarinet |
Wood Clarinet |
Alto and Bass Clarinet |
Contra Clarinets |
|
$60 | $60 | $90 | $150 |
Clean, Oil and Adjust (COA)Up to 4 pads replaced |
$100 | $100 | $160 | $200 |
|
$140 | $140 | $240 | $280 |
OverhaulAll Pads, tenon corks, and regulation corks replaced. |
$400 | $500 | $650 | $700 - $1100 |
Individual tenon corks |
$25 | $25 | $25 | $25 |
Polishing Nickel/Silver keysOnly with overhaul. |
+$65 | +$65 | +$75 | +$100 |
Saxophones
|
|
Alto |
Tenor |
Baritone |
Soprano |
Playing Condition 1
Up to 2 pads replaced |
$125 | $140 | $180 | $100 |
Playing Condition 2
Up to 5 pads replaced |
$200 | $220 | $250 | $175 |
Playing Condition 3
Up to 10 pads replaced |
$315 | $400 | $450 | $225 |
Clean, Oil & Adjust |
+$125 | +$125 | +$200 | +$125 |
Overhaul / Repad*** |
$750-$1250 | $900 - $1350 | $1000- $1500 | $750 - $1150 |
Silver/Nickel key polishing (with Overhaul only) |
+$100-$225 | |||
Lacquer removal (Soda Blasting) **** |
+$250-$400 | |||
Professional and Vintage Saxophones ***** |
+$200-$800 | |||
Double Reeds
|
|
Oboe |
English Horn |
Bassoon |
Clean, Oil & Adjust |
$100 - $300 | $150 - $400 | $150 - $550 |
Overhaul / Repad*** |
$600 - $850 | $7000 - $1000 | $900 - $1500 |
General Repairs
Shop Minimum
The minimum shop charge for any instrument is $20
Playing Condition (PC)
This includes any minor repairs that can usually be completed in a short period of time due to minor accidents or from normal "wear and tear". The estimate will be determined based on the needs of the repair.
Tenon and Neck Cork Replacement
Woodwind body tenon cork and saxophone neck cork replacement can usually be completed in 30 to 45 minutes as the glue needs time to dry.
5 minute repairs
It's always been our policy that we will not charge the customer for any repair service that can be completed in 5 minutes or less and no replacement parts are needed.
| Shop Minimum (All Instruments) | $20 |
| Playing Condition | Varies on need of instrument but always lower than a COA |
| Clarinet and Oboe tenon cork | $20 first joint, $10 each additional |
| Alto, Tenor and Soprano saxophone neck cork | $25 |
| Baritone and Bass saxophone neck cork | $35 |
| Bassoon Tenon Cork | $30 first joint, $15 each additional. |
*All prices on this list are considered to be an accurate range of estimates. The final price of any repair will be reflected on the final invoice.
**Missing or defective parts that are not commonly replaced or kept in stock may have to be ordered directly from the manufacture. The cost of any special part will be displayed as a separate line item on the invoice and is not included in the estimates listed above.
***Cost of an overhaul is considered an estimate only. The final cost will be based on the condition of the instrument upon arrival, make and model including age of the instrument. The choice of the type of pad and resonators may affect the final price. Re-lacquering and refinishing is not included in the cost of an overhaul/ repad.
**** Soda blasting is a process that removes lacquer from an instrument using baking soda. It's similar to sandblasting but uses baking soda as a medium instead of sand. It does not harm or remove any brass only the lacquer. It leaves a light matt finish to the brass that can be polished to a bright shine with a little bit of hand polishing. As it does leave the horn bare brass the brass will naturally tarnish. We do not offer re-lacquering as part of our services, but we do work with several companies that have this ability.
***** A professional or vintage saxophone are models that are designed for top level players who play professionally. Vintage models are considered vintage, when they are out of production, replacement parts are not available and but still demand a premium price. Overhauls such as these require extra time as parts may not be available and have to be sourced from various means. Often previous repairs will need to be cleaned and corrected including solder joints, misalignment of keys, dent removal, etc. Any additional work needed will be addressed as part of the final estimate.
FAQ concerning band instrument repairs and COVID-19
As of 4/30/2021 all staff members at Harris Band Instruments have received the COVID-19 vaccine.Harris Band Instruments is taking all provisions to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 including following procedures recommended by the CDC and the National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair technicians (NAPBIRT)
Can anything be sterilized?
Anything that has been “Sterilized” means it is 100% free of any type of pathogen. Sterilization is a very specific medical procedure and is not under ANY situation a service we can offer. Even if an item is sterilized in a medical setting the moment it is exposed to the air, it's no longer sterile. Thus sterilized items are always placed in very special packaging. Using the word "sterilize" is inaccurate, it's also unethical and intentionally misleading. Therefore Harris Band Instruments does not refer to any instrument or any procedure we perform as being sterile.What are Ultrasonic cleaners and are they effective against pathogens such as COVID-19?
Ultrasonic cleaners are machines that submerge an instrument in a vat of mostly water with a few mild chemicals and blast the instruments with extremely high frequency sound waves in order to remove any “crud” that may accumulate on the inside of the instrument. Their benefit is they clean instruments very quickly and is the reason why many band instrument repair shops have invested in ultrasonic machines. However the solution used does absolutely nothing to destroy pathogens such as COVID-19 as it is mostly water. In order to destroy the virus a strong concentration of soap and water is needed. Just as washing your hands with soap and water is recommended to protect yourself from the virus, we use soap and water to clean and protect your instruments.I've heard of pad mites, what are they?
Pad mites are a small insect that is known to enter instrument cases and destroy the felt that makes up the pads. Technically they are a species of carpet beetles which are extremely common in the southeastern United States. These insects serve a function as they will eat fibrous plant material and help speed up the natural decay process.However when it comes to woodwind instruments the last thing we want is for these critters to get into our cases. The eggs can lay dormant for years, but when the conditions are just right (humidity & temperature combined with darkness) they will eventually hatch. The larvae will begin consuming the felt that makes up the pad and any other materials such as silencing felts and the material that makes up the lining of the case. Once the larvae have eaten enough they molt into adults leaving a shell that was the outer layer of their body. These are what we usually find in the cases. Finding a live beetle in its larvae form is nearly impossible. In my 30 years of band instrument repair, I’ve only found 2 and I see instrument cases every day. Finding an adult is even harder as they move fast and can fly. Just not very well.
If you are finding specs of white dust in your case near the pads, the pads look like they have chunks taken out of them, or your bumper felts have holes going through them you have carpet beetles in your case. Our first recommendation is to completely overhaul the instrument and replace the case. However there are times that is not 100% necessary. If it's possible for the instrument to be cleaned and just the damaged pads or felts replaced we will let you know. Regardless we highly recommend you replace the case.