Instrument Repairs
for Woodwinds, Brass and Percussion
Instrument Repairs
for Woodwinds, Brass and Percussion
In 1974 I graduated from Colby College with double majors in Music and English. Until 1975 I remained in Waterville, Maine, playing music and working for the Colby College food service. From 1975 to 1976 I enrolled in the Band Instrument Repair course at Western Iowa Technical Community College in Sioux City, Iowa, graduating with honors in August of 1976. While at W.I.T.C.C. I learned repair in a hands-on environment under the tutelage of two excellent repairmen, Karl Schultz and Burt Bonebrake. Beginning in June of 1976 I did my on-the-job training at Hampshire Music, in Nashua, NH, where I remained working as the sole Instrument Repair Technician until September of 1985.
In September of 1985 I left work at the music store and established my own teaching studio and repair shop, and I have been self-employed ever since. Currently I am the principal repair technician for the public schools in Nashua as well as several other towns, and I am the repair technician for two different music shops in the area and receive referrals from many other school districts, music teachers and music shops.
So all the advice I offer on this web-site, as well as the repair services I offer for your instruments, are based on over 30 years of experience in the repair field. Along with that comes over 30 years experience I have as a private music teacher, which gives me a unique perspective on questions of instrument repairs and student needs as well as on recommendations for instrument brands to purchase or rent and those to stay away from.
Please feel free to ask any questions (via e-mail or by phone at 603-883-2448) which you might have concerning instrument repairs or instrument recommendations, and I will be glad to offer you the result of my experience.
Before and after pictures can help give a pretty good idea of some of the more dramatic repairs which are possible. Most repairs are not as dramatic as those represented in the pictures. The vast majority of repairs consist of putting instruments into better playing condition than they are in when brought in to be repaired. Doing repairs such as replacing pads or corks or springs on woodwinds, removing dents or unsticking slides or valves or replacing corks and felts on brass instrument. These are not the dramatic sorts of repairs that lend themselves to pictures, but are the sort of repairs that keep musicians playing.
Follow these links for:
Explanations of repair terminology
Explanations of instrument care and maintenance
Answers to frequently asked questions about instrument repair
This is not a comprehensive repair manual but it does outline basic repair procedures that many band directors and instrument teachers can do with a bit of practice and the purchase of some supplies. This handbook also lists common problems on the instruments along with their causes and their solutions. If you download this and decide to try out any of these repairs please be certain to practice on school-owned instruments which nobody is depending on at the moment. But even if you don't try any of these repairs this handbook can at least help you trouble-shoot your students' instrumental problems and better advise them concerning repairs so they don't get ripped off by unscrupulous repair whose initial reply to many instrumental repairs is "that needs a repad" or "that needs a full overhaul" when in reality it only needs some adjustment and perhaps a pad or two.
I am an authorized repair center for David French Music rental instruments. Currently repairs by David Bailey are available through:
To make an appointment and get directions, please contact me via e-mailor call 603-883-2448.
University Music, 1717 Middlesex Street, Lowell, Massachusetts.
For directions call 1-978-453-6488.
Call them for the current hours.
Indie Music, 307 Elm Street, Milford, NH 03055
Call them at: 603-673-2733
[To Top of This Page] [Back to The David Bailey Studio home page]