Brian Clauser wind instrument repair

10/19/2026

I had a pretty nasty French horn to work on this week. Not perfect, but much better

09/30/2026

Whole new problem. I worked on this new Mendini trumpet. You could not blow through it, as if valves were mixed up or not oriented properly. It turns out valve number 2 was built in reverse. The slots in the top of the valve for the valve guide were attached to the bottom, 180 degrees out. I had to file the wide leg of the guide to fit into the narrow slot.
Basically, if you are buying a brand new instrument for a little over $100.00, you are investing in problems.

05/03/2026

This flute was purchased used at an auction. It looked good and had all new pads. Apparently the previous owner did a DIY on it, but none of the pads were seated. I just spent two hours making it usable. Careful on what at times, looks like a simple job.

02/19/2026

Excellent supper tonight. Beef stew with dumplings.
The recipe is no longer on the Bisquick box. You need to Google it.

01/25/2026

Snowed-in is nice some times. I’ll stay busy

11/03/2025

10/30/2025

If you play a trumpet, it makes sense to clean it occasionally. Need help? YouTube is amazing. Don’t mix up the valves.

07/05/2025

One more time I ran into this problem. If you are considering purchasing a student model, used Yamaha trumpet… Pull the valves and make sure there are no blisters in the chrome.
See those tiny, shiny spots, those the blisters in the chrome. They drag on the cylinder walls and jam up the valves. Yes, you can file or stone them out.
FYI,
Brian

07/02/2025

Business has been slow since school left out. I picked these up yesterday. This will keep me busy for a while!

05/08/2025

Working on a trombone, I found the water key was wobbly. Soldered the tube back into the lever.