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1. Silver Polish Cloths
As mentioned above, any chemically treated cloth will be incredibly harmful to the pads and mechanism. It might remove tarnish and make the silver shiny, but it's not worth the damage to the other parts. If you want shiny silver, just make sure to polish it every day with a plain soft cloth, and that will prevent tarnish in the first place.
2. Pipe Cleaners
You will often find maintenance kits that come with pipe cleaners for cleaning between the keys and inside the mechanism. These are unnecessary, and can bend springs and rods. Avoid these to keep your mechanism functioning properly.
3. "Pad Savers"
These are swabs that are designed to be left inside the flute while in the case. They are called "pad savers," but they're actually quite the opposite. They trap moisture inside the flute and hold it next to the pads. Exactly what we're trying to avoid!
4. Pretty much anything else
There are lots of gimmicks out there, and lots of things being sold that you really don't need. Think of it this way - the flute is one of the cheapest instruments to maintain. You hardly need any supplies, and it hardly takes any time. That's a huge advantage! Enjoy it!
Professional Maintenance Does my flute need a tune up?
COA
Generally speaking, most flutes should go for a COA (Clean, Oil, Adjust) about once every year or two, depending on how much they are played. This is basically like a tune-up for a flute. The repair person will check the pads (and replace any if necessary), re-oil the mechanism, clean the body, check for spring tension, and do any other required general maintenance. This is usually sufficient for a flute that's been well-cared for.
Overhaul
Most flutes don't need to be overhauled more than once every 10 years or so, even if they're played for several hours a day. This is a major repair that involves everything described in the COA plus replacing all the pads and fixing the mechanism and/or body as necessary.
Piccolo Maintenance What's different from the flute?
Wooden piccolos require the same maintenance as the flute - it must be swabbed out after each use. Besides that, there are only a few things to note that are unique to piccolo maintenance:
1. "Playing in"
New wooden piccolos must be "played in." That means that they must be played every day for about 15 minutes or so to allow the wood to properly expand without cracking. After the "playing in" period, it's important to play the piccolo regularly to keep it in shape. If it gets too dry, it could crack.
2. Warming up
Piccolos must also be warmed up properly. This is especially true for piccolos which are not played as often as they should be. Blow warm air through your piccolo or warm it up under your arm before playing. It's important for the body of the piccolo to warm up slowly - otherwise, the inside will expand before the outside and it will crack.
3. Oiling
Wood piccolos also require oiling. we do not recommend doing this yourself for many reasons, the most important of which is that you will have much difficulty avoiding the pads and mechanism with the oil. Save this for your yearly COA. |