fancy-schmancy repairs

SRanney · Post by **SRanney** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 6:22 pm

Jeez. I don't get it.

All I wanna know is how much it's gonna cost to convert my old, brass, 3-valve, top-action, BBb, recording-bell King to a silver plated, upright, 4+1-valve, front-action, CC? Can you get it done by Christmas?

Thanks!

Steven

TheHatTuba · Post by **TheHatTuba** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 6:25 pm

SRanney wrote:Jeez. I don't get it.

All I wanna know is how much it's gonna cost to convert my old, brass, 3-valve, top-action, BBb, recording-bell King to a silver plated, upright, 4+1-valve, front-action, CC? Can you get it done by Christmas?

Thanks!

Steven

That's a lot of work....

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 7:18 pm

Joe... in the time it took you to peck out that post with one finger, you could have made at least one piston key!

Tundratubast · Post by **Tundratubast** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 8:11 pm

Jeez Steve,

Their ya go, trying to poke Joe for a good counter, trolling, kind of response. Nicely done.

SRanney · Post by **SRanney** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 8:28 pm

Tundratubast wrote:Jeez Steve,

Their ya go, trying to poke Joe for a good counter, trolling, kind of response. Nicely done.

You know someone was going to go for it. I just beat everyone else to it!

Steven

toobagrowl · Post by **toobagrowl** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 10:21 pm

Seems to me that brass techs/repairmen are always -- and I mean ALWAYS -- busy or backed up with instrument repair work, regardless of skill.
I have had great as well as less-than-stellar work done on my tubas by brass techs at seemingly high costs. Last time I took one of my tubas in for repair, the brass tech charged over $183 for two hours worth of mediocre work (labor)...
It is starting to get on my nerves

. The best brass tech in my state lives a good two hours away, which is just too far.
That's why I try to do the more minor stuff myself on my tubas -- cleaning, bathing, buffing/polishing, cold weld, minor dent work on bells, etc -- often with good results.

Dean E · Post by **Dean E** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 1:53 am

"You can have it good. You can have it fast. You can have it cheap. Pick any two." Red Adair

The Big Ben · Post by **The Big Ben** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 7:42 am

Dean E wrote:"You can have it good. You can have it fast. You can have it cheap. Pick any two." Red Adair

+1

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 9:04 am

Dean E wrote:"You can have it good. You can have it fast. You can have it cheap. Pick any two." Red Adair

Is that correct? Seems like "you can pick only one" would be more appropriate.

tclements · Post by **tclements** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 12:29 pm

Bloke,

You da man!!

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 12:47 pm

Doc wrote:.... I almost went into brass repair when I got out of college. I didn't know there was much money in it. Maybe there isn't, but it is still appealing. No classes locally, no apprenticeships locally. Guess I'll have to do something else in my next career...?

Doc... it's a labor of love for most of us. There are a few guys around who command 'top-dollar' by doing high-end restorations. They probably do OK. As for the other 98%... I can tell you that I made LOTS more money as an automation consultant and engineer.

There is a repair job currently being advertised by the Brownsville, Texas school corporation. I think they are offering $37,000. I like to think I do a little better than that working for myself. But... I'm guessing that's about the going rate for someone working for a company that has benefits.

chronolith · Post by **chronolith** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 1:56 pm

Bloke (and others),

I am sure it would represent a further dent in your packed schedule at least in the short term, but is there any benefit to taking on apprentice repair persons? Is there sufficient "mundane" repair work to be done that can free you up for bigger projects while still offering a valuable foot in the door for the less experienced?

I used to run solo in my work but eventually I had to take on some help in order to continue playing tuba in the off hours and to remind my wife what I looked like. Now that I have I wish I had done it much sooner.

I can see a couple of wins in it, but I am not close enough to the repair world to understand the losses.

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 3:22 pm

Doc wrote:.... How does one find out about repair training schools, jobs, etc.? Word of mouth, trade rags, professional organizations, job boards...???

http://www.napbirt.org will give you a bit of a start.

Unfortunately... the repair schools are somewhat like most other trade schools. You'll get just enough information to be dangerous. I think first and foremost, to be a good brass technician, you need a good mechanical aptitude and some knowledge of metallurgy and machine work.

If your ambition is to only repair brass... the repair schools will waste much of your time. It seems that far too much time is spent learning how to deal with woodwinds.

toobagrowl · Post by **toobagrowl** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 4:36 pm

Doc wrote: If you're a working musician, and you NEED something quick and done right, be prepared to pay for it. Or be ok with a cheap temporary fix until you can leave it for longer. It ain't rocket science.

$183.50 Brass tech TOLD me this was for two hours of labor. Almost $250.00 altogether.....labor + parts + tax; the 'part' (slide) was around $60. Did a "C" grade job. Said he was caught up on everything. Had my horn for two full weeks. Not to mention the time & gas I used to drop off and pick up my tuba. To be fair though, he had to order a part for the tuba, which added a week. But still......he did two hours work on that horn for that cost and those results.

If he had done a really good job I wouldn't have minded...

Like I said.......brass techs or any instrument repairmen are ALWAYS backed up with work.

This is one of the reasons I have back-up tubas.

Glad I am leaning how to do repairs myself bit by bit...

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 6:13 pm

I think the proper word for what bloke is describing is, "Bespoke." I have had bespoke repairs, modifications, mouthpieces, even entire instruments (see my signature.) The three main points I can summarize for such to be successful are: 1) very defined and accurate knowledge, hopefully based on substantial experience in context, of what is desired, coupled with 2) absolute clarity in expressing that desire to the person/firm commissioned, whether in descriptive language, technical language, drawings or pictures, etc., (preferably a combination of all the above); and 3) patience, patience, patience....

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 7:09 pm

iiipopes wrote:I think the proper word for what bloke is describing is, "Bespoke." I have had bespoke repairs, modifications, mouthpieces, even entire instruments (see my signature.) The three main points I can summarize for such to be successful are: 1) very defined and accurate knowledge, hopefully based on substantial experience in context, of what is desired, coupled with 2) absolute clarity in expressing that desire to the person/firm commissioned, whether in descriptive language, technical language, drawings or pictures, etc., (preferably a combination of all the above); and 3) patience, patience, patience....

Is that spammer back?

The Big Ben · Post by **The Big Ben** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:10 pm

knuxie wrote:There is a repair school in Denver. The guy there had some cool insights into the factories over in China.

There is also one in Renton, Wa., a little south of Seattle:

http://www.rtc.edu/programs/trainingprograms/BIRT/" target="_blank

thezman · Post by **thezman** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:31 pm

Found this comparison chart:

http://www.probirt.com/nm/repair-school ... chools.asp" target="_blank

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 4:45 pm

TubaTinker wrote:
iiipopes wrote:I think the proper word for what bloke is describing is, "Bespoke." I have had bespoke repairs, modifications, mouthpieces, even entire instruments (see my signature.) The three main points I can summarize for such to be successful are: 1) very defined and accurate knowledge, hopefully based on substantial experience in context, of what is desired, coupled with 2) absolute clarity in expressing that desire to the person/firm commissioned, whether in descriptive language, technical language, drawings or pictures, etc., (preferably a combination of all the above); and 3) patience, patience, patience....
Is that spammer back?

Dan gets to say that. He made me a custom tuning slide for my 186 when using the shorter upright bell. The retrofit bell was so short I would not have been able to play my 186 without it. Thanks again, Dan!!!

bort · Post by **bort** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 4:52 pm

Joe, what about this triangle...

• I buy from a person, the horn needs a reasonable repair (nothin' huge)
• I have the seller ship it to you
• You repair, and ship it to me

I think the point is peoples definition of reasonable, but curious if repairmen hate this!

TubeNet

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