Carl's Professional Band Instrument Repair

Services

Rentals:

We have a great Rental Program for student line Band & Orchestra instruments. Here are some of the reasons you should consider renting with Carl's Pro Band:

  • Rent-to-own program (Rental Fees apply towards Ownership)
  • 3 Month trial period (Includes 2 months FREE)
  • NO INTEREST for entire length of contract
  • Reasonable prices & convenient payment options
  • Quality, brand name instruments in New or Like New Condition
  • Return or Exchange at NO COST any time
  • 30% Off "Early Buyout Option" at any time during contract
  • Fast, quality repairs done ON SITE (loaners available if needed)
  • Liability & Damage Waiver (LDW) protects your instrument & keeps it playing well


    CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

 

Woodwind Services:

  • Playing conditions
    Oil, Adjust, & Regulate. Straighten bent keys, check alignment, remove air leaks, replace individual pads/corks/felts as needed. "General tune up"
  • Complete Repad & Mechanical Overhaul:
    SAXOPHONE

    Disassemble instrument; remove all pads, key corks/felts, & neck cork; Ultrasonically clean instrument, keys, & neck in a safe biodegradable solution; straighten & swedge keys; check pad cups for flatness; fit pivot screws/posts; perfect toneholes; fit neck & receiver; straighten body (if necessary) and remove any minor dents; reassemble with new synthetic key corks/felts, premium pads, and your choice of resonators; play test and adjust for intonation & response.
    *We highly recommend Kangaroo leather pads, which can be installed for an additional charge*

    CLARINET
    Disassemble instrument; remove all pads, key corks/felts, & tenon corks; polish keywork; Ultrasonically clean keywork; clean and bore oil wood instruments; straighten & swedge keys; fit pivot screws/posts; install teflon inserts on specific keys; reassemble with new synthetic key corks/felts, tenon corks, & synthetic Valentino & Omni pads; play test and adjust for intonation & response.
    *Add cork pads to top joint for an additional charge*

    FLUTE & PICCOLO
    Disassemble instrument; remove all pads, key corks/felts, & crown cork; Ultrasonically clean instrument & keys; polish body, head, & keywork; straighten & swedge keys; fit pivot screws/posts; perfect toneholes; straighten body (if necessary) & remove any minor dents; reassemble with new synthetic key corks/felts, premium pads, & fit/seal new crown cork; play test and adjust for intonation & response.
    *Valentino synthetic pads are used on Piccolos*

  • Vintage woodwind reconditioning
  • Magnetic & traditional dent removal
  • Synthetic Neck Corks
  • Custom work
  • Saxophone modifications:

    • Custom Key Guards



    • Palm Key Risers
      Using a dental molding material, palm keys are enhanced to fit your specific hand placement.



    • High Note Compensator Mechanism
      This mechanism brings extremely sharp palm key and high C# notes back in tune.



    • Enlarge Bb-bis Key
      On some vintage saxophones the Bb-bis key is too far away from the B key, making it difficult to use. To correct this, we attach an extended pearl cup to the existing pearl cup to bring it closer. This gives the player more ease of use w/ the Bb-bis key.



    • Custom Front F (Rocker) Key
      We create a custom fitted front F rocker key for the vintage horns without them.



    • G# lever Articulation
      Allows the G# key to open when low C#, B, or Bb are played. (For some vintage horns)

    • Larger G# Key Lever Touch
      Creates a larger G# key touch area to increase playability and comfortability.

    • Wide Variety of Resonators
      Including Aluminum & Solid Brass Noyek 'Hollywood Boosters', Hollywood Maestro, Plastic Dome, Metal Dome, Goldplated Plastic Dome, Special Order Sterling Silver or Brass Flat.





Brasswind Services:

  • Ultrasonic Cleaning
    Carl's Pro Band is now equipped with a 90 gallon Ultrasonic Cleaner. Ultrasonic cleaning is an innovative method of cleaning musical instruments through the use of high frequency sound waves and a biodegradable, environmentally friendly cleaning solution. Transducers mounted in the tank create tiny bubbles which clean and scrub the entire instrument in a safer, more thorough manner than traditional mechanical or chemical cleaning methods. Carl's Pro Band is one of the few shops in Central IL to offer this superior service to their customers.


  • Ultrasonic Flush & Clean
    Includes the following:
    - Disassemble horn
    - Remove all corks, felts, water-key pads, rotor bumpers, etc...
    - Clean instrument in Ultrasonic cleaner, using ultra-safe biodegradable cleaner
    - We then use air powered nylon brushes to clean the interior of the instrument and slide tubes
    - Pistons, rotors, and slide tubes are polished
    - Measure valve/rotor port alignment and check with borescope
    - Reassemble horn with new corks, felts, synthetic water-key pads, orange silicone rotor bumpers, etc...
    ** Synthetic valve washers are used on Pro horns **



  • Synthetic Valve Alignment
    Valve ports are measured and the valves are fit with synthetic washers for the ultimate alignment, response, and quietness. We then check the alignment with a borescope to ensure precise alignment.



  • Silicone Rubber Rotor Bumpers
    We fit the bumper plate with orange silicone rubber bumpers, then check the alignment with a borescope, and precisely trim to the correct size. These are different than the translucent white silicone bumpers. They are a bit more firm but still create a quieter and more responsive rotor action than traditional cork or neoprene.



  • Slide & Valve Repair
    We can repair damaged or dented slide tubes and repair troublesome pistons/casings.

  • Magnetic & traditional dent removal
    We use the Magnetic Dent Removal System (MDRS) to remove dents from areas that our traditional tools will not reach without unsoldering joints. It is a great addition to our collection of tools, and especially effective on large brass and saxophone bows.



  • Dent Removal
    This Bach Strad trumpet was stepped on which dented & bent the bell. We removed the dents and straightened the bell.




  • Polishing Raw Brass
    We can hand polish (without buffing) raw brass or raw nickel instruments. Any instrument that is not lacquered will eventually become tarnished. This is an unlacquered french horn that sat for about 15 years. After Ultrasonic cleaning and hand polishing, it came right back to life.




  • Custom modifications

    • Civil War era instrument repair
      - Check out the Civil War era tuba we rebuilt!

      Before After

    • Mouthpipe Installation
      We install your leadpipe without stressing the braces. We also fit the main tuning slide to ensure there are no gaps between the leadpipe and the inside slide tube.
      *We recommend Blackburn Leadpipes & Tuning Slides.




    • Tuba Mouthpipe
      This pipe is a replacement for the old one which was full of red rot. We had to bend this straight pipe to match the multiple bends in the existing mouthpipe.




    • 3rd Slide Triggers
      We can add a 1st or 3rd slide trigger or saddle/ring to your trumpet or flugelhorn. We added this 3rd slide trigger to a Getzen flugelhorn to facilitate tuning.



    • Mounting Valve Sections to Bells
      We mounted this Greenhoe valve section to a new Conn 88HY bell. We also installed the outside slide tube & ferrule to the bell.





    • Screw Bell Conversion
      We converted this Holton Merker Matic French Horn to a screw bell.




    • Tuba Lever Conversion
      We converted this Alexander tuba from a pin style lever linkage to a ball joint set up. We fabricated new lever arms and retrofitted the stop arms/levers to accept the new miniball sockets. This tends to reduce rotor noise and is more adjustable than the pin style lever linkage.







    • Thinning out finger buttons
      Pearl on finger button is removed and the remaining metal is thinned down to a flat, smooth surface.



    • French Horn Hand Rest
      We fit and mount these Alexander hand rests to your specifications. These hand rests relieve some of the stress on the hand due to holding the French horn.



    • Custom Trombone Rotor Trigger
      We fabricated this custom #2 rotor trigger for an old Yamaha Bass Trombone.





Contact us for prices

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