A large band (80+ members) in our city is doing their annual instrument check to ensure they're all in reasonably good working order, and I have been asked to evaluate the woodwinds (their usual expert being absent), whether they have to go to the shop or can return home.
I am reasonably good at finding out what's wrong with an instrument that doesn't behave, but here I am confronted with the problem of determining whether there's a problem at all, and that I have to thusly evaluate some 30 or 40 horns on a single Saturday.
I plan to look at
- user's subjective impressions
- service history (when last checked/fixed?)
- overall appearance (signs of neglect or poor maintenance by user, joint corks etc)
- keywork condition (bent or rattly keys, excessive play)
- pad condition
- basic tightness test, via leak light and pressure
- (if time permits) play test by me or user
I haven't received a schedule yet, but am inclined to believe that I have about five to ten minutes for a verdict. All instruments have been in constant use, so we're not talking "shelfware" here.
What's your method when having to perform such tests? How much time do you spend on it?
I am reasonably good at finding out what's wrong with an instrument that doesn't behave, but here I am confronted with the problem of determining whether there's a problem at all, and that I have to thusly evaluate some 30 or 40 horns on a single Saturday.
I plan to look at
- user's subjective impressions
- service history (when last checked/fixed?)
- overall appearance (signs of neglect or poor maintenance by user, joint corks etc)
- keywork condition (bent or rattly keys, excessive play)
- pad condition
- basic tightness test, via leak light and pressure
- (if time permits) play test by me or user
I haven't received a schedule yet, but am inclined to believe that I have about five to ten minutes for a verdict. All instruments have been in constant use, so we're not talking "shelfware" here.
What's your method when having to perform such tests? How much time do you spend on it?