Guides & Tips

Mechanical nature of tone production

Setup & Maintenance · How It Works Venting, Leaks, and Key Materials A woodwind instrument is essentially a tube. Understanding how air moves through it—and what can go wrong—helps explain why a well-set-up instrument feels so different from one that isn't. How a Woodwind Makes Sound Saxophones, clarinets, and flutes make sound through air vibrating inside the body of the instrument. The pitch changes based on how far that air travels before it exits. Air exits through tone holes—openings in the body covered by pads on the keys. When you...

Woodwind intonation guide

Setup & Maintenance · Intonation What Affects Intonation on a Woodwind? Intonation isn't just about you—it's built into the instrument. Here's what we look at when we set up a woodwind to play in tune, and what you can adjust yourself. The Main Factors Intonation on a woodwind comes from several things working together: the shape of the bore, the size and placement of the tone holes, and how high the keys sit above those holes. On saxophone, resonators play a role too. On wooden instruments like clarinet or oboe,...

Pad system replacement

Repair & Maintenance · Pads When Do Pads Need to Be Replaced? Pads are what seal airtight against the tone holes on your instrument. When they fail, your instrument loses notes, response, and tone. Here's how we decide when a pad needs to go—and why we rarely replace just one. What Are Pads? Pads sit inside the keys of your instrument and press against the tone holes to seal them shut. When a key closes, the pad creates an airtight seal. That seal is what lets each note speak clearly...

How often should a flute get a COA

Repair & Maintenance · Flute What Is a Flute COA? A COA is a routine tune-up for your flute. It keeps your instrument playing well and helps you avoid costly repairs down the road. Clean, Oil, Adjust COA stands for Clean, Oil, and Adjust. Each part matters: C Clean The flute is fully taken apart and cleaned inside and out O Oil Old oil is removed from the mechanism and replaced with fresh oil A Adjust Pads, felts, and corks are checked and adjusted so everything plays right What's Included...

What is my Tip Opening

Mouthpieces & Reeds · Reference Mouthpiece Tip Openings Explained The tip opening is the gap between the reed and the tip of the mouthpiece. It controls how the reed vibrates and how the mouthpiece feels to play. Here's how the numbers work—and what's most common for each instrument. What Is the Tip Opening? When you look at a mouthpiece from the side, there's a small gap between the reed and the tip rail. That distance is the tip opening. It's measured in inches or millimeters, and given a number by...

Flute Padding 2026

Repair & Overhaul · Flute What Goes Into a Flute Overhaul? A good overhaul makes your flute play well—and keep playing well. Better pad seal means better response, better articulation, and an easier instrument to play. Step 1: Mechanical Work The mechanical condition of your flute is what separates a good instrument from a great one. If this is done well once, your flute won't need major attention again for a very long time. It also sets the foundation for everything else—pads, tuning, response. Any flute with Lotus, Straubinger, Pisioni...

Flute Padding (Long)

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What Reed Strength should I use

Mouthpieces & Reeds · Setup Guide How to Choose the Right Reed Strength Wrong reed strength is one of the most common setup problems we see. The good news: it's...

What Tip opening should Use with my mouthpiece?

Mouthpieces & Reeds · Setup Guide Do I Need a Bigger Tip Opening? Your mouthpiece and reed work as a team. Understanding how they work together is the fastest way...

Can a Ligature Change your Sound?

The ligature is often overlooked — but it's one of the fist points of contact between you and your instrument. The difference in feel can be immediate. What a Ligature...

Modern Meyer Alto mouthpiece alternatives

Meyer mouthpieces are iconic, and are still recognized as the go-to Alto mouthpiece. Explore some modern options inspired by the Meyer Bros new York mouthpiece.

A saxophone mouthpiece for marching band

We dive into what to consider when choosing a mouthpiece and 2 great offerings for saxophoneists in a marching band.

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