JUST IN - Musical Abstracts by local artist Howard Markowitz are now available in our store! These exciting pieces add a contemporary look to the musical instruments he paints. We have guitar, drumsets, saxophone, piano, and a collage of instruments. They are available for $40. A great addition to any room in the house. Kids love the flare and whimsical look they express. Band Directors will display the photos as an inspiration for students. Check the website for what's available. Coming this Fall we have original paintings available.
I get quite a few trumpets that often arrive with stuck or frozen tuning slides and valves. This especially occurs at the beginning of the school year. So what happened? Unfortunately the instrument sat around all summer without being played. Ooops! Forgot to practice I bet! So the valves weren't used and the oil evaporated and that eventually will gum up the valves anyways. But seriously the oil is what keeps them moving. Even if you're not playing during the summer, get it out once a week and oil the valves. As far as the tuning slides - if they're frozen then it's been a mighty long time since any tuning slide grease was used on them. For some it might be a surprise to find out that their are other moving parts. It's probably been a good year if those slides aren't moving. In any case for both the valves and the slides, take it to a repair technician to have them properly removed and put back into playing condition. I've seen the handy work of the Dad who thinks that a screwdriver is the tool of choice for pushing out that stuck valve. And THEN, OH NO - a hole is put right up through the bottom of the valve and through the port of the valve. NOW IT TURNED INTO AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR! Add an extra $50-$100! Save yourself the grief, always keep it greased and oiled and you won't run into the problem of valve and slides that are frozen or stuck.