Welcome to my online resource for advice, care, repair and maintenance for woodwind instruments.
Whether you're interested in buying an instrument, maintaining your flute or clarinet, hints on saxophone repairs or just plain curious about woodwind - you'll find something to interest you here, presented in a clear and relaxed manner.
If you require further information or wish to comment on anything on the site ( or just fancy sharing your experiences ) there's a contact link on the left.

Autumn 2010

Considering it's only August (as I write) it seems a bit too soon to call it Autumn, but a quick peek out of the window shows all the classic signs of the season (though the early browning of the conker trees is due to a moth, apparently).
Farmers have had a tough time, and in some places there are ruined crops still standing in the fields - and in the last few days we've had more rain than we usually have in a single month.

And it's that time of year when parents, fresh back from their relaxing holidays in foreign climes, realise that little John and Jane's clarinet and flute need a service before the new school term starts. Any benefits from the holiday soon disappear as they realise that all the smart parents have booked their services weeks ago, and now it's a case of hoping for a cancellation slot or appealing to my better nature (note: I can be bribed with quality pies and bottled beers).

This year there's a new task for me to undertake - the first reprint of the Haynes Saxophone Manual is out.
This means checking though it to see if all the small typos have been corrected and the updated photos have been correctly placed. It's a nerve-wracking job. There were a few small errors in the first print, but none that affected the content in any significant way - and I'm dreading finding any new ones!
I can already say that the paper has been changed, and for the better - it's a slightly glossier finish! Very posh.

I'm hoping you'll notice an increase in the quality of the site photography at some point, having recently splashed out on a new super-duper Nikon camera. I had other reasons for this outburst of gadget-lust, which will become clear later, but you can see the results in the latest reviews (at least I hope you can).
I consider myself to be very much an amateur photographer, but the difference in image quality between the new camera and my old one is like that of the difference between an intermediate sax and a professional one. Even if there's not much difference in the final result, the thing itself is a joy to use.

The manual is now well and truly established worldwide, and is available even in places I've never heard of. It's been doing extremely well in Germany, after a player posted a detailed and very complimentary review on a German saxophone forum (cheers!) and I don't think it'll be long before translated copies will be an option.
I've noted too that one enterprising individual is selling the manual on ebay, along with a leak light. Smart thinking, that man!
Sales of signed copies are still going extremely well - and if you want your own personalised copy, check out the Haynes Saxophone Manual section for further details.

I have managed a few updates to the site - a review of a Hanson T6 clarinet, a Buescher curved soprano and a test of the remarkable Cebulla saxophone strap. Check it out, it's really quite amazing.
To balance that there's a terrifying new exhibit in the Black Museum!

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So, what's on the site?
There's the Handy Hints section, which contains pages of advice and hints to enable you to care for and perform minor repairs on your instruments. It's worth checking back from time to time as this is likely to be an ever-growing section. For those looking to have an instrument repaired, there's a basic guide to the various levels of servicing.
Latest update: Making custom key risers.

The Reviews section is the place to find the bottom line on that horn you've had your eye on.
As and when instruments come through the workshop ( or rather, when I have the time! ) I'll post my comments about them here. The emphasis is more on the mechanical side, given that playability is very much a subjective matter - though if I find issues that may affect this significantly I'll comment on them. There's also a section here which offers some advice to those of you about to buy an instrument, new or secondhand - perhaps for the first time, plus some notes on the vintage/modern saxophone debate, and some hints for choosing a pro sax.
Latest update: The Hanson T6 clarinet. Never heard of them? You will soon. The gorgeous Buescher True Tone curved soprano. A sax strap worthy of a review? Yes, it's the Cebulla! The Ultra-Cheap Altone alto packs a hefty value-for-money punch. Choosing a basic beginner's mouthpiece.

The Misc. section is where you'll find all the articles that don't quite fit anywhere else, including the infamous Black Museum. In this update I bring you a horror from the East.

Brass body - bright or mellow? Silver plate - resonant or warm? Myths and Materials smells a rat.

In Testing...Testing I'll be examining in more detail some of the commonly held ideas appertaining to woodwind instruments. For example...people 'say' you should use a Pad-Saver...but why? And are they right?
Latest update: Kangaroo skin pads and Noyek Reflectors...Hype or Hooray!? And at last, the above-mentioned pad saver test!

In the Glossary you'll find explanations for a great many of the curious words and terms used throughout the site. If you're very new to musical instruments it might help to open this section in a separate browser window so that you can refer to it as you read other sections of the site.
Latest update: Pad clamps.

Notes...from a small workshop is a place where you can get the low-down on workshop life, a chance to pull up a seat and share a cuppa whilst the great issues of, well, anything I fancy really, are mulled over. I won't often publish detailed update notices here...so just drop by and peek in from time to time.
Latest update: Four scintillating articles for this update including the third instalment of the Jazz Etiquette series, and the inside story of the Haynes Saxophone Manual.

All material on this site copyright Stephen Howard Woodwind, unless otherwise stated. 27/08/2010

Haynes logo copyright Haynes Publishing Group

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