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The Valentino Flute FixKit
By Liz Pritchett
Have you ever wondered what flute repair is all about? Maybe it's something that you've thought about as a possible career. Or perhaps you are simply curious what the repair technician does with your flute when you leave it with him. Or maybe you just want to know a bit more about this instrument that you play. If so, then the Valentino Flute FixKit is for you!
As a flutist, reading the included book and spending some time with this kit gave me a much greater appreciation and understanding of what the repair technicians do when servicing my flute, and why it is so important. It is also a helpful tool in understanding what can go wrong and why it happens. The kit provides the tools and information for padding, corking, and adjusting flutes. It does not delve into the more custom areas of flute work such as re-cutting headjoints, moving tone holes, and so forth.
The book "Servicing the Flute" by Jeff Smith is included with the kit and serves as a guide. You can buy this book separately for $16. It's a 40 page book that took me maybe an hour to read. I had a Valentino FixKit to look through as I was reading the book, which was very helpful. The book is easy to understand even if you have no technical background. However, if you buy the book without the kit, some of it sounds a bit overwhelming. With all of the tools and whatnot in front of you, it all makes a lot more sense.
Now keep in mind, when you buy your new flute from J.L. Smith & Co. and ask us to send a Valentino Flute FixKit to you as well, we're going to be a little hesitant. Although I am a big fan of this kit and think it is useful for all flutists, I strongly recommend that you leave your primary instrument to the professionals until your skills are fine tuned! So experiment on your back up flute, or an Ebay or pawn shop flute, but leave the maintenance of your "good" flute up to the professionals!
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