Repair

Common Concert Snare Drum Maintenance

There are some common maintenance issues that will arise over time with relation to your concert snare drum. While most of these are fairly simple we have tried to highlight issues that can be taken care of by you with little knowledge of percussion repair. Cleaning: Wipe down each drum with a soft cloth, including the hardware and the shell. If there is extreme dirt or grime, you can use denatured alcohol diluted in water. If you have anything that is extremely sticky use a small amount of valve oil. In both cases, put the product on the cloth instead of spraying directly on the drum. Parts Inspection: Do a visual inspection for any missing or broken parts that may need replaced. Some common parts missing or broken include the following: Bent Tension Rods Damaged Tension Posts or Tubes Bent Strainer from overtightening snare strands Bent or out of Round Rims Inspect the bearing edges when heads are off for any damage Head Replacement: Changing the heads on a concert snare drum that is used regularly should happen about once a year. Over time the head will get stretched so far that it will not hold tuning for long even

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Mar 9, 2021 No Comments

Vibraphone Maintenance and Common Issues

The vibraphone is one of the most complex instruments in the percussion family due to its many moving parts to make it all work. Unfortunately, the pedal and damper mechanisms are not universal from brand to brand so you will need to give these instruments a more thorough inspection. A majority of the time issues on vibraphones are from the pedal or the damper. Beyond the basic keyboard cleaning tips mentioned you can check for the following issues: Bar Cleaning: Since the vibes have metal bars cleaning them with a dry cloth first and then denatured alcohol or a multi surface cleaner such as Pledge will help remove the built up dirt and grime.                                                                                                                                                                             

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Jan 12, 2021 No Comments

Yearly Maintenance Tips: A Comprehensive Guide

As the new year approaches, your program is likely going into the busiest time of year with concert band, solo and ensemble, jazz band and indoor percussion all happening at the same time.  Often times you may not think about taking a little extra time to do a thorough inspection of your gear, but it will go a long way in getting the most out of your investment. Now is a great time to do some general equipment maintenance and cleaning that can ensure you are ready for the busy months ahead.  Having your students actively participate in this process will help them take pride over equipment that will be used long after they leave your program and can help the process move along faster and seem less overwhelming. Below are some quick and easy tips for making sure your gear is in top shape to start the new year: Take an inventory of all your equipment at the end of each semester. Clean all equipment using a soft cloth to remove any dirt or grime that has built up over time.  A small amount of diluted rubbing alcohol can help remove major build-up. Inspect your instruments for any missing parts. Check for broken or

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Dec 9, 2020 No Comments

What’s Old is New – Getting Rid of Rust

A majority of percussion equipment contains some type of metal that is prone to developing rust after years of wear and tear.  This could be an old snare drum with rusted out lugs, rusty rims and rust on the shell, or an old set of bells that has lost its shine. Don’t let the rust stand in the way of an instrument being used properly and sounding great.  With a little bit of time and some elbow grease you can make those OLD instruments look and sound NEW again. You can quickly and effectively remove rust on your percussion equipment by following a few steps: Step 1: Remove parts from the instrument so that all areas can be exposed to cleaning.  Do not try to clean or remove rust with parts still attached the instrument.  For instance, remove all lugs from the drum so they can be cleaned individually and all the way around.

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Sep 29, 2020 No Comments

Troubleshooting Common Timpani Issues

  Common Timpani Issues   With the school year well underway, you may start to notice some issues with your timpani after they sat around all summer not being used. Timpani are one of the more misunderstood percussion instruments with regards to function and reparability, but knowing some common issues that occur can give you a better understanding of what to check.               Issue #1 – The Pedals Slip (Won’t stay in position)   When the pedal on timpani is not holding either in the high or low position it is more often than not related to the range of the drums.  Over time, the heads continue to stretch and can cause the drums to become out of range and thus not allowing spring and head to be balanced with tension.  This is the first thing to check if you have pedal issues.  You should check that the lowest note on each drum is correct as seen below:     If the pedal slips forward from the lowest position, it likely means that the drum is too low and needs to be brought up to the correct low note.  Holding the pedal in the heel down (low position) make

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Sep 15, 2020 No Comments

July 2019 News at Chops

Marching Snare Head Feature: Remo Suede Max We get many calls this time of year regarding snare head choices. There are many tried and true products out there, but there is one newer option that is quickly becoming the choice of marching groups everywhere: the Remo Suede Max batter head. [Learn more] It’s Vintage: Restoring a Ludwig Drum Set If you are in the market for some new percussion gear for your upcoming marching band season, now is the time to take advantage of these great prices. Cap City Indoor used the gear this past indoor season, the gear is in great shape, and we just reduced the prices. [Learn more] Product Spotlight: Tama’s Dyna-Sync Bass Drum Pedals We’re excited to talk about Tama’s brand new Dyna-Sync bass drum pedals. These pedals were unveiled at Winter NAMM this past January, and there was a lot of buzz surrounding them. I can tell you after putting my own foot on one the buzz was deserved! [Learn more]

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Jul 30, 2019 No Comments

Get Your Percussion Equipment Evaluations and On-Site Repairs done this summer

Summer break is right around the corner and there’s no better time to get your instruments evaluated than now! Chops Percussion and Paige’s Music’s repair department are willing to send a trained specialist to your school to assess your percussion inventory. Brian Travelsted, our percussion repair specialist and sales associate for Chops, will work with you in deciding the best course of action to get your inventory back in its best shape! Paige’s Music offers on-site repair for large percussion instruments such as timpani, mallet instruments, concert bass drums, etc. This service is intended to alleviate the need to send in large instruments with your District Manager and be without them for several weeks. If an instrument is not repairable, Brian will recommend the best replacement options to best suit your ensemble’s needs. No more waiting for your large instruments or going without because the instrument is waiting in the shop! Small percussion instruments can be paired with a large percussion instrument request for added value. If interested in an equipment evaluation or on-site repairs, please email Brian at [email protected] for more information.

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May 21, 2019 No Comments

Percussion Equipment Evaluations and On-Site Repair

Now that we’re back to full staff, Chops Percussion and Paige’s Music’s repair department are willing to send a trained specialist to your school to assess your percussion inventory. Brian Travelsted, our percussion repair specialist and sales associate for Chops, will work with you in deciding the best course of action to get your inventory back in its best shape! Paige’s Music offers on-site repair for large percussion instruments such as timpani, mallet instruments, concert bass drums, etc. This service is intended to alleviate the need to send in large instruments with your District Manager and be without them for several weeks. If an instrument is not repairable, Brian will recommend the best replacement options to best suit your ensemble’s needs. No more waiting for your large instruments or going without because the instrument is waiting in the shop! Small percussion instruments can be paired with a large percussion instrument request for added value. If interested in an equipment evaluation or on-site repairs, please email Brian at [email protected] for more information.

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Sep 11, 2018 No Comments

Percussion Equipment Evaluations and On-Site Repairs

Summer break is right around the corner and there’s no better time to get your instruments evaluated than now! Chops Percussion and Paige’s Music’s repair department are willing to send a trained specialist to your school to assess your percussion inventory. Dustin Smith, our percussion repair specialist and sales associate for Chops, will work with you in deciding the best course of action to get your inventory back in its best shape! Paige’s Music offers on-site repair for large percussion instruments such as timpani, mallet instruments, concert bass drums, etc. This service is intended to alleviate the need to send in large instruments with your District Manager and be without them for several weeks. If an instrument is not repairable, Dustin will recommend the best replacement options to best suit your ensemble’s needs. No more waiting for your large instruments or going without because the instrument is waiting in the shop! Small percussion instruments can be paired with a large percussion instrument request for added value. If interested in an equipment evaluation or on-site repairs, please email Dustin at [email protected] for more information.

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May 22, 2018 No Comments

Paige’s Music Repair Shop Now Offering On-Site Percussion Repairs

Our repair department is excited to announce a new service being introduced this school year. On-site percussion repairs at your school! Now offered by appointment only for large percussion instruments such as timpani, mallet instruments, concert bass drums, etc . This service is intended to alleviate the need to send in large instruments with your District Manager and be without them for several weeks. Dustin Smith, our percussion repair specialist, will get some pertinent information from you about what you are needing repaired. He will then determine parts that may be needed and set up an appointment for visiting your school to complete the repairs. Hopefully all in one visit. Again, no more waiting for your large instruments or going without because the instrument is waiting in the shop! Small percussion instruments can be paired with a large percussion instrument request for added value. If interested, please email Dustin at [email protected] for more information.

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Oct 31, 2017 No Comments
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