Recorders change over time. This is actually a truism. But very few players treat their instrument to regular maintenance.
As a result, the gradual deterioration of the instrument is only noticed too late. Then the wood has become brittle or the decisive note no longer responds cleanly in concert.
It would often help to take a critical look at the instrument regularly and consider whether everything looks as it should.
- Have deposits formed in the tone holes?
- Is the windway clean?
- Does the inner bore look dry?
- Do the tenon joints feel "good" when twisting the instrument together and apart? Or does it jam, crack and wobble?
- Do the keys make annoying noises?
- Are cracks visible?
After the visual check comes the musical and acoustic test.
- Do all notes respond reliably?
- Has the tuning changed?
- Is the recorder still as resilient as it used to be?
- Is the tone centre still large enough? (Can I play loudly and softly without losing the "beautiful" tone)
If you have the feeling "that was better", then it is time to decide the following:
- Can I do the work myself? What do I need to do it?
- Do I have the instrument repaired by a specialist?
A dry cork can and should of course be greased immediately with the cork grease that is included in the accessories of every good recorder.
You can also clean the deposits in tone holes yourself using a soft cleaning stick with cotton wool at the ends. Sometimes a few drops of spirit on the cotton wool help to loosen the deposits.
You can also clean the deposits in tone holes yourself using a soft cleaning stick with cotton wool at the ends. Sometimes a few drops of spirit on the cotton wool help to loosen the deposits.
For all other work, the safe manual work of a specialist is advisable. Many of the instruments we have treated at the recorder sanatorium have been sent home cured within a few days, to a warm welcome.