https://www.keystonemusicrepair.com/about daily 0.75 2023-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1591495156622-GLL0IO2ZZ54ISQQ7LH2E/20160713_091023.jpg About Keystone Music and Repair is an independent, repair-only shop. There are no instruments or accessories for sale. There are no other employees. There's only one phone number and one email address, and they both come to me - the technician who will work on your instrument. When you come in for an estimate I'll assess the instrument with you, and will clearly communicate the issues I find in plain English; no complex jargon. When you pick up your instrument I'll review the work with you and make sure you're happy with it before you leave. The business model is not complex or revolutionary. I simply apply my skills to make your instrument work reliably. There's no upselling, and I'm not interested in pressuring you. I'll tell you honestly what work I feel your instrument needs to be in good working order, or if it may not be worth the expense to repair. And it'll be up to you whether to leave it with me or take it elsewhere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1591496745303-UHZ7TDDWS453BTPP24ZW/Headshot.png About I’ve been repairing instruments professionally since 2009, when I graduated from the band instrument repair program at Minnesota State College-Southeast in Red Wing, MN. Having grown up in northern Chester County, I returned to the area and spent the next 10 years working as a repair tech at a couple different music stores, before deciding to go full-time at my own shop in 2019. I service all types of brass and woodwind instruments, with a special focus on double reeds. As an active member of the National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians, I’ve given oboe repair clinics for other technicians at the regional and national level, and regularly present clincs for music educator in-service conferences as well as masterclasses for students. When I can find time away from the repair bench, I still occasionally have opportunities to play oboe recreationally. I live just outside Pottstown (about 50 feet from the shop) with one wife, two kids, and three black cats. https://www.keystonemusicrepair.com/home daily 1.0 2024-11-21 https://www.keystonemusicrepair.com/services daily 0.75 2023-07-05 https://www.keystonemusicrepair.com/location daily 0.75 2023-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1591751392457-NJELS67RWSZLFIJCH2HU/Map.png Location https://www.keystonemusicrepair.com/gallery daily 0.75 2023-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621266003287-33YWMA1D0BSBH4JLZURE/20210415_102241.jpg Gallery - Make it stand out The lower end of the D and Eb mechanisms. The motion of the touchpieces is transferred to the keys by Minibal linkages, which are efficient, durable, and silent. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621265981829-9BTINF0HVTF9M1RIQPZ3/20210415_102155.jpg Gallery - Make it stand out The High E key, normally operated by the crutch of the right hand, is now grouped with the palm keys and operated by the crutch of the left hand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621265959231-CFW0RGGLDAZTUP6SXSQ7/20210415_102212.jpg Gallery - Make it stand out The pinky levers, which normally operate Low C#, B, and Bb, now operate F#, F, and E. The G# key remains unaltered. The positions and angles of the touchpieces have been significantly modified to make them more comfortable to operate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621266043083-TFVSRDVF9UU24M3GJ0BD/20210415_102230.jpg Gallery - Make it stand out The D and Eb keys are controlled by these touchpieces, operated by the left thumb. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621276047078-ZKOJB5YDHNF74IH2IW34/altohorn7.png Gallery - Make it stand out After polishing and reinstalling the part, the seam where the cracks were rejoined is barely discernible. This photo has been edited to make the seam more easily visible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621275969683-CSOCWN0RPX3Z04S0HMG8/altohorn2.png Gallery - Make it stand out Partway through the rebuild process, the excess has been removed and the cracks are mostly sealed. The missing section at the top still needs to have a piece brazed in and there’s a lot of polishing to be done to remove the file marks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621275911267-OLYGCZPKKKQPMRQYK7C4/altohorn1.png Gallery - Make it stand out The metal around the cracks had corroded in some places, leaving large gaps. The fix for that was to braze in pieces of nickel-silver sheet to fill the gaps, then file away the excess. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621275863205-Z4FB1RB4001IQGWA1MNH/altohorn4.png Gallery - Make it stand out The ferrule had multiple cracks and was broken into two pieces. It was barely salvageable, but fortunately most of the parts were there, so they could be carefully put back together. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621266857448-36EL5QWPKIII2KQGTO9P/20201016_170831.jpg Gallery - Make it stand out The spun washer is removed from the mandrel, then soldered in place over the tone hole chimney before being trimmed and cleaned up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621266766321-M538KBYZZ6R8F7OMB4WM/20201016_143124.jpg Gallery - Make it stand out The chimney and damaged roll are shown after the roll was removed, in preparation for the repair. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621266516252-092KTFKQ73TEPQ9PR7N0/20201017_145657.jpg Gallery - Make it stand out After cleaning up and polishing, the repair is invisible and new roll is indistiguishable from the original. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621266796721-9I8KIYO5RO3BHNKY0AIO/20201016_143214.jpg Gallery - Make it stand out The sterling silver washer (center) is ready to be spun down in the lathe to make a new roll. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621266825356-9VNENNNSYPWZCU4TBCXT/20201016_170312.jpg Gallery - Make it stand out After spinning. The washer has been pressed down onto the brass mandrel to create a new roll. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621273225938-ON9SX2F87RI86A7DO535/20190322_130205.jpg Gallery - Make it stand out The hinged touchpieces for the second finger of the left hand allow the player to slide between notes without having to lift or reposition that finger. The alternate keys on the right side of the image are repurposed bassoon keys. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621273812930-TZLEIQIMA4OLGI0I3TV7/20190322_130003%281%29.jpg Gallery - Make it stand out The right thumb operates the G# key and F/C, both of which would normally be operated by the left pinky. The G# touchpiece is connected to its pad by a bridge between the upper and lower joints that mounted on a rocker. Although this is a Yamaha instrument, a Buffet thumb rest was fitted because it has a large plate for the thumb, which makes it easier to slide over to the touchpieces. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621265232739-TGRS96LSP0DLCQPYE1OF/20190901_132433.jpg Gallery - Make it stand out After sealing the crack, the tone holes for the trill keys, B, and Bb are milled out so that inserts can be installed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621265110932-0RZAKJPNZN0TF0F0ZUY4/20190826_110713.jpg Gallery - Make it stand out The crack after cleaning out and prepping for sealing. This process makes it look worse than it actually was when it came in, but provides a clean surface for gluing. After sealing, the crack will be virtually invisible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621267534393-E0MWHA92J0J1GLL2JPWG/20190906_095500.jpg Gallery - Make it stand out After sealing the crack and installing tone hole inserts, the upper joint is once again airtight, the crack is barely visible, and the instrument is ready for new pads. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621274392881-VGPUXB7GA0W1MVXP4ZAM/flute.png Gallery - Make it stand out Every repair technician needs some before/after pics of a dented flute on their website. It’s the law. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621274931287-CQDZV6N3ZBWCX474D4RS/20170518_164324.jpg Gallery - Make it stand out The middle and right-hand bearing plates in this image were made in the shop, to replace the missing original parts on this student-level horn that was otherwise in decent condition. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621274330832-47TT6CL0D29X02U7T52E/damore.png Gallery - Make it stand out This half-hole plate from a Howarth oboe d’amore had been damaged, so a new one was made from nickel stock and silver-plated. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec5d75afcff66536cda15a7/1621274721539-VI18H34BV5X91URFMU19/20180123_170954.jpg Gallery - Make it stand out This octave key extension was fitted to a Loree oboe for a player who had difficulty reaching it. This was a school-owned instrument, so the extension had to be removable. It’s held in place by two screws underneath the touchpiece. https://www.keystonemusicrepair.com/community-bands daily 0.75 2025-11-23