Posted by SAM I AM on June 30, 2001 at 00:09:08:
In Reply to: Dents and removal posted by Steve C on June 29, 2001 at 11:17:29:
OH MY WORD!! The repair you mention is an effective way of completing a cosmetic repair, but any competent repair tech will tell you that it should ONLY be a last resort. Like when little johnny's brother shoves a baseball in there and there's no other way to get it out. The goal of any repair should not be strictly cosmetic, because the horn was designed for it's acoustical properties. A competent tech will probably remove the 2nd branch bow and attack the dent from below, thereby preserving as much of the integrity of the horn as possible. I am a repair tech in Canada, and (unfortunately) the only shops I know of are a little further north than you want to go, however, visit www.napbirt.net, and there are links to all kinds of repair techs all over the world. NAPBIRT (the National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians) requires some standards for membership, and may be able to send you to a more qualified technician. Also, keep in mind, your current tech isn't necessarily a total 'hack', they just don't specialize in big brass.