Azumi Z2 maintenance and pads replacement

Taking care of your instrument

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natasialin
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2018 5:48 am

Azumi Z2 maintenance and pads replacement

Post by natasialin »

Hi,

I'm a piano-major student, but I love flute so much.
I had played the flute about 6 years ago.
However, due to economic problems, I couldn't buy a "normal" flute.
At that time, I used a beginner flute which was too cheap and old (about USD120 and over 20 years old...) that the technician said it wasn't worth repairing.
Of course, it just sucked.
During the last year when I was still playing the flute, my teacher just lent me her old flute for practicing and on stage.

Recently I got a chance to buy Azumi Z2RBEO with only USD500.
The flute is about 3 years old in good condition, nearly no oxidation.
The only weak point is that the past owner didn't do any maintenance for it.
When I play the flute, I find that there are pads with leaks, and the flute needs maintenance too.
So I went to local studios.

Here are answers from 2 studios:
1 - need to replace 2-3 pads, and do COA maintenance. About USD130.
2 - need to replace "all" pads, do a full overhaul. About USD320.

I've asked the technician-2 that why I can't just replace few pads.
He answered me that if only 1 pad needs to be replaced, it's fine; but if more than 2 pads, it doesn't work because other pads will break down soon.

Now I really need some advice.

I know that this flute is just intermediate (or even basic for a professional music student), but for me, it seems like my flute dream comes true.
I've been desiring to have my own flute for many years, even though my daily routine is practicing the piano and struggling with it.
Actually, I think this flute is great compared with my retired-old-cheap flute.

The question is:
Should I give it a full overhaul?
Or just replace few and do COA?
If the technician-2 is correct (other pads will break down soon after replacing 2-3 pads), I'd rather spend money on my dear flute, and let it have a longer life.
But I can't tell whether it's correct.
I only hope that my flute could be in great condition for playing.

So please tell me what I should do!
Thanks!

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pied_piper
Posts: 1962
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:31 pm
Location: Virginia

Re: Azumi Z2 maintenance and pads replacement

Post by pied_piper »

Sometimes these are a bit of a judgement call. Certainly 2-3 pads can be replaced. The question is WHICH 2-3 pads. if all the leaking pads are together (all in the right hand section or all in the left hand section) then 2-3 pads can certainly be replaced. The problem comes when the 2-3 pads are all in different parts of the flute. If there is one in the left hand, one in the right hand, and one in the foot, then the flute has to be completely disassembled to replace those 2-3 pads. In that scenario, it makes sense to do a complete repad because much of the cost is in the labor and it's not that much more work to replace all the pads than just those 2-3. Also with only replacing 2-3 pads there are adjustments between connected keys and again, if the adjustments are all over the flute, a complete repad makes sense.

If you do just the bad pads now, others could soon go bad, but that's not a given. Sometimes flutists can accidentally tear pads because they are always rubbing the flute with a polishing cloth and if they are not very careful, it can wear the edge of the pad and eventually cause the skin to tear creating a leak. Again, there is no one right answer and it is a judgement call. $130 is a good price for a COA and replacing the bad pads. $320 is also a good price for a complete repad. Think about which option gives you the most peace of mind that the flute will be it tip-top shape when you get it back.
"Never give a flute player a screwdriver."
--anonymous--

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