For those of you who are interested in flute maintenance and repair discussions, you might want to check out a relatively new discussion group on Yahoo: Musical Instrument Technician. The forum is open to anyone interested in repairs and it is moderated by Lars Kirmser. Lars is an EXTREMELY experienced technician (49 years!), is constantly working to advance the craft of instrument repair, and is always willing to share his knowledge with others. He also owns and operates The Music Trader. http://www.musictrader.com
I've cross-posted his invitation below.
Hello Fellow Listers,
This is an open invitation to those of you interested in all things relating to The Repair and Maintenance of ALL Musical Instruments. Come join us for many interesting discussions. We invite everyone, professionals to neophytes. All you have to do is sign up at:
Lars is a woodwind specialist and he is Straubinger certified, but he is also a very accomplished repair tech on all wind and stringed instruments. I believe I recall him saying that in the 70s, he worked as a flute tester for the high-end flutes at the Armstrong factory. He also published a magazine called the Woodwind Quarterly which covered repairs, acoustics, and other woodwind related topics. Lars has also been instrumental in trying to start a repair certification for instrument technicians. In the 70s, he also started an organization named National Association of Musical Instrument Technicians (NAMIT). I was a member of NAMIT for about 5 years until it ceased operation.
"Never give a flute player a screwdriver."
--anonymous--
