I had a customer come to me with an old B&H Emperor clarinet, her beginner daughter is learning on it. Over the phone she told me "the bottom keys are sticking". Of course, I know better than to take their word that they know what they're talking about.
When she dropped it off, I saw the whole thing was a mess. A crack in the top joint, bent keywork all over, half the posts loose, 2 broken springs, loose tenons, rods & screws dirty and bone dry.
I gave her the advice that it was probably not economically feasible, but she wanted to go ahead with it anyway - she inherited it, it was sentimental.
Then she told me that she had it 'serviced' a year and a half ago, at a cost of nearly $1000. Suffice to say my jaw dropped. Apparently it was done through a well-known music retail store, 10 minutes drive from me. I believe they subcontract the jobs out, I don't know who to though. There appeared to have been almost zero work actually done on the instrument (maybe a pad or two changed).
My dillema is, should I intervene? Should I go to the shop and have a chat with them about it? I'm just a small-time hobby repairer and I'm not sure if it's my place to say anything.
When she dropped it off, I saw the whole thing was a mess. A crack in the top joint, bent keywork all over, half the posts loose, 2 broken springs, loose tenons, rods & screws dirty and bone dry.
I gave her the advice that it was probably not economically feasible, but she wanted to go ahead with it anyway - she inherited it, it was sentimental.
Then she told me that she had it 'serviced' a year and a half ago, at a cost of nearly $1000. Suffice to say my jaw dropped. Apparently it was done through a well-known music retail store, 10 minutes drive from me. I believe they subcontract the jobs out, I don't know who to though. There appeared to have been almost zero work actually done on the instrument (maybe a pad or two changed).
My dillema is, should I intervene? Should I go to the shop and have a chat with them about it? I'm just a small-time hobby repairer and I'm not sure if it's my place to say anything.