Flute News & Updates

IT’S TIME FOR YOUR C.O.A. SERVICE

The JLS Staff — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:16:51 +0000

Word from the shop is that this is the best time of year (in between academic and holiday seasons) to have your instrument properly serviced. Every woodwind should receive a complete C.O.A. (Clean, Oil and Adjust) once a year. Has your instrument had its yearly visit? Contact Emily in the shop at: ecox@jlsmithco.com to arrange an appointment for service today.

Rare Altus-Built Jupiter DiMedici

The JLS Staff — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:09:10 +0000

Here’s an interesting and fairly rare 60th Anniversary Altus-built Jupiter DiMedici flute that we’ve been sorting out for its owner. We’re not yet certain if this one will be available to purchase but we definitely want to share the images in the meantime while the owner decides if he can bear to part with it. In addition to the lovely 18k gold plated finish and the open hole design, the limited edition anniversary model came equipped from the factory with both a standard B-foot and an unusual D-foot joint that both fit nicely into the specially made case. This is one of less than a hundred that were made in 1990. Have you ever played or worked on one of these before? If so, we’d love to hear about your experiences. Enjoy!

J.L.

Piccolo Tone Hole Facing Tool

The JLS Staff — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:59:50 +0000

Sometimes the "right tool for the job" hasn't been invented yet.

It really is the smallest details that make the biggest differences with piccolos, and it’s little things like this custom made tone hole facing tool for a Pearl Piccolo that make us really, really grateful for having a full in-house tool-making shop. We got this nice little Pearl piccolo in the other day that had been performing badly after being “repaired” by another shop. Techs there had no way of actually solving the problem of an uneven tone hole and opted for the common approach of just trying to use a soft pad with a deep impression to compensate. Of course then the pad was sticking and the feel of the mechanism was never really right. When the owner brought it in to us we knew it would need a new tone hole surface and we built this one-off tool for that specific tone hole. After building up the tone hole rim with a cyanoacrylate (CA) glue, (http://www.jlsmithco.com/CRACK-REPAIR/INSTA-CURE-THIN-CYANOACRYLATE) we used the tool with an abrasive insert to face the surface. The end effect? The instrument sounds better than ever and the client is ecstatic. Anyone else have examples of custom tools you’ve created for special repairs? We’d love to see what you’ve invented.

Lapping Powder -

The JLS Staff — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:56:19 +0000

Quality lapping powder is absolutely essential to getting the ideal surface finish in the process of polishing valves and slides. We’ve experimented with many different brands and formulas over the years before finding the best. J.L. Smith lapping powder is a non-imbedding, micro-abrasive compound that ships dry and allows you to choose between oil or liquid soap and water mixtures depending on your specific application.

Pearl Powder -

The JLS Staff — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:54:47 +0000

Pearl powder is a fast and effective way to replace lost or broken pearl insets and inlays on saxophone keys, finger buttons, fret boards or any areas where pearl has been used before and needs replacement. The mix is simple and easy to work with and has a rich luminescence that you’ll love.

Teflon Powder -

The JLS Staff — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:50:58 +0000

If you’re looking for a super effective dry lubricant with dozens of practical applications on the bench be sure to check out our new Teflon® brand PTFE powder. Teflon® brand produces an extremely high-grade, 100% pure PTFE powder with a silky texture that’s unmatched by other manufacturers. It goes on easy with a soft natural brush and works beautifully on corks, leather and most other materials wherever you want to minimize friction. Of course, as with all fine industrial powders we always suggest that you read the manufacturer’s MSDS and follow their suggestions for safe handling.

In Memory of Pete Valentino

smithjl14 — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:43:16 +0000

We are deeply saddened to learn of the recent passing of our dear friend, Pete Valentino. Pete was the legendary inventor of the original Valentino pads that spawned a revolution in the woodwind repair and manufacture trades and the original founder of the Valentino company that was acquired by J.L. Smith in 2003. Pete was a visionary in every sense of the word and we are deeply grateful to have known him, and proud to carry on his legacy of invention and innovation. He will be greatly missed by all of us here at J.L. Smith. Our hearts go out to his family and many, many friends.

The “Pete Valentino Memorial Scholarship for Music Education” is being established at Fresno State. Remembrances may be sent in care of the Fresno State Alumni Association, 2625 E Matoian Way, SH124, Fresno, CA 93740-8000.

J.L. Smith & Co. Unveils New Blog

smithjl14 — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 16:48:41 +0000

In an effort to keep you appraised of the latest news and updates in the flute and wind instrument world, J.L. Smith & Co. will be producing this blog (http://blog.flutesmith.com) on a regular basis. The articles you will find here may be educational, informative and occasionally editorial. Fro time to time, we may post specials and featured products to keep you appraised of ways to save money.

J.L. Smith & Co. is owned and managed by Jeff Smith but helps musicians and technicians all over the world find the right instrument, tool, or part through our main web site (http://www.JLSmithco.com) and at our main location in Charlotte, NC.