Bass Clarinet Repair & Band Instrument Repair Questions Chat

[@kristimiller-lee2338]

I remember when you said you wanted to be an instrument repair tech. We were dating and I was watching you at gigs and you were trying a different college to please the parents. I didn't even know it was a career since I was not musical. I married you and moved across the country and watched you grow in that technical school and became amazed at your skill over the years. And yes, you supported a family very well financially. So happy to see you-us-making this solo venture a success.

[@wesleemusicrepair9820]

I left all those gory details out ;)

[@lotsabirds]

This was the best response to a KZbin video that I've ever seen! At first, she sounded like a girlfriend from the past....then she sounded like a loving wife....then she sounded like the best lifelong partner anyone could have. You two are very lucky!

[@wesleylewis8237]

I first thought it was someone joking, then maybe an ex girlfriend etc like Bill thought then before I got to the end of the comment I checked the surname and thought duh.. Wow. Anyway, Wes, you said a lot of good stuff here. I've been in the business for only 5 years. Have a few injuries and all of the above resonated. Thanks for the nudge to continue in the right direction.

[@matthewharlowehrscyclespor668]

Love this!

[@matthewharlowehrscyclespor668]

I am in, what seems to be, a parallel universe. I was surrounded by music in my earlier years. I no longer play, yet I am still immersed in music. My part of this universe is in Classic and Vintage Motorcycle Restoration. I just started following you. You have an amazing talent equaled only by your worldly insight. I listened to your answers to the questions. My thoughts were focused on how similar we are in our different industries. Learning never stops. Integrity is of paramount importance. Workmanship and fairness will supply more work that can be accomplished quickly. Like you, I am a one person show. I am booked out through 2023 with major restorations. The 2023 appointments will take me to the end of 2024. My point is I wish there were more talented individuals in this industry. Like you, I am not threatened in any way. Your comment on expertise is spot on. Knowledge is the primary reason my clients trust me. I just turned 69. I truly wish I could recruit more talent to this indusry. I make a good living performing this trade. Owning your own business takes a great deal of time on top of the actual work. My wife and I figured it requires 10-15 minutes per billable hour to accomplish client, local, and federal paperwork. We supply photo documentation of all projects. Small projects are normally 150-200 images. Major restorations can have more than 1500 images. We supply a complete document of all work accomplished along with a flash drive. I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Thanks so much Lee for investing the time to share. Be good. Remain safe and healthy.

[@cheshirecharlesmahoney4353]

Integrity... that's what I'm getting from this presentation. Thanks.

[@wesleemusicrepair9820]

Thank you

[@michaelowen1750]

Having been in the metal repair business for many years - the only welding shop for 50 miles... I came for the metal working, but I also played clarinet about 45 yrs ago... So I find your work fascinating, informative, and entertaining... I hope you continue to show both the nuanced repairs and adjustments, as well as the brute force of saving a crumpled pile of sheet brass into an instrument that functions correctly as new... This is a gift... Thank you for showing us "public" how it's done...

[@TealCheetah]

Your willingness to teach and share information is a golden trait.

[@dougberrett8094]

Wes, since you didn’t mention it, I will do it for you. Excellent repair has a facet that is very important. Student musicians especially, have extreme anxiety when they audition for position. Whether this is chair placement in their band or trying out for region, all state, or even national honors. Well those who are serious, some don’t care. If any particular musician knows that his or her instrument in in tip top condition, that is one less thing to worry about. Your work is extremely valuable PERIOD. Thank you so much!

[@wesleemusicrepair9820]

Absolutely correct, the sign of relief when a player plays and they light up because their horn is “right” is universal. Young or old all have that same look. And it’s very nice feeling to know you helped out.

[@duenge]

I played saxophone back in school, 1970's....Never, not once, did an instructor ever say anything to me about maintenance of my horn, other than don't chew gum. Oil? Never knew a sax needed oil....I LOVE this channel!

[@Peridium]

Plenty of great tips in this video. Thank you for posting this. Bass clarinet tends to be really underappreciated and most info found is just on clarinet.

[@kenthomas1109]

I love watching skilled craftsmen (or craftswomen) doing what they do best. When they narrate their thought process, that’s even better. When they express their passion through their pores and tell their stories, holy cow - that’s simply the best. Thanks for taking me along on your journey.

[@fredrikoscar4741]

I´m a trumpet player and a music teacher in Stockholm, Sweden. I have done that for 30 years now. I think your channel is one of the best I have seen so far. Very inspiring!! I meet young kids every week, and I always show them, on their first lesson, how to treat their horns. What to do, and what NOT to. Very important! Make sure they never use the trumpet bell as a stand, keep the second slide up when you lay the trumpet on a table. Things like that keeps their horns intact for years. Playing with an orchestra is the greatest thing for any person. Especially a young person. Music is important in so many ways.

[@ianlounsbury9256]

Wes, your story about what got you interested in repair struck me. My trombone ended up with a dent in the slide. Local shop spent over a month with the horn only to charge me for a different shaped dent that now ticks as it goes by the stocking. I'm just beginning my journey into repair, sadly repair schools are too far away to be feasible so I'm self taught with your help. I'm loving your videos, I swear I pick up new subtle details every time I watch. Thank you.

[@gearheadwes]

I love repairing things, regardless of what it is. I never thought I would really want to repair instruments but would really love to learn and repair instruments! I started on a free radial valve trumpet with a crumpled bell. I'm still learning from people like you who have KZbin channels. Thanks for the awesome work on your videos. I have repaired aircraft engines and propellers with the Air Force and wheeled vehicles for the Army and personal vehicle repair. This job looks so satisfying 😀.

[@TBizzell68]

I’m not really sure how one of your videos popped up in my feed, but I watched it and several others and subscribed. The only thing I can play is the radio, but I do enjoy music. I really enjoy watching you work your magic. Hearing your philosophy makes it even better. Thanks so much for what you’re doing.

[@jamesburnett7085]

I always appreciate your explanations. You would be a wonderful instructor. I think you are a natural teacher.

[@tomsavage6911]

Thoroughly enjoy your conversation. Keep posting!

[@djasge3893]

Thought I had worked my way through all your great videos but here is a fantastic video I missed. So insightful, thank you for sharing!

[@HubsSub]

Great video and advice Professor Wes. I hope to visit your shop one day!! Very inspirational!!

[@virtualpoboy]

Wes, This needs to be recognized: I stumbled across your channel and discovered that honest truths can live and flourish in the most unassuming places. One does not think about such connections until someone as unassuming as you, in a position of subtle, but emense power, be as humble and proud of what you do. The rock solid foundation you have built is of who YOU are! You have grown on that very foundation. If I lived anywhere close to you, I would want to know you and be a friend of yours. I'm a senior in life and I see that if everyone would stop the phoney everyday make believe life they chase and ground themselves in the a foundation such as yours, our world would be MIRACULOUS . This is displayed, by example, EVERY TIME you work and the very humble tasks you do. That IS YOUR difference between just going through the motions of life ,BUT living your very personal foundation with every ding mended, pad reseated or horn straightened and get spirit touching music as a result. If the simile of comparing a banged up musical instrument to humans can be drawn, you are as a human, an example of how one can be and should be aimed for. Each can get enriched by you and then pass it on, the `Me` syndrome would evaporate and the world would start to turn with PURPOSE AND INTEGRITY! Thank you for being YOU and showing how one's life's foundation is crutial for ALL! Regards and Thank you! Musicnut Jim

[@kristimiller-lee2338]

This is beautiful! Thank you Jim.

[@ivorwm2291]

We need more repair techs. I wish that i could have done this for a living. Thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@JRBecraftMPH]

Outstanding peformance and info and perspectives on life, career and instrument work. An inspiration to many, I'm sure.

[@bradfordrogers5306]

Retired KY band director; 42 years and loved every minute of it. Still teach lessons and work sectionals for colleagues, but no "bell schedule" is great! Some of the people most responsible for any success I had during my career are instrument repairmen and music dealers. Anything my bands played that sounded great was the result of the relationships I had with those folks, from getting the right (quality) instruments to insuring they always were in good playing condition. I'm convinced you are a member of that fraternity! Interestingly, all the repair techs I know and work with surround themselves with music 24/7--performing, mentoring band directors, teaching lessons, recording, etc.--while doing the highest quality service as repairmen. I have learned a TON from them over the years; most importantly when to NOT try to fix it myself! Several of them were also Red Wing graduates. I think college music majors should hear what you have to say about the possibilities of the repair trade as a career, and especially to hear that you can take a passion for music and music-making in many different and personally satisfying directions. Thanks for a great video series...keep them coming!

[@samuelspencer9194]

Mister Lee the main thing is to take pride in your work and to do the best you can and like you said be a man of your word love you videos be safe and have a great day Sam

[@JRBecraftMPH]

Thanks. Have ancient C Buffect bass that I've had no end of problem getting a repair done that works for any significant amount of time. May have to get into this gig of working on my bass. I'd go broke if I kept shipping it out and with it not working for any length of time. Good work. Should be a great inspiration for youth. Keep up the good work.

[@SkylersRants]

My sister went to the school in Sioux City, Iowa around 1986 or so. I visited her during Thanksgiving. It's freaking cold up there.

[@clintonr9804]

I spent years owning a service business, telling my techs, "good enough isn't good enough -- do it the best that can be done!" That being said, we had another saying, which could be altered in this case to, "Yes, it's possible to make a small fortune in musical instrument repair -- just start with a big fortune!"

[@wesleemusicrepair9820]

That’s correct. Good enough can always be better. How do you make a million dollars in the music business? Start with 2 million!

[@rossknowles5608]

do you have a favourite instrument to work on? not because it is an easy fix but something you've really enjoyed working with? you must have some interesting customers too. love to hear some repair war-stories. stubborn ones, mind boggling ones.. ive personally had to pay for a flute fix, and a university friend sat on a really expensive trumpet that looked like modern art. not that we made a habit of damaging things... that get's really expensive really fast.

[@wesleemusicrepair9820]

I don’t really have a favorite. I like them all, but I really enjoy solving problems.

[@xavierp3619]

Great video! For the series of closing keys the third one would be tertiary (ter-she-airy). Do you have a favorite repair story? any horns that were really fun to work on or left the customer speechless?

[@wesleemusicrepair9820]

Thanks for watching. Couldn’t remember that word to save my life! Haha Yes, I’ll tell some tales sometime soon.

[@TheodoreBrown314]

Hey Wes, as always it's been great to hear some of your insights! What exactly do you mean by testing with no thumbs, though? Also, have you ever had much experience working on double reeds? And have you ever had any downright bizarre instruments (e.g. Sarrusophone, Ophicleide, Wagner Tuba) come into the shop?

[@davidwood351]

Love your work. I do disassembly and cleaning on my saxes and clarinets. What quality screwdriver(s) do you recommend? I have a collection of cheap stuff, including kitchen knives.... Thanks

[@mitchilito99]

Keep up the good work/videos, Wes. I'm hooked!

[@Finn-McCool]

22:22 ...and "tertiary" 😉 Loving your channel. Subbed and binging today. 👍🏼

[@briandavis577]

Love your videos. Just so you know, it is primary, secondary, & tertiary. Another thing to add to the bank of knowledge. Haha.

[@wesleemusicrepair9820]

Thirdly works pretty good when my brain malfunctions! But thanks!

[@lordhelmet916]

3 things, 1. Where are you located in the United States? 2. I got a ybs 52 bari sax and the screw that hold in the d key mechanism keeps backing out. What can I do with make it stay in? 3. How do you polish a bari sax to make it look like new again

[@wesleemusicrepair9820]

1. Outside of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. 2. Those are one of my favorite bari saxes. Use Sally Hanson “hard as nails” fingernail polish and paint the threads of screw that wants to move around. 3. Buffing- Lots of time and buffing equipment.

[@lordhelmet916]

@@wesleemusicrepair9820 alr thanks man

[@ivorwm2291]

When I was in school, it was a secret science to repair band instruments. LOL

[@Instrumentjesus]

How much does a bass clarinet repair usually cost mine is broken I just started playing one in school a week ago and it’s broken they’ve been sitting in there cases for a while like years I’m the first one to play one in my school lol.

[@brianboucher7864]

Hi Wes I am learning so much but I have a question about cleaning Inside brass Instruments we don't have cemflush in South Africa what can I use please can you assist thank's

[@timothybutler7669]

You are an amazing man.

[@agusdrummer]

Great Video. Thanks a lot. I just bought myself an old Selmer-Bundy bass clarinet and is in need of overhaul. Could you recommend a pad set that will fit the instrument? Not looking for any specific tone quality, priority is functionality. Tanks again Mister Lee

[@wesleemusicrepair9820]

What I did on a most recent project: when I got pads out they seemed to be odd of what I normally see, I put them in a ziploc bag, sent them to Curtis at Ferree’s Tools, instructed him that I wanted matches in thickness and size, and if I had wanted a plain hole or resonator. I chose a plain, no hole, pad. Honestly that was the easiest pad set I ever got and will be doing again for specialty one offs. I hope this helps

[@agusdrummer]

@@wesleemusicrepair9820 that's great. Thanks a lot. I'll try and do that. By plain pads you mean no rivets and/or reso?I live in Germany and the few techs I've got in touch here would charge me no less than €800 which is a no go for me, so I'll go the DIY way. Thanks again.

[@leopdion5976]

Love this video. Thank you Wes.

[@brianpite0893]

Very interesting Wes . Thanks

[@wesleemusicrepair9820]

Thanks for watching

[@touloserr]

The black part of my bass clarinet around where the neck meets the body cracked all the way around and the register spring completely messed up. I know this is really bad, is there anything i can do?

[@thomasjenkinson3619]

Awesome video. Thanks!!!

[@leopdion5976]

I’m glad you make youtube videos

[@samuelspencer9194]

My dad was a welder and I can tell you how many people he taught to weld and other people would say you are losing customers and he would say one person can't fix everything and your loyal people will stay with you 👍

[@gregoryhosmer5990]

Great video sir. Thank you.

[@Waldo_Ilowiecki]

Awesome! You are genius.

[@ivorwm2291]

You are just amazing

[@chas1355]

Your dedication to doing a job correctly makes you one of the best in your field of expertise. Having a love for music just adds to that. You would enjoy a young lad named Jacob Velazquez who lives in Florida. Jacob is a very special musician. Up until the time he was 4 he didn't talk. His first speaking came with music at age 3. By age 5 he could play most anything on the piano and his main limit was his small size. By age 10 he was playing with 4 symphony orchestras and had recorded 1 album. At that time he decided to learn the drums. He taught himself and at age 13 received an endorsement contract with William F Ludwig III drum company. The youngest person to receive that honor since Buddy Rich. In the summer of 2020 at age 12 he taught himself 6 more instruments. For the first time he started playing the saxophone. He is 14 now and an accomplished guitar and bass player. Plays cello, harmonica, and ukulele too. Someone asked him how much he practices and his reply was he doesn't practice. He plays. There are many excellent young musicians but Jacob is in a category with few competitors. He also writes music. Here is one on his videos playing an original piece he wrote. He understands music at a different level than most musicians. kzbin.info/www/bejne/omaTqXR7dpaLfZI One most important fact is Jacob has fun with music. Here recent short of him on the bass. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pmLXhoGVndlmf9k

[@erniearruda8861]

Hi Wes ✋ well with me ,no school available in Canada back thirty one years ago and now. Twenty years ago there was a course in Canada and that was Kenyo college in Fort McMurry in Alberta Canada .(look it up I the map. All the way up in the oil fields) learned it on bench in the only mom pop shop from the owner.and still with him. But ya that college canceled that course cause not much interest and no future job security. Also sad and it’s true that Canada doesn’t recognize music repair trade as a profession.To people out there Canada is not much of band wind instrument thing from schools and colleges/universities. Not much bands for football games to support 🤷‍♂️

[@erniearruda8861]

Also want to add to that we are a dying breed especially in Canada, and I tell people it’s not a profession to make lots of money and be rich, it’s a work of love , you need school music programs to keep you going for five days a week to make a humble pay cheque or you really have to be really top notch and charge three times for professional musician to get the same amount of pay in a year that you get school work.Less work but more picky and finicky musicians to bug you.

[@wesleemusicrepair9820]

Hey Ernie, it is definitely a passion to pursue this trade. And definitely not easy. I’m glad you are doing the work. How did you get into the trade?

[@erniearruda8861]

I was 18 years old in my last year in Highschool and a music teacher/ musician ( not my teacher) knew I was handy with my hands and a musician , thought I was a good candidate for cleaning/ repairs to his repair shop. Long story short I had the interview with the owner to do summer repairs (temporarily) wanted to be a police officer or join the military bands ,but things happened in the summer when another tech left to go to the competition (Waterloo Music At that time to restart repair shop again) and I was on my own for brass repair, so a lot was self knowledge and from the owner who does mostly woodwinds. Been with him for over thirty years,was on hourly salary for years then things went for a turn do to business financials around 2012 due to lack of school payment funds ,taking a lot more time to pay and the cost of living was going up and up he basically couldn’t afford any more pay raises. (Five years stuck at $18 dollars an hour). To keep me I went on my own payment on commission as you said, and pay/deduct my own income taxes to the government. Instead of him.

[@andrewquirey7364]

Isn't the bass clarinet the foruner of the saxophone. Your a great craftsman.

[@jeffmarett321]

Wes, I really appreciate what you do. I work on stringed instruments and the devil is in the details, right?

[@JesusPena-lp8zi]

The best the powerful inst. repair

[@ms-mac521]

👍👍👍

[@mikerichards6311]

👍

[@bobkrabill9073]

Wes do you playany instruments

[@kristimiller-lee2338]

Wes play tests every instrument repaired. He is quite proficient on trumpet and trombone and also guitar. He was a top 8 musician in the world 2 years in a row according to the Blues Foundation. Check out original songs at Wes Lee Music Official channel.

[@williemacon30]

If he didn’t went to that school we would not have the god up instrument repair today Also do you have any recordings of you playing instruments before you got into this

[@kristimiller-lee2338]

I have been with him since 1992. The instrument I saw him perform with was a trombone in a 9 piece funk band. There was one music video and one cassette release that I recall but we don't have anything from 1992 remaining. If you are interested, his performances on guitar can be viewed at Wes Lee Music Official. Lots of great original songs there.

[@kristimiller-lee2338]

Partially frozen....my father was partially frozen for most of my life. -quote from Austin Powers movie

[@КямалКасимов-х6с]

Если ты бросишь эту работу все неряшливые музыканты Америки будут долго плакать.

[@CDaisy-tp7hw]

Alright! Here's a question that will make you laugh. How many hats do you have? I, myself, have about thirty. That's not counting the baseball style hats that serve a purpose but are (in my opinion) just stupid looking.

[@mikebrady01]

Nice video, but he's not really showing us how to repair anything. I'm watching him from a distance take out pads and replace corks, but he's not explaining how to do it.

[@adenoidhinkel34]

Пустая болтовня

[@emilianodelacruz3504]

i like this guy ,hi is very proud of himself because his GOOD,thanks .you a real PRO.i love your videos.

[@jackienelson5804]

You are comfortable with the trade