FALL 2022
Welcome to my website. I'm a flutist and a flute and piccolo repair technician based in Western Massachusetts. I can fix your flute. I can fix your piccolo. I also sell some used flutes and piccolos that I've repaired.
Flute and piccolos are complicated instruments. They have a lot of keywork, many secret connections betweens keys, and there are a multitude of things that can go wrong with them. Any one little thing out of kilter can result in an instrument that is hard to play, or that doesn't play at all.
I've seen the guys at "the instrument repair shop" roll their eyeballs when a flute comes in the door. There are just too many moving parts on a flute, they don't want to deal with it, they don't have enough training to deal with it.
The only thing I know how to fix are flutes and piccolos. I trained with a flute maker (see "About Me") and I love my work. I have helped people all across the United States (some abroad too) get started by selling them a good used instrument, or move up to a better one. Lots of people who "used to play flute" want to get started again and I help them. Many times, I'll sell a person a new flute and they realize just how bad their old instrument was. Mostly, people blame themselves when it's really their instrument at fault. Although my training was in working on handmade flutes, I also repair beginner and intermediate flutes and piccolos, because there is a real need in this market to improve how these instruments play and respond.
Flute is actually a simple instrument to play. You should be able to press the keys lightly and get a nice full sound all the way down to the lowest note. Once you find yourself pressing the keys harder to get a better sound... you have a problem. And it can kill the enjoyment of playing.
People!! Get your instrument checked out!! And don't buy a flute off eBay, my goodness, people are probably selling those flutes because they don't play right! In fact, that's where I buy the ones I fix and sell... and believe me, they ALL NEED WORK.
Anyway, shoot me an email if you're looking for help.
Thank you for visiting my website. I'd be happy to hear from you via email with any comments or questions you may have.
Nancy Shinn
