do you have any pics? We do this kind of work quite regularly, it is difficult to quote for without seeing the instrument.
Re-lacquer work is split into a few different stages. Once we have your Instrument we initially assess it for any parts that need replacing - If any parts are showing signs of 'red rot' we would need to replace them. Rotten base material would ultimately make the work uneconomical in the long run as it will continue to deteriorate under the nice new finish. If we can source a replacement part we would replace it here, but if parts aren't readily available for obsolete Instruments for example, the re-lacquering company we use have a specialist on-site who can fabricate anything we might need from scratch.
We would send the instrument to the lacquering company to provide the new finish. They have to prepare the surface by removing all dents and scratches, and the metal would be filed and polished to a mirror finish. Due to variation in different base materials and levels of pitting/general wear this work is too variable for us to quote accurately for, but it is also the most important stage as any remaining imperfections would show up 10 fold under new lacquer. In extreme cases of wear it can be more economical to replace parts than spend hours resurfacing them, but this varies greatly instrument to instrument. They will provide us with an accurate quote before they go ahead with the finishing, which we would confirm with you before they proceed. Their quotes are always +/- 10% which gives us/you a good idea of the final price.
The actual lacquering cost is a set price, so we would just need to discuss and decide what finish you want and if you have any special requests (gold plate, silver plate, nickel plate, scratch finish) We would then receive it back, and rebuild the instrument as necessary. The instrument is serviced at that point and any/all consumables (i.e. guides/s
(i.e. guides/springs/felts/corks) would be replaced.
Please feel free to e-mail us any pictures if you would like us to try to offer an initial estimate. We would ideally like to see a picture of both sides of the valve block, the bell stem, and inside/outside of the bell flare, plus any dents you’re aware of elsewhere. This kind of work usually takes 6-8 weeks to turn round.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards Chantal Dawkes Music Workshop Manager
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