I have been convinced that I should probably have my flute examined by a repair technician, however, I don't want to be taken advantage of since I don't know a lot about my flute. Basically, my experience has been that if you take something be repaired without knowing what (if anything) is wrong with it, you'll get fleeced.

Can anyone recommend ways to avoid this? I was thinking I could try to find 2 repair shops that will examine the flute for free, and compare what each says needs to do fixed, then go with whichever is cheaper?

Does anyone else have any suggestions on how to get my flute in working order without getting taken to the cleaners?

Also, the person who gave me the flute said that I could change the pads myself? I've never heard of that. Is that true? They appear to be just glued in somehow, not screwed in with a washer like some I've seen.

I hope I'm not coming off like a cheap-skate, I just am at a time in my life where I don't have a lot of spare money!

I think that most places will look at the flute for free. Then they give two estamates, one to make the flute just playable and the other to completely fix the flute.

The important thing is to tell them when you drop it off not to do any work at all without approval.

Unless you have had some instruction, you will probably not be able to replace the flute pads yourself. Flute pads must have precision seating or they will not seal properly. Then you will be back to were you are now, with a flute that doesn't play right. You should get a repair person to replace any pads.

You say that you do not see any screws, could they possibly be held in place with plastic caps that you didn't notice?

I have never seen flute pads that were all glued in. Only the trill keys and the C key are glued on most flutes. Piccolos have all the pads held in place with adhesive and I will tell you now from recent personal experience. They are a pain to get properly seated. I will not be working on any more piccolos.

I wish you good luck getting your flute repaired.

By the way, what kind of flute do you have?

i'd take it to a few trusted techs and get them o examine it and see what each says and get them to quote then go to the on you think is charging the fairest price

I wouldn't recommend replacing a pad on your own, particularly if you have a nicer handmade flute. Each flute manufacturer generally has a list of authorized repair people, and you definitely want a person authorized by the manufacturer working on your instrument. Also be aware that many repair people have a waiting list for their repairs, depending on what exactly you want done. So if you are looking for a couple of repairs, you'll be able to get estimates and should be able to get work done pretty quickly. But if you are looking for a servicing, you might need to make an appointment in advance.

I hope that helps a little!

Thanks everyone for the great replies! I have a much better idea of how this works now!

To Micron:

I agree with your assessment of the disposable economy. I happen to be a person who sews up the holes in my socks, which I think makes me something of an oddity to other people my age (I'm 27). What irks me is that there just are no facilities to fix a TV or a DVD player... That or its cheaper to buy a new one.

However, my thinking with the flute is simply that I want to start out with the smallest initial investment I can, until I know that flute-playing is the thing for me. What if I were to spend lots of money on repairs & lessons, only to discover that I am tone-deaf? That is kind of a hyperbolic example, but my point is that I am a person who doesn't rush into new ventures, emotionally or financially. That's all.

I do appreciate your insight on the different economy of flute-repair!