hey...i`ve got this flute that is over 20 years old, and really hasn`t been in the shop at all. wut is the average price to get everthing taken care of, pads, cleaning under keys, dents, ect. thnx

It depends a lot on your locality, just how thoroughly and competently the job is done (which often has little bearing on how much you pay) - e.g. the quality of the pads, and whether non-level tone holes are being attended to - and whether you are being ripped off.

Ask local WELL-ESTABLISHED teachers and players which technician they recommend, until a pattern emerges, independent of the dishonest kick-backs that some will be getting to give bad advice!

Then show the technician the instrument and ask. The price SHOULD depend somewhat on the brand and what state the instrument is in. Well-made instruments take less time to overhaul; why should the wise buyer subsidise those who buy junk! Personally, I would smell a rat if there is a fixed charge for this work.

"It is unwise to pay too much, but it is worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money - that is it. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot - It can`t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better."

-- John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

"There is hardly anything in the world that a man can not make a little worse and sell a little cheaper. And people who consider price alone are this man`s lawful prey."
- John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

When I got my old flute overhauled it was around 80 bucks I think but that was quite awhile ago.

That is most UNlikely to buy you a decent COMPLETE overhaul with pad change.