I have a regular Gemeinhardt flute. It’s tarnished pretty badly and the bottom two notes don’t work. What would be the best thing to do with it? Would a school be able to fix it up? Seems a shame to throw it out. I suppose I could donate it to the thrift store, but I thought I’d ask here first.
If it is the bog standard student Gemeinhardt nickel silver flute, you might find a school to donate to, or even a vocational instrument repair school. Otherwise, a lamp? 
Bob
What is it made of? Is it silver?
The head is silver but the rest is nickle-plated or whatever that basic deal they do is. It’s badly tarnished and the lower notes don’t play. I think the little springs don’t want to close all the way. Open finger holes. I would think it’s pretty worthless but it feels wrong to dispose of it if maybe some kid could use it. I used to know someone who knew how to restore band instruments but I’ve lost touch with her.
EDIT: It’s actually pictured in my avatar. Imagine that flute only it’s not shiny and silver anymore. The whole thing is tarnished.
Donate it to a school program. Often the instructor has some band tech skills, or they can turn it over to their regular tech along with the other (always required) repairs. Or sell it on eBay as a project - some people love to practice their tech skills. The silver head could be melted down for silver casting. BTW, dealing with tarnish is a pretty standard fix, as is regulation of the keys & any necessary replacement of pads. Will probably fix right up.
Anyone who wants to work on it could download:
AN ILLUSTRATED BASIC FLUTE REPAIR MANUAL FOR PROFESSIONALS
https://etd.ohiolink.edu/ap/10?11956401702083::NO:10:P10_ETD_SUBID:66939
and:
STUDENT FLUTE OVERHAUL SCHEDULE
http://musictrader.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/studentfluteoverhaul.pdf
Thank you. I’ll call around and see if I can find a school program or something. I took it out and maybe the tarnish isn’t as bad as I remembered. It’s really only the low C that doesn’t work. I wish I could play it. I played flute in high school. Now I can’t remember all the fingering. It would be nice to help some kid out. It’s nicer than the flute I had as a kid and I loved that thing.
What’s the model # on that flute? With the silver head and (French) open holes, it still has some value. Heck, I’d be interested in taking it off your hands. It’s a step up from student flutes, which are usually all plated, closed hole. Looks like their model 3SH (C-foot, in-line G).
BTW, quite a bit of the fingering is similar to a whistle or Irish flute, barring the F vs F# in the scale, and having to keep your pinky down on the Eb key on the foot for venting. A few differences, but not too hard to distinguish between them. Of course, if you’re not playing any winds at all, then I suppose they’re a mystery, now.
Me too, I’d like it if Kkrell doesn’t.
Trouble with old Boehm flutes is that they really need a full overhaul (taken apart, new pads fitted and shimmed properly, cleaned, springs set, balance of the mechanism) in order to play well, i.e. not leak. Minimum cost is $800 and up. Makes more sense just to buy a new Yamaha student or other student model than get these fixed up.
Yes, it can be expensive. Worthwhile on professional flutes, less so on student models. Some players might even choose to do the work themselves, if it’s relatively simple problems. The flute illustrated in the thread above may only need a little maintenance to get going, while a full COA (clean, oil, adjust, fix up to 3 pads) runs roughly $325. I don’t think a full overhaul is likely called for.
most of the work is easy, replacing pin springs just requires the right tools adjusting keys likewise is easy if you have played the flute a while and understand what you are after. However, never oil the mechanism. if a part needs lubrication then it needs cleaning and polishing with like 1500 sand paper until it turns well or maybe use a dry lube like graphite for stubborn areas. Oils attracts dirt and should never be used on a boehm flute.
If you want to take dents out, buy a body and head mandrel and the appropriate hammer or better yet a roller. If you buy the roller, you need a hammer too though because a roller cannot reach near holes.
Repadding isn’t very realistic for the home hobbyist, by all means try if you want but it is a highly skilled operation that requires tight tolerances and experience to do right. If you feel the pads look like they might have some life left in them and are just barely leaking there is a trick to restoring them. take a coffee filter and just barely wet the surface of it with a high quality hand lotion. Then place that under a key, close the key on it and allow the key to open a couple times. Then take a clean coffee filter and close the key down on it and allow it to open. DO NOT pull the coffee filter out with the key closed down on it, this can damage pads.
The flute you have is probably not worth a huge professional overhaul but it is a good instrument and with a little attention will become perfectly fine to play. I played an instrument just like that one for years and got great results earning superiors at competitions. In particular, I was complimented for my big sound and beautiful tone. If you can fix the leaks, take out any dents affecting the sound and get the keys to operate correctly it will play beautifully.
I did have someone give it an overhaul when I first got it (about 10 years ago). It had bugs in the case and they had ruined the pads. I got all new pads and threw out that case. But it never did work after the overhaul. I thought it was just me because I had never played one with open holes, but I think it’s the spring. Anyway, since it probably can be fixed without a huge amount of work and there’s probably some kid who really wants to play the flute, I looked and found a program in my town that accepts band instruments for donation for students in the public school system. Hopefully I will hear back from them.
well done
They were happy to receive the flute. The put it in a pile with a bunch of guitars. Hopefully somebody’s day will be made.