Welcome to Northwest Flute Repair! I’m Ian McKnight and I have been repairing flutes in the South Seattle and Tacoma areas for over ten years. If you are looking to repair anything from a student level instrument to a high end hand made flute you are in good hands! I am Straubinger certified and have worked on a wide variety of instruments both vintage and modern.
About Me
I started playing the flute when I was ten years old and have been performing ever since! I first became fascinated with repair after taking my first flute, a student Yamaha, into the local music store and meeting the technicians.
After graduating with my flute performance degree at the University of Idaho I started performing and composing original music for local chamber groups as well as the Seattle Flute Society Flute Choir. While looking for work I found out about the repair program at Renton Technical College and met Dan Bainbridge. Dan Bainbridge was a talented flute tech and he jumpstarted my path forward in repair. My final school project was overhauling my Yamaha 674 with Jim Schmidt Gold Pads.
Upon graduating I found work at Ted Brown Music where I worked for 10 years under the guidance of Chris Arent, also a talented Straubinger technician. As I proved myself I quickly became the go to flute and piccolo technician. Being a very detail oriented person I found myself wanting to branch out on my own where I could work to a higher standard without being constrained by the time limitations and output requirements of working for a large repair shop. I obtained my Straubinger certification, opened my own shop out of my home and here I am!
Our Services
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My shop is equipped to handle all kinds of repairs including dent work, refitting of head joints and foot tenons, pad, spring, and key felt replacement and more.
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Your flute is a complex machine that needs to be maintained in order to keep it in peak playing condition. Handmade flutes especially are made with such low tolerances that even a small piece of dirt in the mechanism can keep it from operating properly. I provide deep cleaning services including a modern ultrasonic cleaning.
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Are you looking to have your instrument restored? An instrument overhauled at my shop can play even better than it did new due to the use of higher quality pads than used by manufacturers. An overhaul is a complete rebuild of your instrument and includes…
All new pads, key felts, and head joint cork
Refitting of any loose keys
Refitting of loose or tight head joint and foot joint tenons
Dent work
Replacement of any missing springs
Deep clean including optional ultrasonic cleaning
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Are you ready to take your flute to the next level? Straubinger pads are the most precise pads on the market providing a smooth playing experience and more accurate seal. A Straubinger upgrade includes
Installation of pad stabilizers in key cups
A full set of new Straubinger pads
New key felts, head joint cork, and replacement of any necessary springs
Refitting of any loose keys
Full cleaning
Dent work
Tone hole shaping
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I am an experienced piccolo technician and am fully equipped for anything from adjustments to a complete overhaul.
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Your one stop woodwind shop! I am also equipped to work on all levels of clarinet including tenon, pad, spring, and key cork replacement as well as cleanings.
An Actively Performing Musician
As an actively performing musician I know what flute players want. One reason that I studied to become a technician was so that I could make my own instruments play as smoothly as possible, make them feel the way that I want, and most importantly to make them sing! My experience as a performer means that I know what a performing flute player wants out of their instrument first hand.
Some of the groups that I have performed with in the past include The Seattle Festival Orchestra, The Bainbridge Symphony, The Seattle Flute Society Flute Choir, and the Pacific Northwest Chamber Ensemble.
Recently I have been exploring the role that flute can play in genres other than classical such as country, rock, Americana, and Celtic. In addition to the silver flute I also play the mandolin, mandola, penny whistle, and Irish flute. It has been especially fun discovering amazing flute parts in songs by bands such as Canned Heat, the Marshall Tucker Band, Jethro Tull and more. I can be found performing all of these instruments in my two bands 5 Mile Drive and Pete Reed and the Summer Wine. You can check out their Facebook pages here!
https://www.facebook.com/fivemiledriveband
https://www.facebook.com/TheSummerWine
