Ben's Home Made Acoustic Sound Treatment Panels

With plenty of space in our newly rennovated basement for group lessons and jam sessions we are ready to get rockin'. There's just one problem...It's too darn loud down there! Well, nessecity is the mother of invention and our resident carpenter Ben Miller was on the job. Keep in mind that sound proofing was not the main objective here. It would take way too much material and time to do that, and total sound proofing is nearly impossible to acheive. We just wanted to take some of the edge and echo out of the space to make it more bearable for those that are actually playing in the space. Ben's acoustic sound panels are made to do just that.

Each 2'X4' frame is packed tight with rock wool insulation to provide as much sound dampening as possible. The frames are then covered with cloth to hold in the insulation and make them a little more attractive. Strategically placing the panels around your studio or practice space can do wonders for the sound qualities of the room. Since panels are light enough to hang on the wall like pictures it's easy to use trial and error to find just the right spots.

You can stand them up on the floor in the corners of the room to use them as bass traps. Even if you're not recording but just looking to treat a room for listening to music they are quiet effective as well. Stan in the area where you'll be listening and have someone run a mirror along the wall and mark the spots where you can see the speakers in the reflection. Place sound panels in those locations to dampen the "first reflection" of the sound and your listening experience will greatly improve. For serious treatment use the same method on the ceiling as well.

Ben has already been busy making dozens of the frames for some of our teachers to use in their home studios, and we are making them available as a new product in the store for $40.00 each. You can even choose the color of fabric you want... it'll really tie the room together.

2011 Summer Programs At Woodsy's Music!

Below is a list of the summer programs that we will be offering at the store this year. If you are interested in any of the programs or just have questions please don't hesitate to give us a call at 330-725-8575.


Summer Program Descriptions

Rock School- Learn the art of Rock at Woodsy’s Rock School! Form your own band or let us help you put one together and we’ll pair you with one of our Rock School “coaches”. Bands will practice once a week for six weeks to prepare for their performance in a real rock and roll show! This program is recommended for students 13 years of age or older. Participants must have a rudimentary understanding of their instrument as the focus of this class will be on playing together as a group and not how to play their instrument. The program runs from the week of 7/4 through the week of 8/8. The performance will take place on the square in Medina on Saturday 8/13

Guitar 101- Guitar 101 is a basic introduction to the fundamentals of guitar in a group setting. Students will learn proper technique, basic chords, and some familiar songs. This is a great way to get introduced to the guitar without the cost or commitment of private lessons. The class will take place once a week for 6 consecutive weeks and last for 1 hour. This class is recommended for children ages 12 and older. The class will meet Wednesdays from 2:00PM-3:00PM from 6/22-7/27.

Songcraft Workshop- Many people think that songwriting is a talent that you are born with when, in reality, it is a craft that must be honed much like learning to play an instrument. The Songcraft Workshop is a six week course that culminates with a performance in a public venue for family and friends. The ability to make simple chord changes is the only skill requirement for the class. It’s creativity centered curriculum lends itself to all levels of skill.

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http://myemail.constantcontact.com/December-Newsletter--Travel-Guitars-Ukulele-Class-20--off-select-repairs.html?soid=1103550698563&aid=kQ4QvIRXsnw

Trumpet Valve Maintenance

One of the most common repairs that we see on the bench is a trumpet with a sticking or slow valve. These range from a valve that hangs up a little bit to one that is completely seized up and can't even be removed from the casing without force. If your problem is the former, don't panic, it may not even need any kind of serious repair. I usually put valve trouble into 2 general categories, acute and chronic. Chronic valve trouble is when the valve sticks every time you press it down. This is the kind of trouble that you have no problem recreating when you show it the repair tech. There is little DIY maintenance that you can do in these instances. Acute valve trouble is when your valve sticks or comes up slow one time and then you go on merrily with your playing until it occurs a couple of days later. For these acute troubles there ARE a few things that you can do before you panic and go running to the repair shop. Many times this trouble stems from a dirty valve, or one the is under or over (yes, there is such a thing as too much) oiled.

1. You can prevent debris from building up on the valves by avoiding eating before playing or brushing your teeth if you have to play right after eating. Also NEVER chew gum while your playing. I'm sure that your band director has already yelled at you for this one!
2. If you find that your valve is slow or sticking try a little bit of oil. If it has been a while since you have oiled your valves they may have dried out, but remember that a little bit goes a long way.
3. Don't OVER oil you valves. If you try a little bit of oil and it's still sticking don't just start dumping a ton of oil on it. If the problem is in fact that there is debris in the valves then you are simply putting clean oil on top of dirty oil. It's like changing the oil in your car without changing the filter.
4. If they are still sticking then you need to start with a clean slate. You can do this by removing the pistons from the casing and wiping off all of the oil with a lint free cloth. It's important that it's lint-free or else you risk causing the same problem from lint pieces that fall off the cloth. I recommend using a paper towel or handkerchief. Take a small piece of the cloth and push it through the casing gently with the eraser end of a pencil. If you have to force it then your piece of cloth is too large. Once you have wiped off all of the old oil add some more. Remember not to over oil. A little bit goes a long way.

If you are still having trouble with the valve after doing all of this, then it is time to take it in to the repair shop and let professional technician have a look at it.

November Newsletter Ukuleles|Candlelight Walk|20% off select repairs

November Newsletter Ukuleles|Candlelight Walk|20% off select repairs via #constantcontact

Humidifying your wood instrument during the winter months

Repair Corner: Humidity and Wood Instruments
With the cold weather coming on many of us have already started kicking on those heaters for the first time, and that means lower humidity levels. Some of you may already know the adverse effects that low humidity can have on wooden instruments, but those of you who don't here's a few things to remember. The relative humidity in the environment that you're storing the instrument in should be about 50%. Once you get down in the mid to low 30's you're really tempting fate. Low humidity can cause:

•cracks in the body and particularly the fingerboard when it is made of unfinished rosewood or ebony

•sharp fret edges on guitars ad basses

•low action (string height) due to the soundboard drying out and sinking. This can casue string "buzz" or "fretting out"
You can avoid many of these problems by:

•Using a soundhole humidifier for your instrument (pictured above)

•installing a hygrometer in the room you store the instrument in or in the case to measure the relavtive humidity

•using a room humidifier

•keeping humidifiers full

Using a soundhole humidifier is an inexpensive and simple way to give you some real peace of mind during the dry days of winter. Heed these warnings and you might just avoid a trip to our repair bench this winter!

Woodsy's Music of Medina September Newsletter via #constantcontact

Woodsy's Music of Medina September Newsletter via #constantcontact