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Ft. Wayne Music Store Account
Sweetwater’s 40-point Band and Orchestra Inspection
Buy with confidence.
As musicians ourselves, we understand that buying an instrument is a personal experience. We know how much your instrument means to you because we feel the same way! That’s why we work so hard — before an instrument is even listed for sale — to make sure that your new gear is ready to play out of the box.
The 40-point Band and Orchestra Inspection
Sweetwater’s exclusive 40-point Band and Orchestra Inspection assures our customers that the instrument they receive arrives factory fresh and ready to play! Brass, Woodwind, and String instruments each have a unique 40-point Inspection process designed around their particular features, and we inspect every part of the instrument before sending it on to its new home.
Each instrument ships with its own 40-point Band and Orchestra Inspection Certificate signed by the Tech who completed the process. Consider that signature our personal seal of approval that your instrument meets or exceeds factory standards.
The 40-point Brass Inspection Checklist:
Handling
24-hour climate acclimation & professional handling
Inspect case/gig bag interior & exterior
Verify contents & accessories
Cosmetic and Construction Inspection
Exterior finish
Interior finish & bore
Mouthpiece
Mouthpiece receiver
Straightness & shape of all sections
Solder joints
Braces & ferrules
Waterkey assemblies
Tuning Slides
Interior & exterior slide surfaces
Finger hooks, saddles, & pull knobs
Stopper & trigger assemblies
Fit & alignment
Piston Valves
Piston surfaces & casings
Valve stems & buttons
Valve guides & springs
Felts
Valve port alignment
Valve caps
Rotary Valves
Strings & mechanical linkages
Levers & components
Stop plates & components
Stop arms & components
Bearing plates & rotor caps
Rotor alignment
Trombone Handslide
Handslide surfaces (slide ships dry)
Slide lock & barrel felts
Alignment
Playability Check
Verify action of all valves & slides
Check basic intonation
Play test all notes in normal range
Play test chromatic & diatonic scales and arpeggios
Verify valves are oiled
Verify tuning slides are greased
Polish instrument
Packing
Inspect/refresh packing material as needed
Professional repack
Store in climate-controlled warehouse
The 40-point Woodwind Inspection Checklist:
Handling
24-hour climate acclimation & professional handling
Inspect case/gig bag interior & exterior
Verify contents & accessories
Cosmetic and Construction Inspection
Exterior finish
Interior finish & bore
Tenon rings
Mouthpiece & ligature
Flute crown assembly
Solder joints
Posts & ribs
Braces
Straightness of body tube & bell
Tone hole shape & surface
Keyguards & screws
Thumb rest & screws
Neck screw & lyre screw
Mechanism
Key fit
Springs & spring tension
Pivot screws & set screws
Hinge rods & hinge tubes
Key rollers
Regulation
Pads & resonators
Key corks
Felts
Verify consistent key heights
Check pad seal & resolve any leaks
Verify all adjustments & adjustment screws
Tenon corks
Tenon fit
Playability Check
Verify action of all keys
Check basic intonation
Play test all notes in normal range
Play test chromatic & diatonic scales and arpeggios
Play test alternate fingerings
Verify mechanism is oiled
Verify tenon corks are greased
Polish instrument
Packing
Inspect/refresh packing material as needed
Professional repack
Store in climate-controlled warehouse
The 40-point String Inspection Checklist:
Handling
24-hour climate acclimation & professional handling
Inspect case/gig bag interior & exterior
Verify contents & accessories
Cosmetic and Construction Inspection
Exterior finish/varnish
Top plate & back plate
F-holes
Ribs
Neck & scroll
Fingerboard
Nut & saddle
Neck overstand
Mechanism
Tuning pegs
Bridge
String height
String spacing
String seat
Fine tuners
Tailpiece
Gut seat on button/endpin
Button/endpin
Chin rest
Regulation
Check for rattles
Sound post position
Bridge position
Playability
Tune via pegs & fine tuners
Play test all notes in normal range (2-3 octave scale)
Play test harmonics
Play test double stops (curvature of bridge)
Stretch strings and retune
Bow
Stick curvature
Varnish/finish
Tip
Frog
Screw & eyelet
Hair & hair tension (ships without tension)
Grip/leather
Winding
Packing
Polish instrument
Professional repack
Store in climate-controlled warehouse
Check out our Band and Orchestra Gear!
Find the latest instruments and accessories and buy with confidence knowing your gear will be ready to play out of the box.
From our meticulous inspection processes for guitars and band and orchestra instruments, to generously updating firmware and creating new sounds, learn how Sweetwater does more before gear gets to our customers than any other retailer.
