Author Archives: randyjmueller

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About randyjmueller

Sr. Instrument Repair technician

A Rockin’ Middle Eastern Thai Christmas…in Portland

Posted on December 28, 2013 by randyjmueller

I hope you all had a Merry, Merry Christmas. I had the good fortune to spend it with friends and family in my old home town, weird-as-it-gets, Portland. I do hope they manage to keep it that way. Our first weirdly … Continue reading →

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A Tenuous Situation

Posted on November 30, 2013 by randyjmueller

Clarinet hits the deck! How does this happen??? In all the years I’ve been playing, I’ve never dropped my horn. Not to say that accidents never occurred (like getting kicked over by someone else on stage), but… This is middle school. … Continue reading →

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Bethesda Blues and Jazz – Latin Style

Posted on November 10, 2013 by randyjmueller

We had been trying to get up to the new club in Bethesda ever since my buddy, Jeff Bonk, was playing bass bone in the house big band – and managed to miss the entire run – bummer. Anyway, we … Continue reading →

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New York, New York!

Posted on October 26, 2013 by randyjmueller

New York is a wonderful town. I had the good fortune to meet up with Patrick Spurling, of SpurlingPL from Zurich this past week in the Big Apple. Patrick is the brains behind the carbon fiber trombone slide that I assemble … Continue reading →

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Instrumental Tips & Tricks

Posted on October 12, 2013 by randyjmueller

OK, so you haven’t brought your horn to the shop in HOW LONG? Your horn in important; it’s crucial to your job or your spare time, or just maybe your life. It’s the extension of your soul and it’s the … Continue reading →

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Carbon Fiber Trombone Slides Into Japan!

Posted on September 27, 2013 by randyjmueller

A happy customer is a thing of beauty and this one makes me smile. Here’s a guy who’s a freelancer in NYC, heading off to Tokyo, and he’s just gotta have a carbon fiber trombone slide to take along with … Continue reading →

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Rosslyn’s Jazz

Posted on September 14, 2013 by randyjmueller

I recently had the good fortune to attend the Rosslyn Jazz Festival on a perfect, sunny day with good friends. We found a shady spot under a tree, set up our beach chairs, grabbed a beer and waited for the … Continue reading →

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Don’t try this at home!

Posted on September 8, 2013 by randyjmueller

I’ve seen a lot. And I’ve heard a lot. Now let me tell you a few stories… I once had a 14-year-old phenom come in with a sweet vintage Conn 8D French Horn with a screw bell. The bell was stuck. In an attempt to … Continue reading →

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Flute Key Mod

Posted on August 26, 2013 by randyjmueller

This is an example of an unusual request for an extension of the G# left pinkie key on a sterling silver Vestus flute. The player couldn’t reach the key in its normal position so I created an extension that mimicked … Continue reading →

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U Saxy Thang

Posted on August 10, 2013 by randyjmueller

I’ve had the recent opportunity to work on two saxophones for some great players in “Pershing’s Own” Army Band. The first one, a Silver-plated Selmer Super Action 80 Series II Alto, came in for a complete rebuild. This included leveling the … Continue reading →

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