Thank you for purchasing a flute from Okubo Gakki. Proper daily care is essential to ensuring you enjoy playing your flute. Here, we’ve summarized how to assemble your instrument and how to care for it on a daily basis.
The text in red indicates points that require special attention. Please be sure to read through them before using your instrument!
《How to Assemble Your Flute》
* Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before handling the instrument. If a sink is not nearby, use a wet wipe or handkerchief to thoroughly wipe away any sweat from your palms. Sweat from your hands not only causes dirt to accumulate on the body of the instrument and damages the plating, but can also lead to key malfunctions.
● When removing the instrument from its case, be careful not to grip the keys or the lip plate.
● Please be careful not to hold the instrument while wearing rings, as you may scratch it without even realizing it.
● Inside the tube between the head cap and the lip plate on the headjoint, there is a cork stopper and a reflector plate. If the reflector plate is misaligned, it will throw off the intonation balance. 
● There is a single line on the tip of the cleaning rod. You can use this to easily check whether the cork stopper or baffle plate has shifted out of position.
Gently insert the end of the cleaning rod with the line marked on it until the tip touches the reflector plate.
If the line on the cleaning rod aligns with the center hole in the lip plate (the center of the playing hole), the position is correct. If it is offset to either the left or right, have it checked at a music store.
We do not recommend adjusting it yourself. If the head cap is loose, simply tighten it slightly.
●If even a small piece of debris remains on the joint before connecting the sections, it can cause scratches, make the connection too tight, or even prevent the pieces from coming apart.
Before assembling, always wipe both the inside and outside of the joint with a clean cloth.
●Assemble the foot joint and main tube. Gently hold the core of the key between your index finger and thumb on each hand, as if wrapping it. Be very careful not to connect them at an angle. If you bring the joint to the front of your body before connecting, you’ll be able to insert it straight.
The reference point is when the center of the key cup on the footjoint’s shaft aligns in a straight line with the center of the key cup on the main tube.
● Assemble the main tube and the headjoint. Gently hold the main tube by the section with fewer keys, and hold the headjoint while avoiding the lip plate. To ensure you do not connect them at an angle, hold the instrument in front of you and connect them straight.
The reference point is the position where the center of the mouthpiece and the center of the key cup on the main tube align on the same straight line.
● The joint is a very delicate part; connecting it at an angle will cause it to bend. This affects the airflow and prevents the instrument from maintaining proper intonation and tone, so please exercise extreme caution when assembling and disassembling the instrument.
《Care After Playing》
● Disassemble the instrument with the same care you used when assembling it, paying close attention to the keys. When disassembling, hold the instrument in front of you and rotate it slightly while pulling it out to avoid pulling the parts out at an angle.
● Gently insert one end of a soft, clean gauze (such as a gauze handkerchief with sewn edges) into the hole of the cleaning rod, then cover the rod so the tip does not protrude. While rotating the cleaning rod in one direction, wrap the gauze around it to ensure the rod remains completely covered.
● Wipe away moisture from inside the tube by rotating the cleaning rod in the same direction you used to wrap the gauze around it. If moisture in the headjoint is difficult to remove, leave the end of the gauze that was initially threaded through the cleaning rod sticking out when you wrap the gauze around it. After rotating in the same direction as the gauze wrap once, rotate slightly in the opposite direction, then rotate in the same direction again to thoroughly wipe away the moisture.
● Replace the gauze regularly. If the gauze frays or tears, replace it with a new one.
* Water droplets continue to accumulate inside the tubing even while you’re playing. To prevent problems, be sure to wipe down the headjoint—where water tends to accumulate most—even during breaks in your practice.
● If moisture accumulates on the pads after playing for a long time, use cleaning paper to remove it. Insert the cleaning paper between the pad and the tone hole, then move the key back and forth a few times.
When doing this, do not pull the cleaning paper while the key is closed. Not only will this damage the pad, but the cleaning paper may tear and get stuck to the pad.
● There are cleaning papers on the market that contain powder [Pow○er Pe▲r], but we do not recommend them.
*Even if the stickiness subsides temporarily, the powder left on the pads will attract moisture and dirt, shortening the pads’ lifespan and causing the instrument to go out of tune.
● Since flute pads are extremely delicate, frequent use of cleaning paper can damage the pad’s surface and shorten its lifespan.
Reserve the use of cleaning paper for when moisture gets on the pads.
● Wipe the instrument with a soft, clean cloth. The keys and cups are very delicate.
When wiping the cups, gently wipe in the direction of the arrow.
● If sweat or oils from your hands are difficult to remove, fill a commercially available spray bottle with disinfectant ethanol (anhydrous ethanol must be diluted), lightly spray the cloth, and then wipe the instrument.
●When wiping the instrument, the cloth or your fingers may catch on something, causing the spring to come loose. If you suddenly notice that the instrument is only producing strange sounds, the spring may have come loose—please have it checked at a music store.
● While polishing compounds can be used to remove dullness or discoloration from keys and the instrument body, they can seep into the gaps between key pipes, causing the keys to malfunction, or adhere to the pads and damage them. It’s best to have your instrument polished at a music store whenever possible.
● If you want to clean it yourself, please pay close attention to the following points.
・Do not apply the polish directly to the instrument. Instead, work a very small amount (about the size of a grain of rice) into a soft, fine-weave cloth before polishing.
・Extra caution is required when polishing the keys. Even a small amount of polish that seeps into the gaps in the key pipes can cause the keys to malfunction. Not only should you avoid the gaps, but you should also avoid polishing the keys themselves too vigorously.
・Make sure no polish gets on the pads.
・Be sure to wipe the instrument dry with a clean cloth afterward, and use a cotton swab or similar tool on small crevices to ensure no polish residue remains.
● Gently place the instrument into a case that fits properly.
If there is any play between the instrument and the case, the instrument is more susceptible to vibration during transport, which can cause the tuning to go out of adjustment.
● Are the footjoint and headjoint oriented correctly? Surprisingly, many people seem to store the headjoint incorrectly—perhaps because it fits inside the case even when inserted upside down. Please store it correctly in the case to avoid putting strain on the lip plate or keys.
● Do not close the case with sheet music or other objects on top of the instrument. This can cause the keys to warp and throw the instrument off balance.
● Be careful not to forget to close the case’s zipper or latches! Get into the habit of closing the zipper and latches immediately after placing the instrument in the case!
● Do not leave damp gauze or similar items inside the case or inside the instrument’s tubing. Moisture can easily throw off the instrument’s tuning and cause mold. Place used gauze in the pocket of the case cover.
● When stepping away from your instrument, wipe off any moisture before storing it in its case. Stepping away from your instrument means you’re not playing it.
Do not leave your instrument unprotected with moisture still on it.
● Do not leave your instrument unattended on a chair or desk. This is extremely dangerous.
● Do not place your instrument in a bicycle basket, on a car dashboard, or on a train’s overhead rack. Vibrations can cause the instrument’s tuning to go out of adjustment. Be sure to carry it over your shoulder or take other measures to minimize the transmission of vibrations to the instrument.
● Even when it’s not the hottest time of summer, the inside of a car can become extremely hot. Do not leave your instrument in a car, as this can damage the pads.
What did you think?
That concludes the basic care instructions for the flute.
Even when you know better, do you ever find yourself neglecting maintenance?
Regular maintenance ensures your adjustments last longer and keeps repair costs down.
Learn the proper care methods and enjoy your playing.