In most cases it's unlikely that the player should need to be able to remove the wheel. However, the builder and the restorer/repair person are going to find life a lot easier if the wheel can be removed.
Here are just a few of the reasons: - to be able to service or replace the bearings - to be able to repair, resurface or replace the wheel if something catastrophic should happen to it - to be able to get inside the body for making repairs: the wheel hole is the largest opening into body, and is relatively centrally located - to have a clear field to work when finishing or refinishing the instrument The thought of making an instrument with a non-removable wheel makes me somewhat dizzy, especially after removing (with some difficulty) the permanently mounted wheels of older instruments. Alden > Hello, George Leverett and I are wondering why some players prefer to be > able to remove the wheel? It seems to be a preference for some, but we've > not found the reasons why. He's busy building and shipping instruments, so I > thought I'd ask on his behalf, as I'm curious as well. > Thanks a lot. > Matthew > >
