David Straubinger

David Straubinger – Flute maker, pad designer, repairman, and oboist. David Straubinger began piano study at age five and took up the flute at age twelve. During high school, he switched to the oboe, which he studied at the Jordan School of Music in Indianapolis and Juilliard. Following his education, he played oboe for six seasons with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. In the interest of supplementing his income, he started repairing and rebuilding instruments out of his Indianapolis home in 1969. He soon found that the flute was the most problematic instrument to repair, so he worked on patenting a new pad design that could be adjusted more precisely and more permanently. In about 1980, he patented his new pad and sold them to other repairmen, who require certification to install them. Currently the owner and operator of Straubinger Flutes in Indianapolis, Straubinger has branched out into making flutes that include his pad invention.