Lyricon
Repair

Lyricon Repairs by Bill Bernardi

UPDATE: We are very sorry pass along the news that Bill Bernardi, the genius inventor of the Lyricon wind controller, passed away on February 2nd, 2014. You can read about Bill Bernardi's passing and sign the guestbook here.

We will keep this page up for now in honor and remembrance of Lyricon inventor Bill Bernardi. But please do not contact Patchman Music regarding Lyricon repairs- we do not repair the Lyricon.

BERNARDI, William A. 79, of Norwell, passed away peacefully at home on February 2, 2014, surrounded by his loving wife and children after fighting a long battle with cancer. Bill was the beloved husband of Judy (Desmond) Bernardi and loving father of Peter Bernardi, of Norwell, Paul Bernardi of Boston and Claudia Bernardi of Norwell. He was the son of the late William and Mary Bernardi, formerly of Quincy and brother of Raymond and Gilda. Bill was born in Quincy, MA in his family home, the youngest of three children and grew up on Wollaston Beach. He entered the United States Marine Corp, stationed at Camp Lejeune at the age of 18 and served eight years prior to being honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant.

In addition to his family, friends, and growing the best tomatoes in town, music was his career and passion. Bill was the inventor of the Lyricon, an electronic wind instrument and the first wind controller to be constructed. The Lyricon was featured by notable artists including the late Chuck Greenberg of Shadowfax, Tom Scott on Grateful Dead, Terrapin Station, and Steely Dan on Peg.

Bill was very much a musical prodigy, teaching himself to play any instrument he put his mind to, including the guitar, piano, bongos, flute as well as composing his own music. Bill's connection to the Norwell community has run deep for over fifty years. In addition to being on many town boards, he was a devoted member of Saint Helen Church as well as the Churchs Choir Director. He took great pride in bringing music into other people's lives.

Published in The Boston Globe on Feb. 4, 2014

Patchman Music repairs wind controllers but generally we do not repair the Lyricon. For Lyricon repairs we endorse and highly recommend our good friend and Lyricon inventor Bill Bernardi.

The Lyricon has many proprietary parts including the breath transducer which require parts that are only available from Bill Bernardi himself. So if you are looking to have a Lyricon repaired, we strongly recommend going right to the source and having Bill Bernardi repair it.

This page has been created and maintained in cooperation with Bill Bernardi as a courtesy to him and to our customers who wish to have their Lyricons serviced.

Please Note: This page has been posted as a courtesy to our good friend Bill Bernardi. Patchman Music is not affiliated with Bill Bernardi's repair business nor is Patchman Music involved in any transactions customers might have with Bill Bernardi. If you wish to have your Lyricon fixed please read the instructions on this page and please contact Bill directly- NOT Patchman Music.

Common Problems with the Lyricon

If your Lyricon has not been played for a while there is a very good chance the breath transducer has dried up and stiffened. Signs that this has happened are either little or no response from your breath or a constant sound that cannot be turned off. In this case you need to contact Bill Bernardi for a repair as it is likely the membrane in the breath sensor needs to be replaced (as well as possibly additional work). This job is best done only by Bill himself as the material used is proprietary and near impossible to find. Only Bill can do it right!

Where can I get my Lyricon repaired?

As mentioned above, Bill Bernardi is really the only person who can do a Lyricon repair properly. Bill has recently revamped his repair shop and is now once again offering to do repairs on all Lyricon models.

Can my Lyricon be Modified and Improved?

Yes! Bill Bernardi offers optional upgrades and modifications that can offer better performance. Contact him for details and prices.

Jorrit Dijkstra's excellent Lyricon Page

The Wind Controller FAQ

Wind Controller Links Collection

Masa's Lyricon Museum (Japanese Language)

A Google Search for Lyricon

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