STOCK UPDATE
The following instruments are currently Out of Stock and therefore unavailable for hire:
| Instrument | Size / Type |
|---|---|
| Cello | Three Quarter & Full Size |
| Double Bass | All Sizes |
| French Horn | All Types |
| Saxophone | All Types |
| Violin | Full Size |
Please note that our stock is limited and not likely to change in the foreseeable future. If you still require an instrument, you may wish to consider contacting an alternative supplier, such as Musical Instrument Hire Co., Normans Musical Instruments, Howarth London or Dawkes Music.
INSTRUMENT HIRE
EMS offers comprehensive instrument hire and purchase services for pupils and students living in Ealing or attending Ealing schools.
For pupils starting a new instrument, it makes sense to start with a hired instrument, especially for younger children who might start with scaled-down string instruments and work their way up to the full-size instruments as they grow.
Instrument Hire
EMS hires instruments at the highly subsidised rates shown in the table below. Instruments are hired on a school term basis, the hire charge covering the current school term plus the following holiday period and two weeks into the following term to allow for returns. After this period the hire charge for the following term will fall due.
Payment for instrument hires is by Direct Debit, with payments managed by Ealing Corporate Collections. The hirer completes a Direct Debit Bank Mandate to authorise a payment covering each school term, and this continues until the instrument is returned.
Hiring an Instrument requires two forms to be completed:
Please complete these in advance of your appointment and bring a copy of the Direct Debit mandate with you on the day. You will not be able to hire an instrument without doing so.
Instruments are issued and returned through the Ealing Music Service office in the Dominion Centre in Southall.
Attendance is by appointment only. Please click here to make an appointment.
| Instruments for Hire | Termly Charge 2022/23 |
Termly Charge 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|
| Djembe, Tabla, Viola, Violin | £23 | £24 |
| Cello, Clarinet, Cornet, Flute, Saxophone (Alto), Santoor, Sitar, Trumpet, Trombone | £28 | £29 |
| Bassoon, Double Bass, French Horn, Oboe | £37 | £38 |
Please note that EMS does not hire Guitars, Recorders or Ukuleles as it is cheaper to buy those outright.
For advice on buying a guitar, please see EMS416 Advice on buying a Guitar for Beginners.pdf
Choosing and Caring for your Instrument
Choosing an instrument to learn can be quite daunting. Parents might consider type of instrument (wind, strings, brass, percussion, etc., ) and what type of ensemble – group, band or orchestra – their child might enjoy playing in (ome instruments are perfectly suited to playing alone; others are at their best when playing as part of a group). However, what is most important is that it is an instrument that excites and stimulates their child, so that practice at home, playing with others and music-making in general is a pleasure that becomes part of their life. For more advice see Choosing an Instrument
Brass and woodwind instruments have standard sizes however String instruments – Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass – come in different sizes.
If you are hiring a stringed instrument, please bring the child with you when you collect the instrument so we can ensure you are offered the right size instrument .
If this is not possible, then you will need to know the length of your child’s outstretched arm from neck to wrist.
As children grow they will need to move on to a larger sized instrument – their instrument teacher will advise on this – at which point hirers can simply return the instrument and exchange it for the next size up. There is no charge for this.
We would like you to take good care of your instrument.
Here are some advice notes which describe how to look after your instrument and what to do if you have a problem:
Hirers are required to care for their instruments and return them in the same condition as they were hire.
‘Fair wear and tear’ is allowed for – chips to varnish, worn pads, etc. HOWEVER the hirer is liable for the full cost of any repairs required to enable the instrument to be rehired, and the full cost of replacement if the instrument is lost.
EMS DOES NOT insure instruments on hire; accordingly it is the hirers responsibility to insure the instrument.
The simplest way to insure an instrument is through a home contents or renters insurance policy. We recommend that Hirers check if this is possible (you may need to add the instrument as a named item). Alternatively, companies which offer instrument insurance include: