Rentals

Chimes Rental Scheme is highly regarded by our customers and has recently received praise in the London Portrait magazine:

Isn’t it always the way that children want to play an instrument until just after you’ve bought it – and then announce that they want to play something different! That’s why we adore Chimes Music Shop; they have a hire service available for children, so they can try an instrument for a few months before buying.

We offer a range of student model instruments for rental to children on a range of string, woodwind and brass instruments. This enables your child to try out an instrument without the commitment of buying it outright initially. Our staff will assess the correct size of the instrument for your child which can be changed at any point during the contract.

We are now offering 10% discount on sheet music and accessories to all of our rental customers. This discount is also available online. You will need to create an account and then email [email protected] so we can check your eligibility and apply the discount to your account for future orders. Rentals are available across the three Chimes Music branches. For further information, please complete the contact form or call your closest branch:

Barbican Chimes: 020 7588 9242
Kensington Chimes: 020 7589 9054

All instruments are rented on a rolling three month contract. An initial payment of three months is taken for violins and an initial payment of six months for all other instruments.

You can buy your rental instrument at any time – please contact the branch you are renting from to see what the price would be. Please be aware that we are unable to take back purchased instruments as part-payment on a larger size or more expensive model.

Please note that the parent or legal guardian of the child must sign all rental contracts, and you must bring two forms of identification in order to complete the contract – one form of photographic identification (e.g. passport or driving license) and one other item which acts as proof of address (e.g. council tax bill or bank statement etc). We are currently only able to rent out instruments for children.

Listed below are the rental prices per quarter (three months) of our instruments. If you are after a specific model and /or size, it is advisable to phone ahead to reserve.

String Instruments

Our staff can assess the correct size of the instrument for your child and the size can be changed at any time during the contract.

• Violas (all sizes) and violins strung as violas are available on request.
• All hired instruments are available for purchase. Prices given on request.
• All instruments can be fitted with a professional quality set of strings (i.e. Dominant, Jargar, Pirastro) at an additional cost. A discount of 20% will be given on the normal retail price of a full set.

More information

Woodwind & Brass Instruments

More information – woodwind or brass

Rental payments are non-refundable, and are taken at the start of every three month period. Should there be any problems with your instrument please get in touch with the shop you are renting from and we will either repair or replace the instrument. Should the problem require being sent away to a professional, we will endeavour to provide you with a like-for-like replacement in the meantime. Please note that this is subject to availability, and we would recommend phoning ahead.

Should your instrument be damaged, lost, or stolen within the rental period you are financially responsible for repairing or replacing the instrument. All of the prices are explained at the point of renting and can later be found on your contract. If you are at all unsure, please contact the shop you rented from. Repairs will usually be arranged through our own professional repairers, but you are welcome to use another repairer as long as the instrument is returned to us in a playable condition.

Please note that many instruments have wearable elements, such as strings or reeds, which are your responsibility to replace as needed. Both strings and reeds come with a 20% discount when buying a full set or pack and you can also buy these individually as needed.