Devon Music Service
Instrument hire service
Turn on to music - take the plunge, without the risk!
Would you like your child to have the chance to learn a musical instrument but are not sure you can take the risk of buying one? Our instrument hire service is designed with beginners in mind.
We want more Devon children to take up musical instruments, so we offer low-cost hire to encourage beginners to take their first steps in music without the expense of buying an instrument right at the start.
We can arrange hire throughout the school year. Just contact us when you know that lessons will be starting and we can arrange for the instrument to be delivered to your child's school or you can pick it up from our store in Exeter. It's flexible, convenient and excellent value.
If your child is a pupil of a Devon County Council maintained school, you can hire an instrument from us for them to use. The school has to sign up to the service and then you can apply direct to us for hire. We deliver instruments to the school and collect them from the school when the hire ends; it’s easy!
You can start to hire at any point during the year if we have an instrument available - we charge by the calendar month, subject to a minimum hire charge.
Length of hire
The hire service gives children a first chance to try an instrument. We expect that you will wish to buy a new or more advanced instrument as your child progresses and that you will return the hire instrument to us so that we can offer the chance to another pupil. For that reason, the hire charges increase from the twelfth month of hire. Our hire instruments are not available for sale!
We charge for hire by the calendar month or part month with a minimum charge of four months’ hire. The hire charges are shown below. These charges are per calendar month or part month of hire and they will only apply to the first twelve months of new hires starting in September 2009.
| Strings | |
| Violin | £5.12 |
| Viola | £5.12 |
| Cello | £5.12 |
| Double Bass | special price below! |
| Woodwind | |
| Flute | £10.25 |
| Clarinet | £5.12 |
| Oboe | special price below! |
| Bassoon | special price below! |
| Saxophone (alto) | £10.25 |
| Saxophone (tenor) | £10.25 |
| Brass | |
| Trumpet | £5.12 |
| Cornet | £5.12 |
| Tenor Horn | £5.12 |
| Baritone | £5.12 |
| Euphonium | special price below! |
| French Horn | special price below! |
| Trombone | special price below! |
| Tuba | special price below! |
We do not offer guitars or electronic keyboards for hire, as beginner instruments can be bought at low cost. Please ask the music teacher to recommend suitable instruments.
Special prices for special instruments!
For Bassoon, Oboe, French Horn, Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba or Double Bass, the cost of hire for the period September 2009-July 2010 will be a single charge of £20.00. This is a fixed charge, with no reduction for a shorter hire period.
Concessionary hire charge
If the pupil is eligible for free school meals, we offer hire of any instrument for the period September 2009-July 2010 for a single charge of £20.00. Children in care are eligible to hire instruments free of charge subject to the receipt of a signed hire agreement from the carer.
You will need to send us details of how the pupil is eligible for free school meals when you request an instrument for hire.
- Find out how to request an instrument for hire
