HMT: Repairs

House of Musical Traditions
7010 Westmoreland Ave.
Takoma Park, MD 20912
TEL: 301-270-9090
FAX: 301-270-3010
email

HOURS: 11 am - 7 pm
Tuesday through Saturday
11 am - 5 pm Sunday & Monday

Catalog > Repairs

updated February 2, 2010

We have expert repair people for most instruments, including:

Repair estimates are free except for any shipping charges incurred. Repair work will only go ahead with your approval, and we guarantee all of our repairs. How to ship an item to us for repair or appraisal.

We can also provide formal written instrument appraisals for insurance or other purposes. Please contact us with as much information as possible about the instrument and what you need the appraisal for so we can provide you with a fee for the written appraisal.

House of Musical Traditions In-Store Repairs

We can do restrings, tunings and some other minor jobs in the store. Many times we may be able to do these jobs while you wait, depending on the skills of our staff present and how busy it may be in the store at any given time. Sometimes you may be required to leave the instrument and pick it up another day. If you need a quick turnaround, please call us first and we'll let you know if we can accommodate you.

Restring labor rates (does not include cost of strings)

6-string guitar -- $20.00

12-string guitar -- $30.00

Banjo -- $15.00

Mandolin -- $25.00

Violin -- $15.00
OR, we'll show you how to do one string at no charge, and you do the rest! Restringing is an important skill to know when you play a stringed instrument.

Tuning labor rates

Autoharp -- $30.00

Lap Harp -- $15.00

Folk Harp -- $20.00

Hammered Dulcimer -- $40.00 (also includes cleaning of strings if necessary)

Other

Rope-tuned Djembe tightening -- $20.00 (first tightening is free if drum was bought here)

Guitar strap button install -- $10.00 (some strap button installs may need to be done by our luthier in which case cost can be higher)

Autoharps, Chromaharps -- Todd Crowley
Todd Crowley will be touring until September 2009. We are unable to accept autoharp repairs until that time, except for tuning/missing string replacement, which we can do in-store.

Marc Glickman works on banjos, mandolins, hammered and lap dulcimers, and performs extensive restoration on fretted instruments.

East Indian, Sitar, Tambura, Tabla, Harmonium Repairs -- John Bell
John has been handling our Indian instrument repairs since 1988. He is a professional sitar, tabla, and harmonium player. He studies once a year at the Ali Akhar Khan School of Indian Music in San Francisco as well as teaching there.

Tabla re-head -- $75.00 per drum (labor plus cost of new head)
For new straps -- add $15.00 per drum

Estimates for repairs are free. Customer is responsible for shipping, handling and insurance to and from HMT.

Rope-Pulled Hand Drum Repairs -- Brian Weber
Brian Weber is an avid percussionist who has been building and repairing hand drums since 1996. Great time, care and energy are put into each drum to ensure the best possible appearance and playability. Brian is also a local performing musician and multi-instrumentalist. He teaches guitar, bass, trumpet, piano and other brass instruments.

Total cost is a sum of Materials and Labor Cost (see below).

Materials

Drum Heads

Rope

Rings

Labor Cost

Labor Cost: $80.00 and up.

Standard labor work consists of:
Rim Finishing -- Filing and/or sanding of rim to ensure even surface area, smoothness and shape.
Oiling of Drum Body -- Boiled Linseed Oil is used to replenish the wood's oils and give the wood a subtle shine. It also brings out the wood's natural colors and leaves no oily or waxy residue.
Preparation of Head -- Soaking and stretching
Cloth Wrap all Rings -- Flesh and rope rings
Re-head -- Install new goatskin and rings
Re-rope -- Run vertical rope through all cradles on rope rings
Trim excess skin
Tighten all verticals around drum and balance out rings (3-5 times)
Dry skin until bone dry (3-7 days)
Tuning to desired tension

Wood Repair -- price will be estimated. Repair cracks, splits, holes, etc. Price dependent on work needed.

Tuning without Re-heading -- approximately $30.00. Rework all verticals, take out slack, tighten and tune to desired tension.

Free estimates are given on all work. Turnaround time depends on the extent of repairs, but is generally 2-4 weeks. Customer is responsible for shipping, handling and insurance to and from HMT.

Drum and Bamboo Flute Repairs -- Stream Tomas Ohrstrom
Stream has worked on drums and bamboo flutes since 1978. An accomplished drummer and flutist, Stream is also a highly skilled hand drum repairman and flutemaker. He repairs bodhrans, Native American drums, bongos, dumbeks, congas, and others.

Drum re-head

Estimates are free. Customer is responsible for shipping, handling and insurance to and from HMT.

Professional Music and PA Equipment Repairs -- Bill Leaf and Tom Lepson
Since 1974. Authorized factory repair for Alesis, Korg, Fender, Yamaha, Roland, Marshall and more.

Shop rate -- $55.00 per hour
Estimates for repairs -- $25.00 This charge can be applied towards your total repair bill.

Customer is responsible for shipping, handling and insurance to and from HMT.

Violins, Violas and Cellos -- Tad Marks
Tad has been with us since 2000.

Violin/Viola bow rehair -- $45.00
Cello bow rehair -- $50.00
Bass bow rehair -- $65.00
Rechamber bow -- $35.00
New violin bridge -- $45.00/students $75.00/pro musicians
New cello bridge -- $75.00
Reset soundpost -- $15.00
New violin soundpost -- $30.00
New cello soundpost -- $50.00
Violin pegs replaced -- $40.00 + cost of pegs
Cello pegs replaced -- $80.00 + cost of pegs
Violin fingerboard reglued -- $20.00
New violin fingerboard -- $75.00
New violin nut -- $40.00
Glue open seam-- $15.00
Total clean and polish on violin -- $30.00 and up
New violin tailpiece -- $20.00 - $30.00
New violin chinrest -- $20.00 - $45.00
Restring -- $40.00 + cost of strings

Estimates are free. Customer is responsible for shipping, handling and insurance to and from HMT.

Wind and Brass Instruments -- L & L Music Wind Shop
L & L Music Wind Shop in Gaithersburg, MD has been providing reputable instrument repair services in the DC Metro area for many years. Montgomery Country School System has chosen L & L for their brasswind repairs. Steve Loeb and his team provide friendly, fast service with some of the best technicians in the area specializing in woodwind and brass instruments.

Playing Condition (P/C) consists of regulating, adjusting and lubricating the instrument and replacing key corks as needed. Any pads that need to be replaced are extra.

A Repad consists of replacing all of the pads and key corks as needed, so that the instrument will look as it does now but sounds like a brand new instrument. Any tone hole or body work may be extra.

An Overhaul consists of buffing and polishing the body and keys, replacing all of the pads, and all of the corks, so that the instrument will look and sound like a brand new instrument (as long as all of the plating is still intact).

Basic pricing (subject to change without notice):

Student Flute: P/C -- $30.00 Repad -- $180.00 Overhaul -- $246.00

Open Hole Flute: P/C -- $54.00 Repad -- $246.00 Overhaul -- $348.00

Student Clarinet: P/C -- $30.00 Repad -- $168.00 Overhaul -- $228.00

Wood Clarinet: P/C -- $48.00 Repad -- $210.00 Overhaul -- $348.00

Student Oboe: P/C -- $42.00 Repad -- $350.00 Overhaul -- $550.00

Alto Sax: P/C -- $54.00 Repad -- $414.00 Overhaul -- $840.00 & up

Tenon Cork -- $12.00

Neck Cork -- $25.00

Clarinet Pad -- $6-$30.00

Flute Pad -- $6-$50.00

Sax Pad -- $6-$60.00

Trumpet/Trombone: P/C -- $36.00 Overhaul -- $600.00 & up

Pull Mouthpiece: no charge

Water Key Corks or Springs -- $6.00

Pull Frozen slides -- $12.00-$75.00

Trumpet/Trombone Chemical Clean (lacquer) -- $90.00

For brass instruments, major dent work may be extra. Price of brass overhauls are contingent upon current lacquer prices. ESTIMATES ALWAYS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

Guitar Repair Restoration and Construction -- Steve Carmody
Steve also repairs electric guitars, mandolins, banjos, bouzoukis, dulcimers and other stringed instruments. He is factory authorized for Martin Warranty Repairs.

A $5.00 shop supply fee will be charged for every $100.00 in labor, which covers supplies such as fretwire, sandpaper, etc.

Complete set up and adjustment -- $75.00 plus cost of strings

New nut -- $75.00 (additional cost for worn frets, bowed neck, or ill-fitting saddle)

New saddle -- $50.00 (additional cost for worn frets, bowed neck, or ill-fitting saddle)

Replace tuners -- $50.00 and up plus cost of tuners

Re-glue bridge -- $100.00 / 12-string: $125.00

Replace bridge -- $100.00 plus cost of bridge (about $25) / 12-string: $125.00 plus cost of bridge

Handmade bridge -- $240.00 and up, you will get a final quote

Re-set neck -- $300.00 and up

Re-fret -- $300.00 (add $50 for fretboards with binding)
Individual frets: $75 set-up cost plus $10.00 per fret

Install pickup -- $75.00-$150.00 plus cost of pickup

Install plastic banjo head -- $50.00 plus cost of head

Install skin banjo head -- $75.00 plus cost of head

Humidify guitar -- $25.00

Crack repair -- $25.00 per inch. Includes glue, brush touch-up of finish, install support cleats if necessary.

* * *

Turnaround time for pre-approved set ups, action adjustment, tuner replacement and other minor non-structural repairs is usually one week. For structural repairs, turnaround is usually 2 weeks or more. Instruments are usually picked up/returned every Monday afternoon, and occasionally on Fridays. If you require a rush job, please contact us for details. There is a $50 "rush fee" for jobs requiring a special pickup/drop-off and expedited time frame.