The Clarinet Web Site

How to book the service

To access this service, and to ensure customer satisfaction, there is a quick Internet booking facility for overhauling and improving clarinets at a reasonable cost, with a commitment to the completion time.

If you are unsure whether your instrument needs an overhaul, a unique "testing service" is available for a minimal charge of just £25 or €35 (plus return shipping charges). This will provide the owner with a detailed report of the work required, and will involve some oiling and small adjustments.

To achieve this standard takes many hours of detailed and precise work, and unlike any other repair facility, you can actually see the improvement on our Magnahelic testing machine. This will show the amount of leak your instrument has on arrival and the complete airtight seal completion of the work giving you the satisfaction of knowing the work has been undertaken and that you now have the best possible instrument to improve your performances.

The overhaul costs including the above detailed work are as follows:

B flat/ A clarinet	£399
E flat clarinet	£450
Basset Horn	£650
Bass Clarinet	£800

Additional costs may be incurred should any unexpected faults be discovered during the overhaul process.

Standard padding (cork and leather) costs can be quoted on application.

Other work charged at specific rates:

Crack repair (not requiring tone hole replacement)	£40
Re cork of tenon/mouthpiece	£20
Supply and fit Kooiman Etude II thumbrest	£40
Additional key or key re-profiling POA (charged @ hourly rate)	£40
Re tuning - undertaken with the player (charged @ hourly rate)	£40
Supply & fit improved register tube	£40
Collection and delivery - priced per article with trackable courier (starting from)	£13

There is a currently a waiting list so customers are advised to book early.

To discuss your needs further, contact Andrew Roberts via or via his UK personal telephone +44 7968 555 534

Endorsements

"I really can't recommend the Andrew Roberts Clarinet Service enough, the difference in my clarinets and how they play is remarkable. My clarinets had been slowly getting worse since I got them in 2008, and then my teacher recommended Andy's service as they were really quite hard to play and were playing very flat. When I took them to Andy, he was really helpful and explained the whole process of what he was going to do, at which point I realised that I was losing 80% of my air in one joint just because it didn't seal properly! He also pointed out some key maintenance that I could carry out myself in future to help keep my clarinets in optimum condition. The equipment that he has got is really quite impressive, some of which is custom made by Andy himself for the purpose. After the service, I could not believe the difference! My clarinets are now so much easier to play and take so little effort at all, in fact, they take less effort than when they were brand new! Challenging pieces of music in terms of stamina are much more do-able now and the tuning matter is completely fixed! I really can't recommend this service enough. Other services that I've had before on my clarinets from other music repairers do not compare at all to the precision, professionalism and care that Andy gives. I really would recommend it to any serious clarinettist."
Lauren Dennelly Birmingham Conservatoire Student

"I have known Andrew personally and as a clarinetist of the highest calibre for the the last 25 years. It was for this reason that I chose him to work on my instruments; he is a performer who understands others needs and expectations.
He was always interested in the mechanics of the clarinet and experimenting on his own instruments in those early days and has since gone onto develop that passion into a real expertise and service to others.
I was shocked to discover, using the latest technology, how my well worn instrument had a leakage of 50%!
Using his new pads it sealed perfectly and immediately performed wonderfully on a humid tour of Thailand and the dry Middle East. Better than the day I bought them in fact.
I have no hesitation in endorsing and recommending ARCS to anyone who is serious about improving their instruments and making their performing life easier."
Nicholas Foster

"My clarinet had been becoming progressively hard to play over about three years. Andy repaired a small crack, as well as replacing corks, felt, pads, work on tone holes etc. It now feels and plays like a completely different instrument - extremely quiet mechanism, blows freely, overall feel of the instrument - and he even improved things which I didn't realise needed improving! Excellent - thoroughly recommend it (and already have!)."
Lyndsay Wyer

"Les Craven had told me about Andy's unique method of overhauling clarinets at a time when my E flat was in need of repair. When I got it back it was literally like a different instrument - far better than new. It is testimony to how pleased I was that within 2 weeks of this I had booked in my B flat and A clarinets for the same treatment. I now have them back and they are playing better than I knew clarinets could play. Now that Andy has attended to all the sealing and venting I feel that an obstacle between myself and the music has been removed. It is his attention to tiny detail that makes the huge difference. I would recommend this service to anyone who is serious about getting the best out of themselves and their instrument."
Jane Calderbank.
Glyndebourne Touring Opera

"I would like to recommend the clarinet overhaul to any professional clarinettist. Andy's service is excellent; it covers every single aspect with great detail and care to ensure that the instrument plays to its full potential. Now my clarinet is air-tight it allows me to persuade it to play in the way that I want it to. It responds instantly at all ranges and dynamics and is no longer stuffy and resistant The main difference is being able to perform without being distracted by the flaws of the clarinet-I no longer have noisy keys or poor intonation that I have to compensate for. Thework on the tone holes has improved the intonation vastly and it is such a nice change to play a clarinet that is actually in tune! Aside from the brilliant technical work, Andy sent my clarinet back beautifully polished and looking brand new!"
Emily Heathcote

"I almost didn’t believe they were my clarinets when I opened the box - they looked at least 10 years younger! Andrew has done a great job with my Selmer Recital clarinets. I am very fond of these instruments, but after 15 years of heavy professional use, they were getting to the stage where I thought they might be approaching retirement if something wasn’t done soon, and now they have been given a new lease of life. On an aesthetic level they look wonderful. I have had quite a few keys re-plated and the rest have been polished to a lovely shine. But the best improvement is in their feel when I play. Andrew has regulated the key-work and springing so that they feel even and responsive, without any slack. The pads seal perfectly so that the instruments respond immediately at every dynamic level.
Some excellent repairers have worked on my clarinets in the past, but I think that Andrew’s attention to detail and, (as a fine clarinettist himself) his knowledge of what sounds and feels right, makes his repair service special. I don’t think my clarinets have ever been this good."
Daniel Rye
Freelance clarinettist

'I instantly recognised a vast improvement when playing my clarinet after Andrew's overhaul. I could finally hear my true sound without the interference of the clicks of keywork that I previously had, and with this I am able to achieve a lot more variety to the colour of sound. The perfect seal that Andrew has achieved enables legato lines over large leaps very smoothly. I would recommend this service to any serious minded clarinettist completely.'
Tom Jackson
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

When I attended the Clarinet Summer School last year I was thinking about changing my clarinet. Many people, including Les Craven commented on the nice tone of my instrument, but it was a shame that it didn’t seal very well, amongst other things!
The key-work had too much play in, the tones holes were damaged, springs were too weak screws randomly loosened themselves. When it was tested by Wolfgang Lohff on his machine, my clarinet had the worst seal on the course, all this and my clarinet is less than four years old.
Deciding I loved my clarinet (and couldn’t afford a new one) I turned to Andy’s overhaul service and was astounded at the difference it made. Within a week Andy transformed my clarinet from a tired intermediate instrument with a nice tone, to a fully responsive, non wobbly and 100% airtight sealing top notch instrument.
It plays better now than when I first bought the instrument.
The overhaul has meant that I no longer have to worry if my clarinet will respond properly, and I can now concentrate on my performance with a confidence in my instrument I’ve never had before.
Elizabeth Prayle

" I certainly noticed the difference to my elderly 1010s after Andy's extensive overhaul. Not only did the clarinets look much better, but the tone seemed more mellow and focused. The intonation of a few notes which I had previously been unhappy with was improved, and the sound seemed freer, particularly in the altissimo register. This was definetely money well spent."
Neill Carroll

"Since having my clarinet overhauled by Andrew Roberts I have noticed a huge improvement in my instrument's performance and, as a result, my standard of performance. I hadn't realised that my ten year old Leblanc Opus had so many small imperfections that were making my life as a musician more difficult than it needed to be.
Before it's service the most noticeable problem was the noisiness of the keys, but the keywork is now virtually silent. The smooth keywork action has made my legato playing much more fluent, and playing really smoothly over the break and in other difficult areas now seems effortless. As there is much less movement in the keys I find that my fingers can relax more as they have to travel smaller distances.
Another huge difference has been the improved tuning in all registers, most noticeably on the throat notes and the altissimo notes. I used to have to compensate quite noticeably to make these notes reasonably in tune, but I now find that I can play with the same embouchure and set up on all notes without having to adjust in order to be in tune. When my friends and colleagues have tried the instrument they have immediately commented on the marked improvement that this service has made and I would highly recommend it to anyone... you will feel like you have a brand new instrument in perfect playing order! I think it's a small price to pay for such a thorough overhaul and I'm already saving to have my other clarinets done! "
Jude Hood

"I'd like to whole-heartedly recommend Andy's clarinet overhaul service.  Like many, I was sceptical to begin with, as I've had my clarinet looked at several times at different places. With a fair amount of money spent so far, I didn't know if it was worth trying again.  Nevertheless, as I am starting a short one-year postgraduate course, I felt it was worth a shot, and can honestly say I am really pleased. 
My clarinet plays like a dream, the best it's ever sounded and I feel the most comfortable I've ever been with it. It's had such a thorough job done, I know I'll be good to go for several years.  Plus, with the long guarantee ( 3years) I trust that he's done his best and that if anything were to go wrong, it will be put right at no extra cost.
I also really appreciated the time Andy took with me to explain what would need to be done, why it was necessary, and how it could help, and learnt a great deal.  Some might say that the best players can play on any instrument and make it work beautifully, however, for the less super-human clarinettists among us...a kickstart from a real working instrument is priceless."
Natasha

Terms & Conditions for repairs/overhauls

Payment is due as soon as work is completed and an invoice has been issued, normally we would expect payment within 7 days.

Collection and delivery can be arranged, usually with DHL, at the customers cost. Collections will require someone to be available during the day between 9am-5.30pm.

Insurance cover for the instruments is the customers responsibility, both for shipping, and during the time they are in the workshop.

Instruments and mouthpieces are available on a trial basis for one week after receipt. Should they be returned to ARCS, the customers will be asked to pay the shipping costs for delivery and return. Any items damaged in transit must be immediately reported on receipt.

The 3 year warranty does not cover any cracking of the wood body or barrels or the keywork plating.