Repairs and Services

DBR service offerings fall into these categories:

  • Regular drop off: leave your instrument with us and it will be added to the repair queue. The repair queue can be long at certain times of the year, especially summer, but usually we can turn around an instrument in two to three weeks. You can drop off instruments any time during regular store hours. Occasionally a loan instrument is available for your use whilst we have your instrument, just ask. 
  • QTA or Quick Turn-Around services: for non-emergency cleanings, repair and modification services. This is a book ahead service so you wont  be without your instrument for an extended period of time. Click HERE for more details.
  • Expedited services:
    • Emergency Services: accidents happen and we'll do our best to help out in a pinch if we can.
    • Urgent services: for those requesting standard services in a shorter time frame.
    • Click HERE for more details.
  • Long term services: for major overhauls and custom work that takes several hours or days for completion. Long term services will be taken on during quieter times of the year, typically autumn and spring. Long term services cannot be accomplished during any school holiday period.
  • Free services: Don't break out the Vise-Grips, pliers or power tools!! A stuck mouthpiece will always be removed for free!

Shop Rate and Minimum Service Charge:

Standard Current shop rate is $156 per hour ($190 per hour expedited rate).

A ballpark estimate before work is begun can be provided upon request.

There is a minimum service charge of $39 for repairs that take 15 minutes or less. 

Repairs 15 minutes and over are charged in 5 minute increments.

Professional Cleaning:

The time to service an instrument can vary widely. An instrument that is in top working order and only needs a clean takes less time than one that has stuck slides, slide alignment problems, heavy denting and heavy lime scale buildup.

The prices below provide a rough estimate for what a service will cost, however do not include the cost of parts and materials, such as waterkey seals and valve felts. This guide is for instruments that arrive in reasonable and operating order with minor dents. Actual charge is based on the time taken for the service and replacement part costs.  Service includes:

  • Full disassembly and degreasing
  • Full ultrasonic and / or chemical cleaning of the instrument and mouthpiece
  • Inspection of springs and valve guides
  • Replacement of felts as needed and alignment of valves (additional material costs not included)
  • Restringing of rotor valves
  • Replacement of waterkey corks and springs as necessary (additional material costs not included)
  • Alignment of trombone handslides and replacement of cork barrel bumpers and floor bumper tips (additional material costs not included)
  • Removal of dents from trombone main tuning slides and goosenecks
  • Alignment of trumpet 1st and 3rd slides
  • Dent removal from accessible areas such as bells, bell stems, valve crooks and valve knuckles
  • Reassembly and lubrication
  • Quick polish of silver plated instruments (bell and open surfaces)
  • Mouthpiece dent removal and polish
  • Blow clean case 

Extra charges for badly stuck slides, difficult or major dent work, soldering, heavy tarnish or detailed silver polishing, case repair, additional parts, etc...

Noisy rotor valves can have many issues that take time to correct. Not all valves may have the same problems. The following are procedures and price estimates for services offered to keep rotor valves running at their best:

  • Replace rotor bumpers and align valves: $15 - 21.50 per valve plus material cost
  • Tighten bearings: $15 - 21.50 per valve
  • Removal of rotor end play: $29 per valve. 

Typical costs for clean and service shown below (discounts provided if your instrument is regularly maintained at DBR, in excellent condition or if minimal dent work is required):

Trumpet, cornet and flugelhorn:

  •  $180

Tenor Horn:

  • $205

Trombone - alto, tenor or bass:

  • Slide only: $145 - for beginner instruments or timed labour
  • Straight: $200 
  • 1 rotor: $240 
  • 2 rotor: $285  

French Horn:

  • Single: $215  
  • Double: $275  
  • Triple: $360  

Baritone or Euphonium:

  • 3 valve: $210  
  • 4 valve: $265  

Tuba:

Prices below are for 3 valved instruments.  Add $45 for each additional valve (for example, charges for large 6/4 sized tuba with 5 valves would be $480.

  • 3/4 BBflat, CC, EEflat, or F: $275 
  • 4/4 BBflat or CC: $320  
  • 5/4 and 6/4 BBflat or CC: $390  

    Silver Polishing:

    Detailed silver polishing is available. This involves ragging the instrument to a bright finish and getting into all those nooks and crannies. Prices listed are a typical cost estimates for the time it takes to hand polish most instruments. A lightly tarnished straight trombone can be polished in about 10 minutes whist a lightly tarnished large tuba can easily take two hours or more to just cover all surfaces. Heavily tarnished surfaces can take much more time. Time investment for polishing can vary so please ask for a quote:

    • Trumpet: $52+ (20 min. +)
    • Horn: $117+ (45 min. +)
    • Trombone: $39+ (15 min +)
    • Euphonium: $117+ (45 min +)
    • Tubas: $156+ (1 hour +)