Prelude strings are the educator’s preferred choice for student strings due to their unique blend of warm tone, durability, and value. Prelude strings have the warmest sound available in an affordable, solid steel core string design. Unaffected by temperature and humidity changes, they have excellent bow response.
Scaled to fit 4/4 size cello with a playing length of 27 1/2 inches (700mm), these medium tension strings are optimized to the needs of a majority of players.
Price range: £14.00 through £64.00
Specifications
If you’re hiring a musical instrument, you have the option to buy it later instead of returning it.
The purchase price shown below is before any deductions are applied.
Please note: This is not a hire purchase agreement. The purchase option applies for a maximum period of six months only, and no further payments will be deducted once this period has ended.
Purchasing your flute
You can purchase your hire flute. At any point during your agreement you can contact us to arrange the purchase. All of the payments made, up to a maximum of six months, will contribute towards the purchase price listed below.
Simply email or phone us, and we’ll arrange the rest. All purchased instruments are guaranteed for one year after the purchase date.
| Flute | Purchase |
|---|---|
| Jupiter JFL511 Reconditioned | £299 |
| Jupiter JFL700 Reconditioned | £349 |
| Jupiter JFL700 New | £469 |
| Trevor James 10X II Reconditioned | £299 |
| Trevor James 10XE Reconditioned | £349 |
| Trevor James 10XE New | £499 |
| Yamaha YFL211 Reconditioned | £369 |
| Yamaha YFL212 Reconditioned | £499 |
| Yamaha YFL212 New | £649 |
| Jupiter JFL511 Curved Head | £329 |
| Trevor James 10X Curved Head | £379 |
| Yamaha YFL211 Curved Head | £399 |
| Trevor James Cantabile Flute Reconditioned | £749 |
| Yamaha YFL311 & YFL371 Reconditioned | £799 |
Purchasing Your Trumpet or Cornet
You can purchase your hire trumpet or cornet. At any point during your agreement you can contact us to arrange the purchase. All of the payments made, up to a maximum of six months, will contribute towards the purchase price listed below.
Simply email or phone us, and we’ll arrange the rest. All purchased instruments are guaranteed for one year after the purchase date.
| Trumpet/Cornet | Purchase |
|---|---|
| John Packer JP051 Trumpet - New | £189 |
| John Packer JP051 Trumpet - Reconditioned | £149 |
| John Packer JP171 Cornet - New | £289 |
| John Packer JP171 Cornet - Reconditioned | £249 |
| Elkhart 100TR Trumpet - New | £249 |
| Elkhart 100TR Trumpet - Reconditioned | £199 |
| Jupiter JTR500 Trumpet - New | £489 |
| Jupiter JTR500 Trumpet - Reconditioned | £329 |
| Jupiter JTR300 Trumpet | £239 |
| Jupiter JCR520 Cornet - Reconditioned | £239 |
| Yamaha YTR1335 Trumpet - Reconditioned | £299 |
| Yamaha YTR2335 Trumpet - Reconditioned | £349 |
Purchasing your Clarinet
You can purchase your hire Clarinet. At any point during your agreement you can contact us to arrange the purchase. All of the payments made, up to a maximum of six months, will contribute towards the purchase price listed below.
Simply email or phone us, and we’ll arrange the rest. All purchased instruments are guaranteed for one year after the purchase date.
| Clarinet | Purchase |
|---|---|
| Jupiter JCL631 Reconditioned | £219 |
| Jupiter JCL700 Reconditioned | £389 |
| Jupiter JCL700 New | £547 |
| Yamaha YCL250 Reconditioned | £299 |
| Yamaha YCL255 Reconditioned | £389 |
| Yamaha YCL255 New | £575 |
| Buffet B12 Reconditioned | £269 |
| Buffet Prodige Reconditioned | £389 |
| Buffet Prodige New | £529 |
| Buffet E11 | £649 |
Purchasing your cello
You can purchase your hire cello. At any point during your agreement you can contact us to arrange the purchase. All of the payments made, up to a maximum of six months, will contribute towards the purchase price listed below.
Simply email or phone us, and we’ll arrange the rest. All purchased instruments are guaranteed for one year after the purchase date.
| Cello | Purchase |
|---|---|
| 1/8 Cello | Hire Only |
| 1/4 Cello | Hire Only |
| 1/2 Cello | Hire Only |
| 3/4 Cello | Hire Only |
| Reconditioned Stentor I 4/4 Cello (Inc full workshop set up, case, P&H bow, D'Addario Prelude Strings & rosin) | £677 |
| Brand New Stentor I 4/4 Cello (Inc full workshop set up, case, P&H bow, D'Addario Prelude Strings & rosin) | £838 |
| Reconditioned Stentor II 4/4 Cello (Inc full workshop set up, case, P&H bow, D'Addario Helicore Strings & rosin) | £777 |
| Brand New Stentor II 4/4 Cello (Inc full workshop set up, case, P&H bow, D'Addario Helicore Strings & rosin) | £1048 |
| Reconditioned Conservatoire 4/4 Cello (Inc full workshop set up, case, P&H bow, D'Addario Helicore Strings & rosin) | £1248 |
| New Conservatoire 4/4 Cello (Inc full workshop set up, case, P&H bow, D'Addario Helicore Strings & rosin) | £1748 |
| European 'B' Grade 4/4 Cello (Inc full workshop set up, case, P&H bow, D'Addario Helicore Strings & rosin) | £650 |
| European 4/4 Cello | £799 |
Purchasing your Saxophone
You can purchase your hire Saxophone. At any point during your agreement you can contact us to arrange the purchase. All of the payments made, up to a maximum of six months, will contribute towards the purchase price listed below.
Simply email or phone us, and we’ll arrange the rest. All purchased instruments are guaranteed for one year after the purchase date.
| Saxophone | Purchase |
|---|---|
| Trevor James Alphasax | Hire Only |
| New John Packer JP041 Alto Saxophone | £425 |
| Reconditioned John Packer JP041 Alto Saxophone | £349 |
| New Elkhart 100AS Alto Saxophone | £459 |
| Reconditioned Elkhart100AS Alto Saxophone | £399 |
| New J Michael Alto Saxophone | £529 |
| Reconditioned J Michael Alto Saxophone | £449 |
| New Jupiter JAS500 Alto Saxophone | £789 |
| Reconditioned Jupiter JAS567 Alto Saxophone | £499 |
| New Trevor James "The Horn" Alto Saxophone | £579 |
| Reconditioned Trevor James "The Horn" Alto Saxophone | £429 |
| Yamaha YAS275 Alto Saxophone | £849 |
All flutes have a lip plate and riser to blow across. The material they are made with can make a huge difference to the sound of the flute.
Most student flutes have historically only had silver plated lip plate and riser, but now quality student flute will often have .925 silver plates and riser.
Simply, pure silver would be too soft and easily damaged. When 92.5% of pure silver is mixed with 7.5% of other metals (often copper, nickel or zinc) the resulting alloy is called sterling silver. ... In other words, .925 is the same as sterling silver, but not solid and therefore no stamp.
Purchasing your keyboard
You can purchase your hire keyboard. At any point during your agreement you can contact us to arrange the purchase. All of the payments made, up to a maximum of six months, will contribute towards the purchase price listed below.
Simply email or phone us, and we’ll arrange the rest. All purchased instruments are guaranteed for one year after the purchase date.
| Keyboard | Purchase |
|---|---|
| Yamaha NP11/12 (Including stand & sustain pedal) | £199 |
| Brand New Yamaha NP12 (Including stand & sustain pedal) | £249 |
| Yamaha NP31/32 (Including stand & sustain pedal) | £299 |
| Brand New Yamaha NP32 (Including stand & sustain pedal) | £359 |
Purchasing your trombone
You can purchase your hire trombone. At any point during your agreement you can contact us to arrange the purchase. All of the payments made, up to a maximum of six months, will contribute towards the purchase price listed below.
Simply email or phone us, and we’ll arrange the rest. All purchased instruments are guaranteed for one year after the purchase date.
| Trombone | Purchase |
|---|---|
| John Packer JP031 | £199 |
| Jupiter JSL432 | £249 |
| Yamaha YSL 354 | £319 |
Purchasing your acoustic guitar.
You can purchase your hire acoustic guitar. At any point during your agreement you can contact us to arrange the purchase. All of the payments made, up to a maximum of six months, will contribute towards the purchase price listed below.
Simply email or phone us, and we’ll arrange the rest. All purchased instruments are guaranteed for one year after the purchase date.
| Acoustic Guitar | Purchase |
|---|---|
| Yamaha F310 | n/a |
| Yamaha FG700ms | n/a |
| Epiphone J200 | n/a |
| Alba 1/2 | n/a |
| Alba 3/4 | n/a |
| Admira Almeria 4/4 | n/a |
Purchasing your electric guitar
You can purchase your hire electric guitar. At any point during your agreement you can contact us to arrange the purchase. All of the payments made, up to a maximum of six months, will contribute towards the purchase price listed below.
Simply email or phone us, and we’ll arrange the rest. All purchased instruments are guaranteed for one year after the purchase date.
| Electric Guitar | Purchase |
|---|---|
| Squier Bullet Stratocaster (including amp, case, cable, & plectrum) | £199 |
| New Squier Bullet Stratocaster (including amp, case, cable, & plectrum) | £259 |
| Squier Bullet Telecaster (including amp, case, cable, & plectrum) | £199 |
| New Squier Bullet Telecaster (including amp, case, cable, & plectrum) | £259 |
| Epiphone Les Paul Standard (including amp, case, cable, & plectrum) | £450 |
| Squier MINI Bullet Stratocaster (including amp, case, cable, & plectrum) | £199 |
| New Squier MINI Bullet Stratocaster (including amp, case, cable, & plectrum) | £259 |
Purchasing your drum kit
You can purchase your hire drum kit. At any point during your agreement you can contact us to arrange the purchase. All of the payments made, up to a maximum of six months, will contribute towards the purchase price listed below.
Simply email or phone us, and we’ll arrange the rest. All purchased instruments are guaranteed for one year after the purchase date.
| Drum Kit | Purchase |
|---|---|
| New Alesis Drum Turbo Mesh Electric Drum Kit | £365.00 |
| Reconditioned Alesis Drums Turbo Mesh Electric Drum Kit | £275.00 |
Purchasing your piano
You can purchase your hire piano. At any point during your agreement you can contact us to arrange the purchase. All of the payments made, up to a maximum of six months, will contribute towards the purchase price listed below.
Simply email or phone us, and we’ll arrange the rest. All purchased instruments are guaranteed for one year after the purchase date.
Purchasing your viola
You can purchase your hire viola. At any point during your agreement you can contact us to arrange the purchase. All of the payments made, up to a maximum of six months, will contribute towards the purchase price listed below.
Simply email or phone us, and we’ll arrange the rest. All purchased instruments are guaranteed for one year after the purchase date.
| Viola | Purchase |
|---|---|
| Stentor II/Conservatoire 12" Viola Outfit | Hire Only |
| Stentor II/Conservatoire 13" Viola Outfit | Hire Only |
| Stentor II/Conservatoire 14" Viola Outfit | Hire Only |
| Stentor II 15" Viola Outfit (Inc set up, case, bow, shoulder rest &, D'Addario Ascenté strings & rosin) | £285 |
| Stentor Conservatoire 15" Viola Outfit (Inc set up, case, bow, shoulder rest &, D'Addario Ascenté strings & rosin) | £319 |
| Andreas Zeller 15" Viola Outfit (Inc set up, case, bow, shoulder rest &, D'Addario Ascenté strings & rosin) | £379 |
| Stentor II 15.5" Viola Outfit (Inc set up, case, bow, shoulder rest &, D'Addario Ascenté strings & rosin) | £285 |
| Stentor Conservatoire 15.5" Viola Outfit (Inc set up, case, bow, shoulder rest &, D'Addario Ascenté strings & rosin) | £319 |
| Andreas Zeller 15.5" Viola Outfit (Inc set up, case, bow, shoulder rest &, D'Addario Ascenté strings & rosin) | £379 |
| Stentor II 16" Viola Outfit (Inc set up, case, bow, shoulder rest &, D'Addario Ascenté strings & rosin) | £299 |
| Stentor Conservatoire 16" Viola Outfit (Inc set up, case, bow, shoulder rest &, D'Addario Ascenté strings & rosin) | £329 |
| Andreas Zeller 16" Viola Outfit (Inc set up, case, bow, shoulder rest &, D'Addario Ascenté strings & rosin) | £389 |
If you would prefer to book your instrument delivery for a future date to coincide with the school term start, or booked music lessons, then you can add your preferred delivery date towards the bottom of the checkout page. Simply add your preferred date to the 'Order notes/Delivery Requests' box at the bottom of the checkout.
If you would prefer to book your instrument delivery for a future date to coincide with the school term start, or booked music lessons, then you can add your preferred delivery date towards the bottom of the checkout page. Simply add your preferred date to the 'Order notes/Delivery Requests' box at the bottom of the checkout.
If you’re hiring a musical instrument, you have the option to buy it later instead of returning it
The purchase price shown below is before any deductions are applied.
How it works:
When you decide to buy:
Good to know:
Please note that this is not a hire purchase agreement. The purchase option applies for a maximum period of six months only, and no further payments will be deducted once this period has ended.
If you’re hiring a musical instrument, you have the option to buy it later instead of returning it
The purchase price shown below is before any deductions are applied.
[subscription_purchase_price_14]
How it works:
When you decide to buy:
Good to know:
Please note that this is not a hire purchase agreement. The purchase option applies for a maximum period of six months only, and no further payments will be deducted once this period has ended.
If you’re hiring a musical instrument, you have the option to buy it later instead of returning it
The purchase price shown below is before any deductions are applied.
[subscription_purchase_price_13]
How it works:
When you decide to buy:
Good to know:
Please note that this is not a hire purchase agreement. The purchase option applies for a maximum period of six months only, and no further payments will be deducted once this period has ended.
If you’re hiring a musical instrument, you have the option to buy it later instead of returning it
The purchase price shown below is before any deductions are applied.
How it works:
When you decide to buy:
Good to know:
Please note that this is not a hire purchase agreement. The purchase option applies for a maximum period of six months only, and no further payments will be deducted once this period has ended.
If you’re hiring a musical instrument, you have the option to buy it later instead of returning it
The purchase price shown below is before any deductions are applied.
How it works:
When you decide to buy:
Good to know:
Please note that this is not a hire purchase agreement. The purchase option applies for a maximum period of six months only, and no further payments will be deducted once this period has ended.
If you’re hiring a musical instrument, you have the option to buy it later instead of returning it
The purchase price shown below is before any deductions are applied.
How it works:
When you decide to buy:
Good to know:
Please note that this is not a hire purchase agreement. The purchase option applies for a maximum period of six months only, and no further payments will be deducted once this period has ended.
If you’re hiring a musical instrument, you have the option to buy it later instead of returning it
The purchase price shown below is before any deductions are applied.
How it works:
When you decide to buy:
Good to know:
Please note that this is not a hire purchase agreement. The purchase option applies for a maximum period of six months only, and no further payments will be deducted once this period has ended.
If you’re hiring a musical instrument, you have the option to buy it later instead of returning it
The purchase price shown below is before any deductions are applied.
How it works:
When you decide to buy:
Good to know:
Please note that this is not a hire purchase agreement. The purchase option applies for a maximum period of six months only, and no further payments will be deducted once this period has ended.
If you’re hiring a musical instrument, you have the option to buy it later instead of returning it
The purchase price shown below is before any deductions are applied.
How it works:
When you decide to buy:
Good to know:
Please note that this is not a hire purchase agreement. The purchase option applies for a maximum period of six months only, and no further payments will be deducted once this period has ended.
Choosing the right PA system for your event is about matching the size of your venue, the number of people, and the type of sound you need. Here’s a simple guide to help you select the right system from our range.
Small Venues (up to ~50 people)
Ideal for small meetings, acoustic sets, or speeches. Our SubZero SZPA-410 or Yamaha DBR10 systems are compact, easy to set up, and provide clear sound for smaller rooms.
Medium Venues (50–150 people)
For medium halls or larger function rooms, we recommend systems with larger speakers and multiple input channels. The Yamaha DBR12 or SubZero SZPA-412 deliver enough power for speeches, music playback, or small bands.
Large Venues (150+ people)
For larger indoor events or parties, our high-powered systems like the Yamaha DBR15 provide full coverage and balanced sound for bigger crowds. The Yamaha Stagepas 1K MK2 is also perfect for solo performers, singer-songwriters, violinists, acoustic sets, and small ensembles — providing clear, high-quality sound without taking up much space.
Most of our PA systems can be enhanced with additional items to suit your event:
These extras let you tailor the system to your event, whether it’s a small speech, a DJ set, or a live band or solo performance.
| Event Type | Venue Size | Suggested Systems |
|---|---|---|
| Small speech or acoustic music | Up to 50 | SubZero SZPA-410, Yamaha DBR10 |
| Medium event, music and speeches | 50–150 | Yamaha DBR12, SubZero SZPA-412 |
| Large indoor event, live band, solo performer or DJ | 150+ | Yamaha DBR15, Yamaha Stagepas 1K MK2 |
PA Delivery Guide
For smaller items, we use Parcelforce to ensure safe and reliable delivery. Larger PA systems are quoted individually and are delivered on a tracked van, complete with driver tracking for peace of mind.
While timed deliveries and collections are usually possible, we recommend allocating a full day for delivery and collection to ensure everything runs smoothly and your equipment is set up on time.
Hiring a guitar from us is simple and flexible. Choose your instrument, select your hire dates, and we’ll deliver it on the first selected hire day using Parcelforce, ready to play on arrival.
All instruments are fully checked and carefully packed before dispatch. During the hire period, we ask that the instrument is looked after and used responsibly.
If any damage occurs, or if the instrument is lost or stolen, please contact us as soon as possible so we can advise on the next steps. Depending on the circumstances, you may be responsible for repair or replacement costs, but we’ll always aim to handle any issues fairly and reasonably.
At the end of your hire, returns can be arranged via Parcelforce collection from an address, or the instrument can be taken to a Parcelforce depot. Most Post Offices will also accept Parcelforce returns, although some smaller branches may not accept larger parcels, so it’s worth checking in advance.
If you have any questions at any stage, just get in touch — we’re always happy to help.
Why Hire Your Violin or Viola From Us?
Every instrument we hire is professionally set up before it leaves us, making it easier to play, stay in tune and sound its best from day one. Correct bridge, string, peg and soundpost adjustment reduces frustration and helps players progress more quickly — especially beginners.
Learn how our expert setup makes a difference →
All our violins receive an expertly completed professional setup.
