Repairs & hire
Prices, before
you lift it.
Every job starts with a £90 bench check and a fixed quote. If you go ahead within three months, the £90 comes off the bill.
Price list · 2026
| Job | What is included | Turnaround | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench check | Heads, pads, motor speed, every key on all three sounds. Written report and fixed quote. | Same week | £90 |
| Service | Heads cleaned and demagnetised, new pressure pads, capstan and pinch rollers cleaned, speed and pitch set. | 2 weeks | £380 |
| Re-tape a frame | 35 new tapes cut, spliced and set, one set of three sounds. Old tapes returned, labelled. | 6 weeks | £1,150 |
| Full restoration | Motor, wiring, key-levers, cabinet and everything above. | 10 to 14 weeks | £2,900 |
| Session hire | Our restored M400, delivered, set up and tuned by one of us for the day. | Book 2 weeks ahead | £240 / day |
| Collection | Two people and a van, within 60 miles of Digbeth. | By arrangement | £60 each way |
How a job goes
Five steps, one instrument.
- 01
Tell us what it does
Model, serial number if you have it, and what happens when you play it. Don't switch it on if it has been in storage.
- 02
Drop it off, or we collect
Over 55 kg, so two people. We bring a case if yours has none.
- 03
Bench check and quote
Within the week you get a written report and a fixed price. Nothing is done without your yes.
- 04
The work
We send photos at the halfway point. Old parts and old tapes come back to you.
- 05
Played in, then home
Every key played on every sound for a week before it leaves. We tune it in your room.
Questions
Before you call.
Should I switch it on to see if it works?
Not if it has been in storage. Heads can become magnetised while an instrument sits unused, and playing it can wipe the tapes. Leave it off and bring it in.
Do you work on Novatrons and Chamberlins?
Yes. A Novatron 400 is an M400 with a different name-plate, and a Chamberlin works on the same idea: a tape behind every key.
Will it stay in tune after a service?
It leaves in tune. Tape and motor speed move with temperature, and big chords pull the pitch down. Robert Fripp's line about it still stands: “Tuning a Mellotron doesn't.”
How do I move it?
It weighs over 55 kg: two people and a blanket. Or we collect within 60 miles for £60 each way.
Can I hire one for a gig?
For sessions, yes, with one of us there all day. We don't hire it out for touring: cold vans and hot stages stretch tapes.
Book
Book a bench check.
We reply within two working days with a date. Unit 4, Lower Trinity Street, Digbeth, Birmingham. Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 17:00.