Robbins Music Center, Inc – Huntsville, Alabama, musical instruments, musical equipment, music instrument rentals, music equipment rentals, music instrument repairs, music equipment repairs, music lessons, school band gear, over 50 years of musical excellence!

Our goal is to keep your instrument in top playing condition so that you or your student can experience all that it has to offer. Instruments that do not receive proper care can become defective and difficult to play. Poorly cared for instruments frustrate players and band directors alike, and can lead to you and your student having a negative experience in band. Thankfully, such problems can be easily avoided with proper attention. We can repair all instruments regardless of where they were purchased and we offer the most affordable rates with fastest turnaround in town. Best of all, if you or your school band parents organization have signed up for the Robbins Music Center Maintenance Care Plan, any and all necessary maintenance can be performed at a substantially discounted rate! 

Repair Staff

Standard Bench Fee = $40.00

(covers most repairs. For a more detailed breakdown of prices, please click on one of the instrument to your right.)

Woodwind Instruments

Flute and Piccolo Repair

Saxophone Repair

Clarinet Repair

Brass Instruments

Valve and Slide Instrument Repair (Trombone, Trumpet, Alto, Baritone Horns, etc...)

Emanuel Burks

Emanuel Burks started playing as a young teen with his primary instrument being the saxophone.  In 11th grade, he studied under Berlin Jackson Robbins Sr. as a repair technician.  In addition to his training under Mr. Robbins, Emanuel has also completed some advance courses in instrument repair at Allied.

Emanuel was a member of many local bands like High Boys and The Comets and played around the Huntsville area for about 20 years while also working at Robbins Music Center.  Emanuel left Robbins Music Center and worked full time at GE for 15 years.  After retiring from GE in 2005, he returned to Robbins Music Center to finish out his career as our repair technician.  For the last 17 years, he has also served as the Assistant Pastor for United Pentacostal Jubilee House of Prayer in Decatur, AL.

Emanuel has been a member of the Robbins Music Center family for over 50 years and we are delighted to have him back as our repair technician!

Play Condition: Check pads, key corks, head joint cork, springs, screws, rods, and fit of tenons. Bent keys are straightened and minor dents are removed.  Necessary key corks or felts are replaced.  Mechanisms are oiled.  Each key is leveled, adjusted and regulated.  Flute is play tested on completion.  Includes cleaning of head joint and case.  Pad replacement including labor is an additional $14 to $27 per pad depending on type of pad and instrument.  Head joint corks are additional.

General rule of thumb: if less than half of the pads need to be replaced, the flute can usually be put into good play condition.  If more than half of the pads need to be replaced, it’s more cost efficient and the flute will play better if it is repadded or mechanically overhauled.

Typical turn around time for repair and mechanical overhauls is 2 weeks or less.

Pad Replacement:  Price includes replacing pad, and minor swedging and tone hole leveling where needed. These prices are subject to vary depending on the instrument.  These are general quotes.  Badly damaged or worn instrument may cost additional.

Play Condition: Check pads, key corks, springs, screws, rods, and fit of tenons.  Bent keys are straightened and minor, accessible dents are removed.  Key corks, felts, key silencers and Teflon or plastic tubing are replaced where necessary.  Mechanisms are oiled.  Each key is leveled, adjusted and regulated.  Tenon/receiver joint is checked for fit and air leaks.  Neck tenon is refit if necessary.  Instrument is play tested on completion.  Includes cleaning of mouthpiece, neck, and case.  Pad replacement including labor is an additional $10 to $25 per pad depending on instrument.  Neck corks are additional.

General rule of thumb: if less than half of the pads need to be replaced, the saxophone can usually be put into good play condition.  If more than half of the pads need to be replaced, it’s more cost-efficient and the saxophone will play better if it is repadded or mechanically overhauled. Typical turn around time for play conditions is 2 to 4 days. 

Pad Replacement:  Price includes replaying pad, and minor swedging and tone hole leveling where needed.

* Saxophone is disassembled and cleaned and dents are removed as best as possible.  Keys are leveled, straightened, and swedged, removing play and wobble, and refit between the posts.  All pads are replaced.  Key corks, tenon/neck corks, felts and springs are replaced as necessary.  Instrument is reassembled, lubricated, regulated, adjusted and thoroughly play tested.  Instrument will play as good or better than new.  See full process and prices below.

Typical turn around time for complete overhaul is 2 weeks or less.

Play Condition:  check pads, key corks, tenon corks, springs, screws, rods, and fit of tenons.  Bent keys are straightened and key corks, felts, key silencers are replaced where necessary.  Mechanisms are oiled.  Each key is leveled, adjusted and regulated.  Clarinet is played tested on completion.  Pad replacement including labor is an additional $10 to $25 per pad depending on instrument.  Neck corks are additional.

General rule of thumb: if less than half of the pads need to be replaced, the clarinet can usually be put into good play condition.  If more than half of the pads need to be replaced, it’s more cost-efficient and the clarinet will play better if it is repadded or mechanically overhauled.

Typical turn around time for play conditions is 2-4 days.

Pad Replacement:  Prince includes replacing pad, and minor swedging and tone hole leveling where needed.

$220 (Plastic Clarinet)*

$265 (Wood Clarinet)**

* Includes replacing of all necessary pads, bumper corks, and springs.  Adjustments and alignments.  Chemical dip, keys and polish.

** Calls for more time to repair.  Includes replacing of all necessary pads, bumper corks, and springs.  Adjustments and alignments.  Bore Oil body.

Valve and Slide Instrument Repair       $65

Play Condition: Return to basic playing condition. Includes necessary valve work, pulling stuck slides, replacing with key corks, and repairing minor dents in the bell.

Chemical Clean

Trumpet  $65

Trombone $65

Alto Horns $95

• Baritone Horns $95