Would you hire a piano tuner who came and polished the wood case of your instrument and never listened to it?
The ultimate in handbell maintenance and care is to have your handbells refurbished by the same skilled craftsmen who produced those handbells for you. Their knowledge, skill and experience is your assurance of having your handbells placed in like-new condition and ready for many more years of dependable performance.
If your handbells have been ringing for many years, revoicing of the castings may be desirable. As stresses in the metal relax due to age and use, finding a new strikepoint for the clapper may improve the quality of sound by reducing beats or vibrato in the tone. In the hands of our experienced craftsmen this is an added service which assures that your handbells will sound their best.
Having your handbells refurbished by Malmark’s bellcraftsmen also provides another important benefit. Those sets covered by Malmark’s Lifetime Warranty are assured of continuance of that coverage. Sets of Malmark Handbells purchased before the Lifetime Warranty was applicable (October 1984) can now obtain that warranty on all new parts used by having their handbells refurbished by Malmark, Inc.
Handbells:
- Completely disassemble and inspect each handbell
- Inform customers of inspection results and recommendations
- Machine polish each casting inside and out
- Clean, adjust and lubricate each clapper assembly
- Replace restraining springs & clapper heads where necessary
- Qualified cracked handles & handguards will be replaced at no charge if the set was purchased under our Lifetime Warranty
- Re-assemble and re-voice each handbell
- Hand polish each casting
- Inspect cases and clean
Choirchimes:
- Thoroughly inspect each Choirchime
- Inform customer of inspection results and recommendations
- Clean and adjust each clapper assembly
- Replace bumpers, bearing screws, thumbguards and labels
- Tubes, plugs, clapper assemblies and clapperheads may be replaced at an additional charge
- Inspect resonance of each tube and make appropriate plug adjustments as required
- Inspect cases and clean
Q & A
The most popular question with regard to refurbishing is “When is it time?”
We recommend every 7 to 10 years depending on how often your instruments are used and how well they are cared for. Some signs that it is time to refurbish are:
Handbells:
- Stains on the handbell castings that don’t come off when hand polished.
- Strong overtones or vibrato are present in the sound of the handbells.
- The sound of the handbells is not consistent from one to the next.
- Mechanical sounds still persist after simple adjustments are made in accordance with our maintenance manual.
Choirchimes:
- Mechanical sounds still persist after simple adjustments are made in accordance with our maintenance manual.
- The sound of the Choirchimes is not consistent from one to the next.
- The sound quality of the Choirchimes is “tinny” or weak.
“Who should refurbish our instruments?”
Once you’ve decided that it’s time to have your instruments refurbished, we hope that you’ll give Malmark a ring at 1-800-HANDBEL (426-3235). Refurbishing performed at Malmark is done by the same skilled craftsmen who are trained to produce the ringing instruments for you.
If you choose between two or more refurbishing sources, ask them to fully describe their procedures including tonal work, their qualifications and experience, their facilities, their machinery, their test equipment and, above all, their guarantee in the event you are not satisfied with the work performed.
“Will my guarantee be affected if refurbishing is done by a company other than Malmark?”
Yes, the warranty will be voided if you choose to have another company refurbish your instruments. Your investment will be easily lost if you choose to have a party who claims experience but has not been properly trained in handbell crafting and tuning. For instance, improper machine polishing can very easily de-tune or cause a casting to go flat. In such an instance, one cannot expect Malmark to replace an expensive casting at no cost.
Having your handbells refurbished by Malmark guarantees that sets of handbells covered by our Lifetime Warranty are assured the continuance of that coverage. Choirchimes, except for the lower 6th & 7th octaves, are covered under a Five Year Warranty.
“When is the best time of year to have our instruments refurbished?”
Malmark accepts handbell and Choirchime refurbishing sets for refurbishing year-round. Our peak season is from June through September. While we do ask that refurbishing work be scheduled in advance, we try to accommodate our customers and their schedules. To ensure you receive your refurbished instruments by your desired completion date, please allow six weeks for handbell and three weeks for Choirchime refurbishing.
“What is the best way to get our instruments to Malmark?”
Malmark is pleased to offer you our “hassle-free” shipping plan. Once you have scheduled your refurbishing, we will send you the appropriate shipping package that includes: cartons, filler materials, sealing tape, and complete instructions for packing and shipping your instruments. Once you have the set packed, call us and we’ll make arrangements for the carrier to pick it up and return it to us.
The additional expense of our “hassle-free” shipping saves you time and gives you peace of mind knowing that your instruments are packed and shipped properly and make it well worth the expense. Plus, your instruments are insured!
Or, if you choose, you can drive your instruments to Malmark in beautiful Bucks County, PA, and enjoy a tour of our manufacturing facility.
Price List
| Handbell Sets | ||
|---|---|---|
| RF2500 | Two Octaves | $ 1,160.00 |
| RF3700 | Three Octaves | $ 1,635.00 |
| RF4900 | Four Octaves | $ 2,140.00 |
| RF6100 | Five Octaves | $ 2,745.00 |
| RF7300 | Six Octaves | $ 3,590.00 |
| RF8500 | Seven Octaves | $ 4,800.00 |
| Add-On Handbell Sets | ||
|---|---|---|
| RF2537 | 3rd Octave Add-on | $ 600.00 |
| RF3749 | 4th Octave Add-on | $ 640.00 |
| RF4961 | 5th Octave Add-on | $ 665.00 |
| RF6173 | 6th Octave Add-on | $ 905.00 |
| RF7385 | 7th Octave Add-on | $ 1,275.00 |
| Choirchime® Sets | ||
|---|---|---|
| RF9250 | Two Octaves | $ 600.00 |
| RF9370 | Three Octaves | $ 925.00 |
| RF9490 | Four Octaves | $ 1,250.00 |
| RF9610 | Five Octaves | $ 1,595.00 |
| RF9660 | Five & Half Octaves | $ 1,850.00 |
| Add-On Choirchime® Sets | ||
|---|---|---|
| RF9300 | 3rd Octave Add-on | $ 400.00 |
| RF9400 | 4th Octave Add-on | $ 400.00 |
| RF9500 | 5th Octave Add-on | $ 400.00 |
| RF9600 | Lower 6th Octave Add-on | $ 300.00 |
"Hassle-Free" Shipping
Malmark is pleased to offer you our “hassle-free” shipping plan. Once you have scheduled your refurbishing, we will send the appropriate shipping package to you which includes: cartons, filler materials, sealing tape, and complete instructions for packing and shipping your handbells to our manufacturing site. Once you have packed your handbell set, the carrier will pick it up and return it to us.
While the “hassle-free” shipping is not included in our refurbishing price, the time and effort saved as well as the peace of mind knowing your handbells are packed and shipped properly, make it well worth the additional expense. And your handbells are insured.
To schedule your handbell refurbishing service call us at:
(800) HANDBEL (426-3235).
To ensure you receive your refurbished handbells by your desired completion date, please allow 30 days for the service.
