C. R. Connolly MIMIT

Connolly MIR

Although Connolly Musical Instrument Repairs was founded relatively recently, this is the latest chapter in a history that stretches back over 45 years. Between us the team has over 70 years’ experience in the music industry, and we are the ideal people to give you independent expert advice about all your repair and musical sales needs.

The staff were all previously with Musical Instrument Repairs and Sales Ltd (MIR), which operated out of premises at Hereward Rise, Halesowen, for over 30 years and was well known locally, nationally and internationally for quality repairs and sales of new and reconditioned instruments.

Sadly, MIR is no longer operating in its previous guise, but MIR’s founder Charlie Connolly has assembled a first-rate team at Connolly MIR. Together they are continuing to meet the needs of all musicians, from students to world-renowned professional musicians, and are bringing older instruments back to life.

Connolly MIR aim to provide you with a first-class service at a competitive price. Rather than have fixed tariffs, where possible we prefer to examine the instrument first and discuss your requirements before giving you a quote. Our prices are based on the actual amount of work that needs to be done.

• On the spot quotes - with no obligation
• Affiliated repairs for all major musical instrument insurers
• Repairs to professionals, amateurs, education, bands and the military
• Free collection and delivery service within specified areas

We’ve worked with every type of woodwind and brass instrument you could mention over the years, including flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor sax, soprano sax, piccolo, bassoon, tenor horn, oboe, cor anglais, bass clarinet, French horn, flugel horn, tenor horn, trumpet, cornet, baritone and trombone – and many more!

In stock we have an extensive range of original spare parts for major (and more obscure) manufacturers such as Buffet, Selmer, Yamaha, Keilworth, Jupiter, Pearl, Arbiter, Vincent Bach, Besson, Boosey & Hawkes, Conn, Grafton, Miyazawa, Sankyo, Bundy, Armstrong, Gemeinhardt, Artley, Holton, P. Mauriat and Yanagisawa.

Charlie Connolly

Charles (aka Charlie/Chas) discovered a love of music when he was a toddler and saw a boy playing the cornet in Dartmouth Park in West Bromwich. He took up the trumpet, was a very early member of Sandwell Youth Music, and played in a local jazz band. His hobby led into a career at the age of 17, when he began repairing for Jones and Crosslands in Birmingham.

After a move to Ringway Music, he left to set up his own company, Musical Instrument Repairs, in his garage in 1975. Later bringing in Dave Toy as a partner, MIR grew and moved to Halesowen.

A Member of the Institute of Musical Instrument Technicians (IMIT) since 1975, and a founder member of the National Association of Musical Instrument Repairers (NAMIR), Charlie has personally trained dozens of repair technicians over the past 35 years.

The creation of Connolly MIR has allowed Charlie to concentrate fully on repairing musical instruments again – which is more a hobby for him than a job! He’s really excited about this new development and continuing to provide an excellent level of craftsmanship to the many musicians he now considers as friends, as well as welcoming new customers.

He has provided his services to numerous well known musicians, including Andy Hamilton and ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ star Julian Smith, but also to countless students and stars of the future.

Half Belgian and half Irish, Charlie loves travel and plans to visit South America, and Alaska and Hawaii (the only 2 US states he hasn’t yet visited). He enjoys photography, Bill Bryson, Tex Mex food and spending time at the Royal Oak pub, but dislikes triangular cheese sandwiches.