Need music equipment?
- Want to borrow instruments? Check out Vanbrugh's Instrument Lending Library
- Need drums, and PA or amplification for an event or gig? Hire from the Colleges' gig equipment (backline, PA and drum kits)
- Looking for a piano round campus? See the list below.
Vanbrugh's Instrument Lending Library
The ethos: Whether you are an international student coming from overseas and unable to bring your instruments with you, or a student with a band, needing equipment for a gig, or if you want to learn an instrument but don't want to make a purchase until you are sure it is the right one for you, our instrument lending library is there for you.
Reserving an instrument
- Sign up to the College's Music Scheme
- Email college-music-scheme@york.ac.uk to enquire about, and reserve, the instrument you want or come over to The Warren (just over the road from the Information Centre on Market Square) on Tuesdays from 11am to 6pm.
- Pay for your termly or yearly membership for the Instrument Lending Library via The University of York Online Shop
- If you have complicated questions about equipment or instruments then email vanbrugh-rocks@york.ac.uk to discuss with Steve, our Vanbrugh Rock Tutor or pop over to see him on Tuesdays at The Warren.
Instrument Lending Library Catalogue:
Colleges gig equipment hire (backline, drums, and PA)
Got a gig coming up? We hire PA equipment and have a limited backline (instrument amps, microphones etc) plus two drum kits.
You do not need to have signed up to the Instrument Lending Library to hire the backline or PA equipment but you may wish to do so. We do still ask you to register with the College Music Scheme.
Equipment
The DJ Rig - £20/48 hrs: 2 x 15inch active subs and 2 x 15inch passive tops
The 'Pub/Band' Rig - £30/48 hrs: good for off-campus
The 'Campus Band' Rig - £35/48 hrs: suitable for Vanbrugh Dining/James Hall/RKC
The 'Big' Rig - £40/48 hrs: X32 Full Desk: suitable for Vanbrugh Dining/James Hall/RKC
Drum kits - £10/48 hrs
- Set 1: Pearl 'Rock' drum kit: grey-blue Pearl kit with hit-hat, splash and ride cymbals in black hard case.
- Set 2: Pearl 'Chill' drum kit: royal blue Pearl kit with hi-hat, splash and ride cymbals in blue hard cases.
Backline - £5/48 hrs: Guitar amps; Line 6 Lowdown 300W bass amp and foot-pedal
Additional equipment for short-term loan: - price on request. Most items are free for Instrument Lending Library members or bundled with PA hire.
- Microphones; XLR leads; extension power cables; cable covers; Stage Snake cables; guitar leads; DI boxes
- Mapex double kick pedal
- Performance digital piano in hard case.
Booking
Email college-music-scheme@york.ac.uk to book. For advice and discussion about equipment for your event. you can also talk to Steve by emailing vanbrugh-rocks@york.ac.uk
Terms/FAQs
Your safety and safety of the equipment:
- Please make sure that you have sufficient people to safely transport all equipment to your venue. We cannot provide assistance with this and some items are very heavy. We can temporarily loan trolleys for moving stuff on campus.
- All items have been PAT tested and we do not take any responsibility for injuries caused by misuse or mishandling of equipment.
- By hiring this equipment you agree that you are capable and knowledgeable about how to handle and use the equipment.
- We are usually unable to accept hires and returns between 5pm Friday and 10am Monday so if you are hiring equipment over the weekend you need to have located secure storage where the items will be dry and protected until the offices open again on Monday.
Transport:
- We can provide some trolleys to move items.
- Taxi Services in York will give a fixed student rate for using a large vehicle to transport items. You may need to book the day before to secure the right sized vehicle.
Sound technicians:
- We do have a number of people who are trained to use the PA equipment and you can hire them alongside the equipment to help you set up or run the event. You are expected to pay these people directly. Most of them charge a minimum of £15/hour, depending on the level of support that you require.
Donate to the library or sponsor an instrument
Do you have instruments that you no longer want? Contact the Vanbrugh Rock Tutor to discuss donating to the lending library. Or you can sponsor an instrument by contacting the College Office.
Find a piano around campus
Campus West
Alcuin College
- Digital piano in Alcuin JCR.
Derwent College
- University of York Music Society - four rooms located at Derwent College with both upright and grand pianos.
- Derwent General Common Room (GCR): Electric piano for use with permission of College Administrator (Derwent Student only).
- Derwent Studio DN016: Digital piano (bookable by College Music Scheme members who have paid The Garage membership fee; OR Derwent College Members by permission of the College Team).
Vanbrugh College
- The Warren, Vanbrugh's House opposite the Information Centre: Electric piano available for use with headphones, 9am to 5pm weekdays and some evenings when staff are present.
- Vanbrugh's 'The Garage': Digital piano
- The Junior Common Room (JCR), in the Vanbrugh Nucleus: upright piano, available anytime, soon to be replaced.
- Vanbrugh Arms (Bar): upright piano, can be played with permission from bar staff.
- Vanbrugh GSCR (first floor of the Vanbrugh Nucleus): Upright piano; digital piano (choirs only); electric organ; harmonium (repair project). Open 9am to 6pm providing there are no activities on.
- School of Arts and Creative Technologies pianos are for registered music students only.
James College
- James Lakeside Common Room: Electric piano (accessible to James residents).
Wentworth Graduate College (Room: B/R/16)
- Common Room: Electric piano (headphone use during the day, or feel free to make noise after 6pm)
Around Halifax College
- Faxy Cafe in JJ's: Upright piano
- JJ's Common Room stage: Electric piano
Campus East
Anne Lister
- Digital piano with headphones, in the Anne Lister foyer.
Constantine College
- Constantine Forum, upstairs in The Loft: Upright piano and digital keyboard, available between 8.30am and 4pm weekdays (except during local school holidays when keycard access is required 24hrs). Constantine students with keycard access only evenings and weekends.
David Kato
- Digital piano with headphones, in the Anne Lister foyer.
Langwith College
- The Basement: two practice rooms with upright pianos. Contact langwith@york.ac.uk
for information on how to join and use. - Digital piano in The Corner Room, LHO/A/007. Access 8am to 9pm for resident Langwith students. Non-resident Langwith students can have access added to their student cards at the Campus East Reception (located in the Law and Sociology Building).
Goodricke College
- Goodricke Nucleus GNU/004 and GNU/009: two upright pianos, available for Goodricke students with keycard access.
Find a drum kit around campus
No booking required
- Electric drum kit in Halifax College - JJ's
- Electric drum kit in Vanbrugh - The Warren
- Electric drum kit in Wentworth - Common Room
Memberships required
- Join the University of York Students' Union Music Society to access drum kits in two of the MusicSoc Practice Rooms at Derwent.
- Derwent Studio at Derwent College (DN016): email college-music-scheme@york.ac.uk to add to your College Music Scheme membership
- Langwith College The Basement: electric drum kit. Email college-music-scheme@york.ac.uk to add to your College Music Scheme membership
- The Garage at Vanbrugh, full premier 1960s kit with additional rota toms. Email college-music-scheme@york.ac.uk to add to your College Music Scheme membership