Howarth of London
Howarth of London is a specialist woodwind instrument maker and retailer founded in 1948, manufacturing handcrafted oboes in Worthing while distributing major international brands from its London showroom to professional musicians, students, and educators.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1948
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Howarth of London does
Howarth of London is a specialist woodwind instrument maker and retailer operating since 1948 from two UK locations: a central London showroom at 31 Chiltern Street, Marylebone, and dedicated manufacturing workshops in Worthing, West Sussex. The company manufactures its own line of oboes, oboes d'amore, cors anglais, and bassoons using CNC precision machining for components combined with hand assembly by experienced technicians, with dual-system (thumbplate and Conservatoire) configurations available on professional models. Alongside its house brand, Howarth distributes a broad woodwind portfolio from major international manufacturers including Yamaha, Buffet Crampon, Selmer Paris, Fox Products, Heckel, Püchner, and Powell Flutes.
The company's revenue model spans five streams: instrument sales (new and pre-owned), accessories and consumables (reeds, mouthpieces, cases, sheet music), instrument rentals (long-term minimum three months and short-term minimum one week), repair and maintenance services, and financing and insurance offerings. Pricing ranges from approximately £450 for entry-level student instruments to over £55,000 for professional-grade Heckel bassoons, with a one-year Howarth warranty plus complimentary guarantee check-over supplementing manufacturer warranties. Distribution combines direct retail at the London showroom, an e-commerce platform serving the UK and internationally, and an authorized international dealer network.
The customer base includes professional orchestral and chamber musicians, music students across all levels, music teachers and conservatories, and jazz and ensemble players, with a hybrid segmentation approach. Marketing leverages the e-commerce site, showroom appointments, and event sponsorships including a seat at the National Youth Orchestra. The company operates as a private limited company (Howarth of London Limited) with 11-50 employees, no disclosed parent company, no funding rounds, and no acquisition or restructuring activity in the source material.
Howarth of London firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Howarth of London
- Legal name
- Howarth of London Limited
- Website
- https://howarthlondon.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1948
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Howarth of London is a specialist woodwind instrument maker and retailer founded in 1948, manufacturing handcrafted oboes in Worthing while distributing major international brands from its London showroom to professional musicians, students, and educators.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Howarth of London is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Howarth of London business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Instrument Sales: Sale of new and pre-owned woodwind instruments including oboes, bassoons, clarinets, saxophones, and flutes. Products range from student-level (£450) to professional instruments (£45,000+).
- Accessories and Consumables: Sale of reeds, mouthpieces, ligatures, cases, maintenance supplies, sheet music, and instrument-specific accessories.
- Rental Services: Long-term (minimum 3 months) and short-term (minimum 1 week) instrument rental programs.
- Repair and Maintenance Services: Professional repair workshop offering instrument servicing, guarantee check-overs, and maintenance services.
- Financing Services: Instrument financing options for customers to spread payment over time.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Student/Beginner Instruments |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Intermediate/Semi-Professional Instruments |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Professional Instruments |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Accessories and Consumables |
| Usage-based | Monthly | Instrument Rentals |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Howarth of London product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Howarth of London manufactures handcrafted oboes, oboes d'amore, and cor anglais in its Worthing workshops, combining CNC precision machining with skilled hand assembly. The company also retails a comprehensive range of woodwind instruments (bassoons, clarinets, saxophones, flutes, recorders) under its own brand and as UK distributor for premium third-party manufacturers, alongside accessories, sheet music, rentals, repairs, financing, and insurance services.
Product overview
Howarth of London is a specialist woodwind instrument maker and retailer founded in 1948, operating from London and Worthing, West Sussex. The company manufactures handcrafted Howarth oboes, cor anglais, and oboes d'amore using CNC-machined precision components assembled by skilled technicians. Beyond its house-brand instruments, Howarth retails a comprehensive portfolio of woodwind instruments including bassoons, clarinets, saxophones, flutes, and recorders from third-party manufacturers (Buffet Crampon, Selmer Paris, Yamaha, Fox, Heckel, Püchner, Schreiber). The business offers related accessories (reeds, mouthpieces, cases, sheet music), instrument rentals (long-term and short-term), repair services, financing, insurance, and a pre-owned instrument shop.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Howarth Oboes (Thumbplate and Conservatoire Systems) Howarth's signature handcrafted oboes available in Thumbplate (English) and Conservatoire (French) fingering systems. Models range from student through professional levels, with dual-system configurations combining both fingering systems.
- Howarth Cor Anglais Handcrafted cor anglais (English horn) in Thumbplate and Conservatoire systems for advanced and professional players.
- Howarth Oboe d'Amore Specialist oboe d'amore instruments in Thumbplate and Conservatoire systems, with the XL model featuring thick walls and large bore for professional-grade tone.
- Bassoon Range Full range of bassoons from student to professional models including standard, short reach, contra-bassoon, children's, and French variants, covering house-brand offerings and distributed brands Fox, Heckel, and Püchner.
- Clarinet Range Comprehensive clarinet range including Bb, A, Bass, Eb, and C clarinets, plus alto, basset, contra-alto, and contra-bass variants, from brands Buffet Crampon, Selmer Paris, Yamaha, and Amati.
- Saxophone Range Saxophone range covering soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and sopranino sizes from Selmer Paris, Yamaha, and Yanagisawa, with accessories including mouthpieces, ligatures, reeds, and cases.
- Flute and Piccolo Range Flute and piccolo range including curved head flutes for beginners, standard flutes, and alto flutes, with sheet music tailored to graded and ensemble levels.
- Recorders Descant and treble recorders designed for beginners and music education, with additional recorder variants available.
- Music for Children Instruments, accessories, and school essentials designed for young beginners, supporting entry-level music education.
- Reeds Reeds for all woodwind instruments including oboe, cor anglais, bassoon, clarinet (Bb, Eb, bass, alto, contra varieties), and saxophone (alto, tenor, soprano, baritone, sopranino, bass).
- Mouthpieces Mouthpieces for clarinet and saxophone in various materials and designs, including ligatures, caps, and mouthpiece accessories.
- Instrument Cases and Covers Protective cases and covers for all woodwind instruments including hard cases, gig bags, and case accessories.
- Sheet Music Sheet music catalogue organised by instrument family and grade level (Grades 1-8), including ensemble and theory materials.
- Long-term Instrument Rental Minimum 3-month instrument hire program allowing customers to rent while learning without upfront purchase costs.
- Short-term Instrument Rental Minimum 1-week instrument hire for emergencies or special concerts.
- Instrument Repairs Professional repair workshop services for all woodwind instruments, with complimentary guarantee check-over for warranty customers.
- Instrument Financing Finance options to spread the cost of purchasing instruments.
- Instrument Insurance Specialist insurance coverage for musical instruments.
- Pre-Owned Instruments Second-hand instrument shop offering vetted pre-owned oboes, bassoons, clarinets, saxophones, flutes, and accessories.
Companies that use Howarth of London
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Howarth of London technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Howarth of London partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, standard and minor.
- YamahamajorYamaha is a major Japanese musical instrument manufacturer. Howarth of London distributes Yamaha woodwind instruments including clarinets, saxophones, and flutes. Products include Yamaha YCL series clarinets from entry-level to professional.
- Buffet CramponmajorFrench clarinet manufacturer since 1825. Howarth distributes the full range of Buffet Crampon clarinets including RC Prestige, Tosca, Divine, E11, R13, and B12 models.
- Selmer ParismajorPrestigious French instrument manufacturer. Howarth distributes Selmer Paris saxophones, clarinets, and contra instruments including the Mark VII, Super Action 80 Series II, and Supreme models.
- Fox ProductsmajorAmerican bassoon manufacturer. Howarth is the UK distributor for Fox bassoons including the 200, 220D, 240D, 600D, 660D, 680D, and 750D models, plus Fox accessories.
- HeckelmajorGerman manufacturer of professional bassoons and contrabassoons. Howarth distributes high-end Heckel instruments including the 6***, 12***, and Contrabassoon models.
- PüchnermajorGerman bassoon manufacturer. Howarth distributes Püchner bassoons including Model 23, Model Jubilee, Model Classic, and Contrabassoon, plus Püchner crook accessories.
- VandorenstandardFrench reed and mouthpieces manufacturer. Vandoren products including reeds, mouthpieces, and ligatures are stocked by Howarth.
- Jody JazzstandardAmerican saxophone mouthpiece manufacturer. Howarth stocks Jody Jazz saxophone mouthpieces including the DV JC Gold Plated series.
- D'AddariostandardAmerican string and reed manufacturer. D'Addario reeds and accessories are distributed through Howarth of London.
- Powell FlutesstandardAmerican professional flute manufacturer. Powell flutes are part of Howarth's distributed brand portfolio.
- National Youth OrchestraminorHowarth sponsors a seat in the National Youth Orchestra, supporting young orchestral talent development in the UK.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Howarth of London competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Buffet Crampon: French manufacturer of clarinets, oboes, saxophones, and bassoons since 1825; Howarth is its UK distributor and they directly compete in oboe and clarinet manufacturing.
- Marigaux: French specialist oboe and cor anglais maker; competes head-to-head with Howarth in the professional oboe segment with similar handcrafted premium positioning.
- Rigoutat: French oboe specialist founded 1923, focused on professional Conservatoire-system oboes and cor anglais; directly comparable to Howarth's oboe manufacturing line.
- Lorée: Parisian oboe maker (since 1881) supplying professional oboists globally; competes with Howarth in handmade professional Conservatoire-system oboes.
- Heckel: German manufacturer widely regarded as the leading professional bassoon maker; Howarth distributes Heckel in the UK and competes in the high-end bassoon category.
- Fox Products: American bassoon manufacturer; Howarth is the UK distributor for Fox bassoons, and the two share the professional bassoon customer base.
- Püchner: German bassoon and contrabassoon manufacturer; Howarth distributes Püchner in the UK and overlaps in semi-professional and professional bassoon offerings.
- Powell Flutes: American handmade flute manufacturer; Howarth distributes Powell flutes in the UK and shares the professional flute customer segment.
Broad incumbents
- Selmer Paris: Iconic French wind instrument maker (saxophones, clarinets); Howarth distributes Selmer Paris in the UK and shares the saxophone/clarinet professional market.
- Yamaha: Global musical instrument giant whose woodwinds Howarth distributes; while Yamaha operates across all instrument families at scale, it overlaps directly in clarinets, saxophones, and flutes sold by Howarth.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Howarth of London social profiles
Digital presenceHowarth of London financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Howarth of London leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Howarth of London funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Howarth of London M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Howarth of London
What does Howarth of London do?
Howarth of London manufactures handcrafted oboes, oboes d'amore, and cor anglais in its Worthing workshops, combining CNC precision machining with skilled hand assembly. The company also retails a comprehensive range of woodwind instruments (bassoons, clarinets, saxophones, flutes, recorders) under its own brand and as UK distributor for premium third-party manufacturers, alongside accessories, sheet music, rentals, repairs, financing, and insurance services.
Is Howarth of London a public or private company?
Howarth of London is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Howarth of London founded?
Howarth of London was founded in 1948. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Howarth of London based?
Howarth of London is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Howarth of London make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Instrument Sales are the primary driver. The others are accessories and Consumables, rental Services, repair and Maintenance Services and financing Services.
Who are Howarth of London's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Buffet Crampon, Marigaux, Rigoutat, Lorée, Heckel, Fox Products, Püchner and Powell Flutes. Broad incumbents are Selmer Paris and Yamaha.
Does Howarth of London have an API?
No public API is recorded for Howarth of London.