For school orchestra families
Rentals
RENT NOW, AND THE PAYMENTS CAN COUNT LATER
Renting is how most players start. For a child who will change size twice before high school, it is usually the sensible thing to do.
Every rental leaves the shop set up to the same standard as an instrument we sell, and fitted to the player taking it.
Call (208) 356-0231 for current rates
How the rental works
The rental starts the day the instrument goes home with you, on a properly set-up violin, viola or cello chosen for that student. The monthly fee is quoted when you pick the instrument, so you know it before you commit to anything.
Repairs are covered while you rent. Strings and bow rehairs are covered for the first year, and after that they are the renter's to pay for, which is normal wear rather than a fault with the instrument.
Sizes can be swapped and instruments upgraded at any point, as long as we have what you need on hand. Children outgrow instruments faster than anyone plans for, and the program is built around that rather than against it.
Building credit toward a purchase
Every dollar of monthly rent is tracked. After three consecutive years in the program, that money can be applied as credit toward buying a better instrument from us.
The part families most often misread is which instrument the credit buys. It goes toward a new or upgraded instrument, not toward the one you have been renting. The rental comes back to the shop, and the credit goes into whatever the player moves up to. This is not a rent-to-own contract on the rental itself, and we would rather say that plainly here than have it come up at the counter.
Four things have to be true
All four, for the whole time you are in the program.
Three consecutive years
The clock runs from your first rental payment, and the run has to be unbroken.
Every payment on time
In full, and on schedule. A missed month is what most often ends it.
The same student playing
Credit is built under one player. It does not follow the instrument to someone else.
The instrument looked after
Normal wear is expected and repaired free. Damage and neglect are a different matter.
What ends the credit
These are the terms that surprise people, so they are worth reading before you start rather than after.
RETURNING IT
Even temporarily.
A family that hands the violin back over the summer and restarts in the autumn has started again from zero. If you are stopping for a season, call and talk to us first.
STOPPING PAYMENTS
Credit is void from that point.
Accrued credit does not pause and does not resume.
TRANSFERRING IT
Stays with the renter and the student.
It cannot be moved to a sibling, a friend, or anyone else.
OVERPAYMENTS
Not refunded.
They are applied to time used.
STUDENT STOPS
The instrument comes back.
If the original student stops playing, the rental returns to the shop.
Spending the credit
When you are ready to buy, the accrued credit comes off the price of a new or upgraded instrument from the shop. Under three years in the program, the options are narrower, and it is worth a conversation before you decide.
Two practical things: the rental instrument has to come back, and the purchase is finalised in person. Choosing an instrument is not something to do at a distance.
The full agreement
The page above puts the program in plain language. The document below is the agreement itself, and it is the one that governs.
It sets out the rental terms, how equity is built and the four conditions that keep it, what ends it, and how the credit is spent when you buy. Read it before you sign, and ask us about anything in it that is not clear.
PDF · one page · 145 KB
Questions we get asked
What does a rental cost?
The monthly rate depends on the instrument, so we quote it when you choose one rather than publishing a price that would be wrong for half the instruments on the wall. Call and we will tell you over the phone.
Is this rent-to-own?
No, and the agreement says so plainly. The credit you build goes toward a different, better instrument. The rental itself comes back to the shop when you buy.
What happens when my child outgrows the instrument?
Bring it in and we swap the size, as long as we have what you need. Most players change size at least twice before high school and the program expects that.
What if we stop for the summer?
Returning the instrument ends the credit, even for a few weeks. If you are thinking about stopping for a season, call us before you do and we will talk through the options.
Who pays for repairs?
We do, while you are renting. Strings and bow rehairs are covered for the first year, and after that they are yours, which is ordinary wear rather than something going wrong.
Come and get fitted
Bring the player. We will fit them properly, quote the monthly rate on the instrument you choose, and answer anything the agreement leaves you wondering about.