Hiring Instruments

Chinese Version

Our hire customers	We welcome students and players of all ages and levels to hire our violins, violas, and cellos.
Why hire from us?	Many teachers send their students to our shop because they can count on the quality of our instruments, the set up done, and the maintenance done by our experienced luthiers.
Ring or email first please	We highly recommend that you contact us before coming in, to make sure we have a great instrument, in the right size, ready for you.
What you get	Instruments come with everything required: bow, rosin, shoulder rest, and case or bag.
Standard and Deluxe	We offer both Standard and Deluxe hire instruments. While our standard instruments are almost all modern Chinese student instruments, our deluxe violins are mainly older German instruments or higher quality Asian instruments, while our deluxe cellos are modern Korean instruments. Deluxe instruments are also fitted with a higher-quality string—Dominant or equivalent for violin, and Jargar or equivalent for cello.
Support	We offer free on-going support, and given availability, the opportunity for you to upsize instruments as children grow.
Payment	After an initial hire period, we will email with a reminder a week before a new payment falls due. Payments can be made by internet banking.

Instruments and Prices

Instrument	Initial Three months	Six months	One year
Violin (4/4, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/10, 1/16)	$80	$160	$240
Deluxe Violin (4/4, 3/4, 1/2)	$120	$240	$360
Viola (16″, 15.5″, 15″)	$80	$160	$240
Cello (1/4, 1/8, 1/10, 1/16)	$120	$240	$360
Cello (4/4, 3/4, 1/2)	$160	$320	$480
Deluxe Cello (4/4, 3/4, 1/2)	$240	$480	$720

Sizing

Violin

The best way to find the right size violin for your child is for us to see them in our showroom, or to ask your teacher for advice.

As a starting point, you can measure your child’s arm length, and compare it to the chart below. To do so, get your child to hold out their arm horizontal and straight, then measure from the middle of their palm to where the shoulder meets the neck and then look up the table below:

Violin size:	Palm-to-neck length:
1/16	35cm+
1/10	39cm+
1/8	42.5cm+
1/4	47cm+
1/2	51.5cm+
3/4	56.5cm+
4/4	60cm+

Viola

Please ring us in advance for violas. We have three adult sizes and we can string violins to be violas for smaller students.

Cello

Sizing cellos is best done in our shop. The chart below gives an indication only of appropriate cello sizes:

Cello size:	Age of child:
1/16	3-4 years
1/10	4-5 years
1/8	5-7 years
1/4	6-8 years
1/2	7-9 years
3/4	8-11 years
4/4	Children usually grow into the full size cello between 11 and 14 years old

Terms and Conditions

1. Payment: Hireage is to be paid at time of initial rental. The Stringed Instrument Company – Violin Specialists Limited (herein described as “SIC”) will email reminders before renewal dates and payment is to be made before or on the renewal data. Late renewal payments will incur extra charges. Rental periods are for six months or twelve months. For an initial hire, a three-month rental is available.

2. Refunds: Refunds are at the discretion of SIC. If paid, refunds will be the rental amount paid, less the rental amount calculated for the period the hired items were used, less any administration charges, less charges for any necessary repairs.

3. Change of Address: The renter must advise SIC of any changes in address, email address, or phone numbers.

4.Location: The hired items must remain in New Zealand at all times.

5. Insurance: The hire outfit is not separately insured by SIC. SIC recommends that the renter insures the items under their own house and contents policy and has them specified for all risks and at replacement cost (see item 13 below).

6. Change of Size: Renters may change instrument size within the same price group at any time for no extra charge (e.g. change a ½ size violin to a ¾ size violin) dependant on availability.

7. Change of Quality: Renters may change between normal and deluxe instruments, subject to availability. Any differences in rental fees will be calculated and charged.

8. Condition: The hired items are to be kept in good working order and condition during the rental period by the renter, subject to fair wear and tear.

9. Broken Strings and Bow Hair: Broken strings and abnormal breakage of bow hair are not covered by fair wear and tear although charges will be waived if the fault is with the hired items.

10. Maintenance: In the event of maintenance, the renter should return the hired items to SIC, who will perform any maintenance required free of charge, unless the maintenance required is due to damage caused by the renter.

11. Damage: In the event of damage, SIC will repair the hired items and the renter agrees to pay for these repairs. The renter agrees that repairs will not be done other than by SIC.

12. Cancellation: SIC reserves the right to cancel the agreement should the hired items show signs of abnormal neglect or abuse.

13. Indemnity: The renter hereby agrees to indemnify SIC for making good any damage caused by abuse or neglect, and the replacement value of the hire outfit should the hired items be lost, stolen or damaged beyond repair. To provide clarity of what this means, SIC give the following indicative values of hire items:

Violin	$750	Violin Bow	$60
Deluxe Violin	$1,700	Viola Bow	$90
Viola	$950	Cello Bow	$90
Cello	$1,600	Shoulder Rest	$75
Deluxe Cello	$2,500	Rosin	$10-$15
Hard Case	$185	Cello Bag	$120

14. Privacy Act: The renter authorises any person or company to provide SIC with any such personal information as may be required, relating to the recovery of any monies, goods or services that may be outstanding, or in response to credit enquiries; and to authorize SIC to furnish to any third party details of this agreement and any subsequent dealing that the renter may have, as a result of this agreement being actioned by SIC.

15. Property: The hired items remain the sole property of SIC and there is no option to purchase the listed items.

16. Assignment: This agreement is personal to the renter and may not be assigned to others, and the renter must not sub-let the hired items to any party.

17. Change of Terms and Conditions: From time to time, SIC may need to amend and update these terms and conditions. SIC will publish the amended document on their website, and make all reasonable attempts to contact you, via email or with your next renewal notice. These changes will take effect 14 days from the date of notification.