Violin, Viola & Cello Rental
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The Dilemma...
Your child has the chance to have violin, viola or cello lessons, but you're not sure where to start. Of course you want them to succeed, but what if he/she doesn't take to it? What if your child is too small for a full size instrument, and they will need to upgrade to a larger size in a year or two?
The temptation is to buy the cheapest instrument you can find. Unfortunately cheap instruments are difficult to play, sound terrible, and willl almost certainly discourage your child from playing (imagine trying to learn to drive in a car with sloppy steering, awkward gear change and poor brakes).
The Solution...
Rent an instrument from Sheehans!
Good Reasons to Rent...
- A much lower initial outlay. A year's rental payments are still less than the cost of even a poor quality instrument!
- We provide high quality instruments that are professionally set up.
- They are all guaranteed and maintained by us.
- Violins and Violas are supplied with a hard case, bow, chin and shoulder rests and rosin.
- Cellos are supplied with a soft case, bow and rosin.
- You can hand the instrument back and cancel your payments at any time.
- You can upgrade to a larger size or better quality instrument at any time.
- We give you a discount if you subsequently buy an instrument from us.<
- The rental includes a specialist insurance policy.
How Much Does it Cost?
The price of hiring a violin, viola or cello from us depends on its value, age and condition. There are three categories of instrument in our rental scheme:
- Used European (mainly Romanian, Hungarian and Czech in origin). Expect to pay slightly more for a newer instrument, and slightly less for one that's a few years old.
- New European - if there are no used instruments of a suitable size or quality, we may offer you the choice of hiring a brand new, Romanian made instrument at a slightly higher price.
- Improved Chinese (and Korean) - used, far-eastern made instruments that have been fully overhauled in our workshop. Although these instruments are the least expensive, some local teachers recommend using a European made instrument as a minimum standard, so it's probably worth checking with your teacher first.
Typical monthly rental costs are shown below. Before coming to the shop to hire an instrument, it's advisable to contact us first to check availability.
| Typical Monthly Rental Costs* |
| Violin Outfits |
New European (RRP £295 ) £9.00 |
| |
Used European (approx £195) £7.50 |
| |
Improved Chinese £6.00 |
| |
|
| Viola Outfits |
New European (RRP £395) £12.00 |
| |
Used European (approx £295) £9.00 |
| |
|
| Cello Outfits |
New European (RRP £695) £21.00 |
| |
Used European (approx £450) £13.50 |
| |
Improved Chinese £12.00 |
*Payable by quarterly Direct Debit
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What is so different about our rental instruments?
We take a good quality European instrument and then:
- Adjust the height of the bridge and nut. (Too high and the strings are hard to press down. Too low and they buzz on the fingerboard)
- Check the curve of the bridge. (Too shallow and you play 2 strings at once, too high and you catch the wood at the edge.)
- Check the fit of the pegs. (Too loose and the instrument won't stay in tune. Too tight and it's very difficult to tune!)
- Check the fit and position of the soundpost. (Too tight and it can crack the violin. Too loose and it will keep falling down. The sound is stifled if it is positioned incorrectly.)
- Fit high quality strings for increased sound quality. (RRP £15.00-£75.00)
- Include a quality shoulder rest for comfort. (RRP £23.00)
- Fit a quality tailpiece with integral adjusters for ease of tuning . (RRP £15.00)
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How do I go about renting an instrument from Sheehans?
If you already know what size instrument your child needs, call or email in advance to check we have a something suitable in the shop. If we have, we will happily reserve it until you come in.
Once you have decided on an instrument, we can set up the rental agreement while you are in the shop - this usually takes around 10-15mins. We will need your name, address and bank account details*, including the address of your bank (this is usually printed in your chequebook), plus some form of identification such as a driving licence or passport.
The first three months' payment is made in the shop by either cash, cheque, credit or debit card; while you are in the shop we also set up a Direct Debit agreement which will be used for your next payment in 3 months time.
Should you wish to cancel at any time, you need to return the instrument at least 4 working days before the next payment is due, to give us enough time to cancel the agreement.
*You must have a valid current account capable of supporting Direct Debit
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