Frequently Asked Questions

Ordering, Shipping, and Returns

• How long will it take to receive my order?

  We ship out orders of in-stock items within 1 business day. Ground shipping to the lower 48 States typically takes 2-6 business days, depending on your distance from our location in North Carolina.

  We also offer optional expedited shipping methods, which provide a guaranteed arrival date. Upgrade to an expedited shipping method at checkout for fast, guaranteed delivery. 

  International orders usually take between 2-5 business days to arrive in country. Local delivery affter customs depends on the last-mile carrier.

• What is your returns policy?

  We have a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after receiving your item to request a return.

  Follow the link to read our full returns policy and read instructions on how to return your items to us.

• Do you ship to my country?

  If you are reading this, the answer is likely YES. We ship to most countries in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. We are unable to ship to a small handful of countries due to US trade restrictions or a lack of shipping service.

  >> See our International Ordering page for more information

• Can I try before I buy? Do you send instruments out on approval?

  We don't offer a traditional violin shop approval program, however, we are happy to help you narrow your choice down to two instruments and send both. You would pay for both upfront, then return one of them within the terms of our returns policy for a refund of the purchase price (less shipping).

  For help narrowing down your choice to one or two instruments you can contact us by phone, email or social media for personalized advice, or read our helpful buying guide articles. You can even visit our shop to audition our many instrument models in person! We are conveniently located near the Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and East Coast drivers can make their way to us via I-85, I-95 and I-40.

• Are products covered under warranty?

  Many of the instruments and gear products we sell are covered by their manufacturer's warranty, for which you typically must register your product after purchase. Please refer to the description of the product in question or contact us regarding any item's warranty.

• Why doesn't my coupon code work?

  If a discount code you entered did not apply, it may be because one or more of the items in your shopping cart does not qualify for the discount, or because the discount is not compatible with other discounts you may have received.. Please refer to our general product exclusions and specific promotion's exclusions.

  If you've read the promotional exclusions and believe that your order qualifies for a coupon code, please contact us so that we help you get the best possible price or explain why an item may not qualify.

• When will my order ship?

  We strive to ship orders out the same day we receive them. Exceptions are for orders placed through our website over the weekend (which we ship out the following Monday), orders placed after 3pm Eastern time, which may ship out the next business day, and orders for instruments that require significant time to set up. Tracking info will be emailed when the shipment leaves our building.

Instruments & Gear

• Can I use my regular bow? Strings? Rosin? Shoulder Rest?

  Bow, Strings, and Rosin

  Electric instruments use normal strings* under normal tension. Therefore, any traditional horsehair bow and rosin combo will work. That said, there is tremendous variation in bow quality, which will affect your tone and technique greatly. We deal exclusively in synthetic bows, ranging from beginner level fiberglass, to carbon composite, to professional level braided carbon fiber bows.  These bows are highly durable and provide excellent tone production and feel while saving money compared to the expense of comparable quality wood bows.

  *Some magnetic pickups do not work with common violin strings and require steel or other metallic strings with a high-ferrous content. This info is typically listed on the prouduct's page.

  Shoulder Rest

  The vast majority of violins and violas we sell are designed to work with standard shoulder rest models. Notable exceptions are Wood Violins Vipers and NS Design models, both of which come with their own specially designed support systems included. Occasionally we offer an instrument whose design does not accommodate a standard shoulder rest, but in this case it will be noted in the product's description, along with a suggestion for alternatives.

• Do I need an amp? Do I need a preamp?

  For all (non-acoustic) electric instruments you will need an amplifier in order to hear your instrument's tone or to be heard by others at full volume. We recommend acoustic instrument amps, or guitar amps with an acoustic amp model, as these match the impedance of your electic violin's signal. Visit our amps collection for great sounding amps that work well with violins, violas, and cellos.

  >> Read "How To Choose An Amp" in our Research HQ

  If your only intention is so-called "silent practice," then a set of headphones will be sufficient, provided your instrument has a headphone jack. If not, you will need a headphone amplifying device.

  >> Shop practice and headphone amps

  Instruments are either active--with a powered preamp on board--or passive--with no preamp or onboard powered electronics. Neither active nor passive instruments require a preamp if plugging into a purpose-built high-impedance amplifier, however, all instruments--and passive instruments in particular--can benefit greatly in terms of tone and volume production from the addition of a preamp to the signal chain.

  >> Read "Do I Need A Preamp?" in our Research HQ

• Does it come with a bow and case?

  Very few instruments we sell include a bow, and typically any bow included for free with an instrument is of a relatively poor quality. We highly recommend added a bow with your instrument purchase. While you can certainly use any bow you already own, it is ideal to have one bow with each instrument, so that you never find yourself at a gig without one because it's in your other case!

  Many instruments we carry include a hard case or gig bag, and many others don't. This information is typically found in the item's description. The majority of instruments that don't come case included will fit in a standard sized case.

• What is the difference between the Glasser AE and AEX models?

  Let's start with what is the same...

  • Both AE and AEX share the same pickup system and Bartolini electronics.

  What's different? The finish styles, which affects not only the appearance but also the tone...

  • The AE has a transparent dyed gloss finish, which shows the carbon fiber weave, available in 7 colors. This finish is more similar to an acoustic violin varnish in that allows for body vibration and an nice, open sound.
    
    
  • The AEX has a different paint/dye coating system that provides a distinctive, highly-finished, slightly pearlescent solid color to the body of the instrument. The AEX finish does not show the weave, and is available in 9 colors. The finish is a bit thicker than the AE's, and consequently, the acoustic tone is not quite as open sounding. The tone difference is still there but less pronounced when amplified.

  Hear the difference for yourself...

• Is the [doubly expensive model] really twice as good as [the lower priced model]?

  We get this question often about differently priced instrument models from the same manufacturers. For example, NS Design CR-series instruments are almost double the price of their NXTa instruments, which in turn are double the price of their WAV instruments. Is the CR twice as good as the NXTa, or 4 times as good as the WAV? Is the Yamaha YEV Pro twice as good as the origianl YEV at half the cost?

  The answer invariably is, no, it's not "twice as good." Pricing and quality aren't linear. You don't pay twice as much for exactly twice the quality improvement.

  In the case of generic $2,000 and $1,000 violins in our catalog, both will be well-built, good sounding, and work nicely in live or studio settings.So why ever pay $2,000? Or $4,000?

  The answer depends on what the difference is worth to you, and this answer will be different for every player, based on their needs, preferences, and budgets.

  Revisiting the NS Design instruments as an example, the WAV model is mass produced in India and is completely passive (it has no powered electronics). The NXTa has the same shape and design priciples, but is made in their Czech shop out of higher quality rock maple and higher-end machined parts, such as the tuners and shoulder rest mechanisms. Additionally, it has a dual mode output, allowing you to play passively like the WAV, or in active mode with better balanced, lower impedence signal. Lastly, the CR-series are also produced in the Czech shop, and include a powerful, featur laden onboard preamp that puts total tone control at your fingertips.

  Comparing NS models one should not ask whether one is twice as good as the other. Rather, one should ask, "is the superior quality and/or additional feature set worth the extra money to me?" Only you can answer that question, based on what you know about your performance needs and the size of your equipment budget!

• Can I use Bluetooth headphones or speakers with my instrument?

  In short, no, you can not. The Bluetooth standard is not designed for live audio production, and has an inherant latency that makes using it for performance next to impossible. There would be a significant delay between when you play the note and when you hear it. Therefore, you will need to use wired headphones for practice.

  For performance, you can use a live audio-grade wireless system. These systems broadcast on a defined set radio frequencies and there is virutally zeo processing latency, so sound is produced almost instantaneously when you play.