Shipping
SHIPPING:
If you are shipping an instrument or bow to us, please ensure that it is packed safely and securely. Feel free to view our videos (below) to find out a safe way to send us your instrument or bow, or follow the instructions on this page. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email!
We ask that you use UPS for shipping, but the Postal Service or FedEx will do if UPS is not an option for you.
We *strongly* recommend having your instrument or bow covered with insurance before shipping. Mount Airy Violins & Bows is not responsible for items damaged while being shipped to us.
We also offer pre-made shipping systems for bows, for an additional fee. Contact us if you’d like to purchase one. You can re-use this every time you need to send us your bow.
Bows:
If you have a bow case, please use that. If not, you can wrap the bow in plastic and then rubber-band it to a flat piece of wood, taking care to leave extra room at both ends of the bow.
Wrap your bow case or stabilized bow/wood assembly with bubble wrap. Make sure to use enough so that it will fit inside your shipping box without movement. Pay special attention to the ends of the box; you want the bow completely suspended in bubble wrap, without any contact with the sides of the shipping container.
Violins/Violas:
Please ship your instrument within its case.
For your instrument itself, you can leave it fully tuned, or, if you feel comfortable doing it, tune all the strings down by a whole step or two. Leave enough tension on the strings that the bridge remains standing. Fill in the space under the strings (in front and behind the bridge) with bubble wrap, putting a piece of wax paper or parchment paper between the bubble wrap and the instrument surface.
Empty all internal accessory compartments of the case, or put all contents into a plastic bag so that objects inside can’t work their way free during shipping, which could result in damage to your instrument.
Pack the instrument in its case, then pack the case in a shipping box large enough to hold the case with 3 inches of space on every side. Fill this area with bubble wrap or packing peanuts; enough so that the case does not move once the box is sealed.