Contact Information
Where are your stores located, and how do I get there?
How long does shipping take, and how much does it cost?
What do I do if an item arrives broken, or is defective?
What if I'm not happy with an item? Can I return it?
How do I go about renting an instrument?
I have other questions about your rental program, where can I look?
I just got a Rental Renewal Notice in the mail. What do I do?
How do I return my rental?
What if I'm looking to purchase an instrument?
Will you be coming to my child's school to pick up or drop off instruments?
I own a bow, violin, viola, cello, or bass that needs repair. What do I do?
I'd like to have my bow, violin, viola, cello, or bass appraised. Where should I start?
Do you buy used instruments, or accept them as trades?
Johnson String Instrument
11 John Street
Newton,
Massachusetts
02459
Local: 617-964-0954
Toll-free: 800-359-9351
Fax: 617-527-2684
email: info@johnsonstring.com
Johnson String Instrument - Bass Shop and Warehouse
26 Fox Road
Waltham, MA 02451
Local: 617-964-0954
Toll-free: 800-359-9351
Fax: 781-290-0023
Where are your stores located, and how do I get there?
Our main store is in Newton, MA (just west of Boston) and our Bass Shop is in Waltham, MA (another Western suburb of Boston). For directions to any of these locations, click here.
How long does shipping take, and how much does it cost?
Our Shipping Department is open Monday through Friday. We offer UPS Next Day, UPS 2nd Day, and Standard shipping rates. Standard orders normally ship via USPS Priority Mail (2-3 business days), USPS First Class Mail (2-8 business days), or UPS Ground (1-6 business days). Larger items such as instruments will ship via UPS and cannot be delivered to a PO Box. If ordered before 12PM EST on a weekday, most Standard orders for in-stock items (excepting instruments) will normally be shipped out that same day, or the next business day at the latest. Sales and rental instruments may require 3-5 business days to prepare before shipping, though we do our best to ship them out sooner. Note Saturday and Sunday delivery is not available for Next Day and 2nd Day shipping; for example, a Next Day Air order placed Friday will not arrive until the following Monday. For a complete list of domestic shipping rates, click here.
Some orders to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, APO addresses, and US Protectorates may require a shipping quote. All orders outside the United States require a shipping quote. Shipping quotes are calculated based on the size, weight, and destination of the package. Customers are welcome to call 800-359-9351 for a shipping quote, or simply place an order via www.johnsonstring.com. You will receive a shipping quote via email within 1 business day, at which time you can decide to accept the quote and supply payment for the order.
What do I do if an item arrives broken, or is defective?
We will replace defective items or items damaged in shipping; simply give us a call within 30 days of your original order, and we'll send a replacement at no charge. We will usually ask that you return the defective item to us; we can either send a prepaid postage label, or simply reimburse you for your shipping costs when we receive the defective item. Unfortunately we cannot provide a refund or exchange for any string that has been installed on an instrument. Returns should be sent to the following address (please include a copy of the original invoice with the return):
JSI Returns
26 Fox Road
Waltham, MA 02451
If you need assistance returning an item, or have questions, feel free to call (800) 359-9351
What if I'm not happy with an item? Can I return it?
Most items purchased in one of our stores may be returned to the store within 14 days for a refund or exchange, no questions asked (we regret that we cannot issue cash refunds, but we will be happy to charge the full purchase price back to any valid credit card). Chinrests and shoulder rests may be returned within 30 days of purchase. Returned books and sheet music may be subject to a $1 per item restocking fee, due to the high volume of music sales lost from photocopying. If you purchased an item from us online or over the phone, you can ship it back within 30 days of purchase for a refund or exchange (please include the original invoice). Unfortunately we can not provide a refund or exchange for any string that has been installed on an instrument. All returns should be sent to the following address:
JSI Returns
26 Fox Road
Waltham, MA 02451
All returned items must be in original condition, with the original packaging. While we try to process refunds as quickly as possible, sometimes it may be a few weeks before your refund appears on your credit card statement. If you have any questions about returns or our return policy, feel free to call (800) 359-9351
How do I go about renting an instrument?
If at all possible, we encourage you to come into one of our stores and have one of our friendly and knowledgeable staff members help you to start out on the right foot. Getting a new rental violin, viola, or cello involves sizing, play-testing (if you've played before and want to try out different instruments), and filling out a contract - you 'll need a valid credit card, and the whole thing usually takes about 15 or 20 minutes. Teachers are always welcome to help with the rental process! For bass rentals, please visit the Bass Shop at 26 Fox Rd. in Waltham Monday-Friday, 10am to 5pm. If you live too far away to come into the store, you can still easily rent from us (we have renters all over the country!). Give us a call at (800) 359-9351 to set up a rental contract and make arrangements to have an instrument shipped to you (we regret that we cannot ship basses at this time). All of our shipped rental instruments conform to the same high standards as the instruments in our store, and are personally set up and selected by our Rental Maintenance department. Shipping charges are $17 for violins and violas, and $25-$50 for cellos, depending on the size of the cello. In many cases, we can ship your rental within 48 hours (some instruments may take longer, depending on availability). For complete information on rental rates, instruments, and to register click here or look at our rental FAQ page.
I have other questions about your rental program, where can I look?
You can start by looking in our rental section or our rental FAQ page. Of course you can always give a call at (800) 359-9351.
I just got a Rental Renewal Notice in the mail. What do I do?
As a courtesy to our customers, we send out Rental Renewal Notices at least two weeks, and usually 3-4 weeks, before your rental is due. There are two easy ways to renew your rental: you can either send a check before the due date, or you can call us at (800) 359-9351 and renew your rental over the phone using a credit card. For rental returns see below.
How do I return my rental?
If you wish to return your rental instead of renewing, just get it back to us by the due date, and we will close your account. You can return a rental instrument at our Newton store anytime during business hours. Basses should be returned to our Bass Shop in Waltham. For instruments returned by mail, the return date is the date that we receive the instrument, not the date that we process it (don't worry, you won't be charged extra if it sits in our Receiving Department for a few days). Any rentals being returned by mail should be shipped to:
JSI Rental Returns
26 Fox Road
Waltham, MA 02451
If you have any questions about how to ship an instrument, or about our rental return/overdue policies, please give us a call at (800) 359-9351.
What if I'm looking to purchase an instrument?
Our helpful sales staff is available during regular business hours, Monday through Saturday, and can take you through the entire process step-by-step, including setting up in-home trials through the mail. For customers coming in to the store, we recommend that you call ahead for an appointment to avoid long wait times - our sales staff can be quite busy on Saturdays and during peak times of the year (June, September, and December). For more information on the instruments and outfits we have for sale, click here, or call one of our sales associates: Matthew Fritz, Sales Manager (800) 359-9351, ext. 108; Jon Crumrine, ext. 138; Leah Johnson, ext. 123; or Miguel Garcia.
Will you be coming to my child's school to pick up or drop off instruments?
If you live in Massachusetts, Connecticut, or New York, your child's school may be part of our rental service program. We visit a large number of schools at least twice a year (at the beginning and end of the school year), and some schools receive more frequent service trips (every 4-6 weeks). For a complete listing of upcoming service trips, click here. For other questions, please call the main store phone number at (800) 359-9351.
I own a bow, violin, viola, cello, or bass that needs repair. What do I do?
Need a bow repaired? No problem! Simply bring the bow into the store or ship it to us, and we can perform most repair or rehairing jobs. Violin/viola bow rehairs are $50, and cello bow rehairs are $55 (shipping a bow to most US locations costs $12).
With our newly expanded repair shop we are accepting a much wider range of instrument repair and restoration projects. Click here for more information and please contact us with any questions you might have.
I'd like to have my bow, violin, viola, cello, or bass appraised. Where should I start?
Feel free to give us a call and make an appointment! Our appraisals are done by Roger Johnson, who has over 30 years of experience in appraising and evaluating all levels of string instruments and bows. We can provide a verbal appraisal of your instrument's provenance and value for $35, or a written appraisal with complete and certified documents (required by most insurance companies) for $75.
Do you buy used instruments, or accept them as trades?
We do occasionally buy used instruments outright from private sellers, but this is rare. It's more likely that we would be able to sell your instrument on consignment (non-commercial instruments with a retail value of $5,000 or more). To inquire about arranging a consignment evaluation for your instrument, call our Sales Manager, Jon Crumrine, at (800) 359-9351, ext. 138 Tuesdays through Saturdays. If you are trading in an instrument purchased at JSI, the instrument trades back for 100% of your purchase price, minus a small reconditioning fee. Trade-in value for outside instruments (not purchased at JSI) is at the discretion of the Sales Department - feel free to call the Sales Manager for a quote. For more information on buying instruments from JSI, look here.
