Lifetime Warranty

Please read this warranty completely in order to fully understand how your instrument is under warranty, as well as to enjoy years of trouble-free use of your Kennedy Violins instrument.

These terms and conditions cover all stringed instruments, bows, and cases manufactured and distributed by Kennedy Violins Inc. This document is the complete Kennedy Violins Inc. warranty for stringed instruments. There is no other or additional Kennedy Violins Inc. warranty, expressed or implied. Specific terms and conditions apply to certain items, so please read this warranty in its entirety.

Kennedy Violins Inc. warrants its instruments to be free of defect in material and construction for the lifetime of the product. Cases are warranted to be free of defect in materials and workmanship for one year from the date of purchase.

Please see below for limitations and restrictions to this warranty. Kennedy Violins Inc. will, at its option, repair or replace any item found to have been defective in materials or manufacture under the terms stated here. Kennedy Violins Inc. shall be the sole arbiter of eligibility for warranty repair or replacement. Kennedy Violins' liability is limited to repair or replacement of defective items.

To be eligible for warranty coverage, the original purchaser of the item must present the defective item together with the original receipt of purchase to Kennedy Violins Inc. Kennedy Violins Inc. will make all necessary arrangements for repair or replacement of the defective items. Kennedy Violins Inc. reserves the right to make changes to this warranty. The policies in place at the time of purchase will be honored.

Special Conditions & Restrictions

Bows: Limited lifetime warranty applies only to original purchaser of bow. Hair is not covered by warranty except for its installation; in other words, if a bow’s original hair falls out, that is covered. It is normal for a few hairs to break now and then as this is a normal bow characteristic. If numerous hairs come out often or the entire bulk of hair comes out of the bow, this is considered a defect. Original hair installation is covered for a period of six months.

Damage caused by neglect or misuse of bows is not covered. Damage caused by normal wear is not covered. Warranty is void if any repair or attempt to repair bow by customer or by an unauthorized repair person has been made.

Wooden bows react to changes in temperature and humidity. A common result of exposure to extremes in temperature or humidity is warpage. The Kennedy Violins Inc. warranty does not cover warpage. Warpage is defined as a bow becoming curved in unnatural directions, usually from left to right on the horizontal plane.

Please also note that bows left tight for long periods of time are likely to warp. To protect your bow from warping, always be sure to loosen the hair after playing with the screw located at the end of the frog.

Bone or imitation ivory tip plates are designed to protect a bow's fragile tip. Tip plates can be damaged either by dropping or hitting of the bow tip, or by hair wedges that are installed too tightly. For this reason, Kennedy Violins Inc. limits its warranty of tip plates to one year or until the first rehair, whichever comes first.

Instruments: Limited lifetime warranty applies only to original purchaser of instrument. Warranty does not cover strings. Strings are delicate and generally break because of wear and over-tightening. Warranty on pegs, chinrests, endpins, and tailpieces is expressly limited to one year. Bridges are covered by warranty for a period of three months.

Damage caused by neglect or misuse of the instrument is not covered. Please note that exposure to excessive heat, cold, dryness, or moisture is considered neglect. If the instrument is stored in an excessively dry climate, it is necessary to install a humidifier in the storage room to prevent your instrument from developing cracks. Individual instrument humidifiers are often not sufficient for very dry climates.

Warranty is void if any repair or attempt to repair the instrument has been made by the customer or unauthorized repair person. Instrument adjustment is not covered by this warranty. Normal wear caused by normal use of items is not covered by this warranty.

Please note that openings in an instrument’s seams are common. Because of the nature of wood and its reactions to seasonal changes, Kennedy Violins Inc. instruments have been manufactured in a way that will ensure the highest level of durability; however, they are not immune to seams separating or plates cracking due to poor storage conditions. The Kennedy Violins Inc. warranty does not cover seam openings. To avoid seam openings or cracks caused by extreme or sudden changes in temperature or humidity, please protect your instrument by maintaining humidity levels between 50% and 70%. Do not expose your instrument to temperatures above or below those generally found comfortable by people (roughly 55-90 degrees Fahrenheit).

Cases: Warranty applies only to original purchaser of the case. Damage caused by either normal wear, misuse, or neglect is not covered. The Kennedy Violins Inc. warranty responsibilities and liabilities are limited to repair or replacement of defective cases for one year from the date of purchase. Damage to instruments, bows, or other personal property being stored or transported in Kennedy Violins Inc. cases is not covered by this or any other Kennedy Violins Inc. warranty.

For more information and answers to any questions you may have, please contact us at support@kennedyviolins.com or by calling 1-800-779-0242.