 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Brian Peterson
Date: 2007-05-02 16:39
Am planning to spend eight weeks learning Spanish in Central America this summer. I want to bring my clarinet with me but am concerned about possible theft, damage, etc. My insurance agent tells me that there's no way to insure it and that he's not aware of any other was of doing so. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Brian
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Author: GBK
Date: 2007-05-02 16:46
Buy a cheap junk clarinet off EBay and take it with you. You'll sleep a lot easier at night ...GBK
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2007-05-02 18:35
Do you mean you want to insure the clarinet only for the time you are in central America? If you do, I also don't know of any company that will do this, but you can insure your clarinet for a year and it won't cost that much at all (compared with the price of the clarinet).
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Author: Ben
Date: 2007-05-02 19:59
Try Clarion: 1-800-Vivaldi
Covers all instruments against theft, accidental damage, etc., with a $0 deductable. Is good world-wide.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2007-05-03 00:50
Here's some information from the Klarinet list and the oboe board.
Kelly Abraham (a former poster here) said: I insure my instruments through Sterling and Sterling in New York State (somewhere in Long Island, outside of New York City.) The union (my music union is local 802) gave me information on the insurance, and I believe you might have to be in the union to get the rates I get (which are really low) but they may insure people outside the union.
MusicPro is a national company insuring instruments.
http://www.sterlingrisk.com/
http://www.musicproinsurance.com/
I strongly suggest this kind of insurance. Homeowner's insurance is not only more expensive, but only covers blue book worth (the two companies above take the amount you insure it for, which is "replacement" cost, not worth...very different.) You can have $3,000 worth of coverage for about $50/yr, plus they also give you up to $5000 insurance for electronics/stereo equipment free in addition to the instrument coverage, just for insuring your instruments through them. I remember over a decade ago, my parents had my old clarinet insured for blue book rates through the homeowner's policy. The insurance rider cost them $40 a year for $1000 coverage for a "used instrument." Not only would this not have covered replacement, but for $3,000 insurance, it would have cost $120/year, and that was in the late 80s.
Homeowners insurance doesn't cover breakage due to wear or droppage, car running over instrument, etc. Music instrument insurance does.
Most importantly, homeowners insurance only covers instruments in your home or car. If you are in a mall and the instrument is next to you on a bench, and then swiped by someone, it's not covered.
I have had friends lose instruments or the instrument is broken without coverage...it's really sad when they can't afford to buy another instrument and have to stop playing.
Clarion policies do NOT cover cracking.
Instrument insurance from Merz-Huber is available through various associations, such as the American String Teachers Association ($74.00 per year to join). You can insure a woodwind even though access is through a string group. It's cheaper than Clarion, plus you get their journal with lessons and tips from eminent teachers. Merz-Huber coverage is also available through the Music Teachers National Association and probably several others. Note, however, that they won’t write a policy for someone outside the US. It's unclear whether US residents are covered for foreign travel. Clarion writes only for US citizens (a fairly recent change).
State Farm personal articles policy covers instruments – be sure to keep value updated.
Homeowner/renter policies and riders to other policies don’t cover professional use, which they define as any payment at all, even if it’s only money for gas.
Ken Shaw
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