Every contemporary Collection instrument bought from MyLuthier carries its full purchase price as credit towards your next one. You never have to sell first.
Often, upgrading to a new instrument means selling the one you have first. You consign it, you wait months, and by the time the sale is final, the instrument you wanted has gone to somebody else. Most players put the process off for years because of it.
| Arrangement | Credit | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Trade-in against another instrument | 100% of price paid | Same day |
Our Trade-In Guarantee removes that entirely. Once you have owned the instrument for two years, walk in with it, play what is available, and leave with another Collection instrument of higher value in the same category. We credit the full price you paid, you pay the difference, and the new instrument is yours.
| Term | Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Who | The original purchaser | Contemporary Collection instruments bought from MyLuthier |
| What | Same category only | A violin for a violin, a viola for a viola, a cello for a cello |
| Trading up | Pay the difference | Plus VAT where it applies |
| Trading down | Not available | We cannot refund or credit a difference in your favour |
| Condition | Assessed before trade | Substantial damage or modification is deducted |
The guarantee applies to contemporary Collection instruments, including Atelier MyLuthier instruments, which are labelled with a "Trade-In Guarantee" logo on their page. Antique instruments and bows are not covered. Instruments bought elsewhere are considered case by case, for exceptional examples only, outside the guarantee. Full terms are published separately.
.png)
Ariel Lang and Pedro Silva started MyLuthier as students at the Royal Academy of Music, and both still play. The guarantee exists because we have both owned instruments we outgrew and could not easily move on, and we did not want our clients to feel the same way. It is one of the benefits players tell us they value most about buying from us.
"Try to consign your instrument at a local violin shop, and you will realize how nice this is. I don't know if we will ever trade in this particular violin, since it's so good already, but definitely a nice option to have in case something better shows up down the road."
Michael Choi - Google Review
Every contemporary Collection instrument bought from MyLuthier carries 100% of its purchase price as credit towards another Collection instrument, for as long as you own it. After two years of ownership you bring it in, choose what you are moving to, pay only the difference, and take the new instrument home the same day. You never have to sell the old one first.
A private sale or consignment takes months, and a commission comes out of what you receive. A trade-in returns the whole of what you paid, on the day, with no commission or selling fee. The trade-off is that the credit can only be spent with us.
Contemporary Collection instruments bought from MyLuthier by their original purchaser, including Atelier MyLuthier instruments. Collection instruments are labelled with the "Trade-In Guarantee" logo on their page on our website. The trade must be within the same category, so a violin for a violin, and for an instrument of higher value.
No. The trade-in guarantee applies to contemporary instruments only. Antique instruments are sold and resold on their own terms, and we can talk you through the options for those separately.
Once you have owned the instrument for two years. The replacement carries the same guarantee, with a new two-year period from the date you buy it.
Normal playing wear is expected. Substantial damage or modification that affects the instrument's value is deducted, and in serious cases we may decline the trade. The assessment is done in our own workshop and we will show you what we have found.
The guarantee works for instruments of higher value. If you trade for an instrument of lower value we cannot refund the difference or hold it as credit.
The guarantee covers instruments purchased from MyLuthier. We do consider instruments bought elsewhere case by case, where the instrument is exceptional, but that is a separate conversation rather than part of the guarantee.
Trade-ins are done in person at 49 Little Britain, London EC1A 7BH. Appointments are Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm.