Official Luthiers Forum!

I just received some sad news from a musician in Atlanta that bought one of my guitars years ago. He is a local studio musician and also teaches at Georgia State. Last week while coming home from the university he had a very serious car accident. He survived but his guitar didn't. He has contacted me, as the builder, asking for some information about the guitar for insurance purposes.
Does anyone have any experience/information they could offer? I have never had to do this type of thing before.
The guitar was a high end classical with irreplaceable very high quality BRW.

I'd give them the price it would cost for you to build him a new one with similar materials. If the cost of the BRW is $3,000 now for a comparable B+S set, thats what it is. I dont know how it works for auto, but on home owners you can declare the value of the guitar, but you have to have some sort of justification for it. You also pay premiums based on the value to declare. I think it was $4 per year per $1,000 of insured value.

yup, just do a quote for an exact rebuild.

Materials have gone up, so be it.

Itemise it to show that you're not just getting the arm in

_________________
My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

This claim is being filled against the ticketed drivers liability I assume . If so depreciation or appreciation will not be considered factor by the paying insurance company. The honest thing to do is if you have a copy of original sales agreement/invoice/bill of sale, supply the insurance company with that. Now if the owner of the guitar had instrument insurance on the instrument and the claim is going against that then it is a different issue. But in either case i suspect you will end up needing to provide a copy of the original bill of sale.

Thanks for the info.
Michael I am not sure if he will be using his personal homeowners insurance on this or the other driver's insurance. I would need to ask some more questions.

The original receipt will add something to the determination, but it really matters what its worth now. Replacement value. If I bought a one oz gold piece in 1975 for $40 (or whatever it was), its worth $980 now, not $40.

You have a point that the replacement value is more but the truth of the matter is most (and I repeat most) Auto and homeowners liability insurance policies do not cover new replacement value. It is sad truth but true none the less.

I do have new replacement value on my homeowner’s liability but I pay an extra premium for such. My auto insurance liability only covers depreciated market value on vehicels and lesser of confirmable original sell price or adjusted appraised price on contents. This is typical of auto liability.

Instrument and collectible policies are written to account for market value. But Auto and homeowners insurance do not look at hand crafted or even vintage instruments any different than a mid line instrument. If you own a fine handcrafted by a renowned builder, a vintage instrument, professional players that travel with their instruments regularly and builders and luthiers I truly recommend you get in touch with Heritage insurance. Only way to insure the value of such instruments.

I guess it depends on who hit whom.

If Robbie's client was at fault I agree with you Michael. It should only be for purchase price (unless he turns it in on his home owners insurance). However, if he was not at fault, I would fight tooth and nail to be made whole regardless of the replacement value.

_________________
Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Someone pulled out in front of my client.

The $4/year/$1000 I mentioned is on top of standard home owners as you said. You can declare the value you want it insured for. I have no idea about auto and assume you are correct about depreciated value. Its probably all in the fine print.

I'd tell them what it was purchased for and what the replacement value is. Let them fight over it.

I agree there 100%

My homeoners policy is for full replacement value. Do not assume that the other's is less. Anyway, the other's insurance only determines what the insurance pays, NOT what the person is liable for. The insurance company may try to get the victim to accept less, but do not give up on that if it is the other person's fault.