Bass Insurance

[najcross]

Just wondering what agencies you guys insure you basses through. Any places you recommend or not. How much premium is standard for a 10k bass. I'm not sure if this is where to post this thread so feel free move it.

[Rocky]

Hi, I use Clarion Insurance. They have great rates, and they cover your instruments,and accessories at home, clubs, in the car etc as well as damages incurred on gigs or elsewhere. If your instrument is stolen,and then recovered they offer you the opportunity to buy it back after they have paid your claim. They also cover borrowed instruments, instruments shipped to you or from you, and you are immediately covered when you by something for the first 30 days before you notify them. All in all an excellent company. I believe there minimum coverage is 20k for somewhere around 250.00 per yr which can be paid in installments.

[Stev187]

Fantastic question! I have been wondering about this, too! My luthier recommended Heritage, but I want to shop around.

I'd add as a sub question: please compare/contrast with adding "riders" to homeowner's insurance. My luthier's take is that homeowner's carriers will only cover repairs without understanding that overall value might be compromised post-repair (e.g. replacement value). Not such an issue for my bass, but still curious.

-Steve

[DaveAceofBass]

www.musicproinsurance.com

[najcross]

Thanks guys,

DaveaceofBass- Have you ever had to make a claim and if so how was customer service?

[Hqubed]

I have them as "Scheduled Items" on my homeowners policy. Covers theft, damage, and breakage, no deductable. $10,000 of coverage @ $32.00 per year.

[najcross]

I might do that for my other instruments, piano, guitar and such. My main concern is that I am going off to college and I'm not sure if home owners ins would cover all circumstances. Anyone know of some pluses of getting a seperate instrument policy as oposed to adding it under your home owners.

[mjt0229]

Often homeowners will not cover an instrument that's used professionally, so it's wise to look around. My bass is insured through Merz-Huber, as part of a deal through the ISB. I haven't looked at other options or had to put in a claim, though.

[Leeners]

My basses are insured through Clarion because I was comfortable with the language in the policy. Be sure you read each company's policy very carefully.

Also, I investigated insuring them as a rider on my homeowners policy. My past experiences in making claims on items through my homeowners policy, is that they will reimburse your loss, but then they will try to increase your entire policy premium or even cancel it the following year - now that you are a "higher" risk. Therefore the only instrument I have insured through my home policy is my piano because I figure my house will have been destroyed if something catastrophic happens to that. The basses are insured separately through Clarion.

[drurb]

I also highly recommend Clarion. Excellent rates, customer service, and contract language. I've never made a claim but I do know of claims that have been made. Clarion paid promptly and without hassle. That is, they didn't make the client jump through all sorts of hoops. That was extremely important to me in my choice. Clarion also covers a boat-load of equipment up to some value for a flat rate (I can't remember the exact number but it's higher than I need). I've specifically listed just about everything I carry right down to my fdeck pre-amp.

As for homeowner's riders, my advice is to forget them. I went that route for a while. Take a really good look at the contract language. Unless you have an very atypical policy, you won't be very well protected at all for equipment that travels to/from gigs, rehearsals, etc.

[Stev187]

Originally Posted by drurb

As for homeowner's riders, my advice is to forget them.

This is excellent advice and very helpful. Thank you.

--Steve

[Matt Ides]

Great thread. Was just discussing this with my teacher since I have a carved bass that is worth some moolah.

[Stev187]

Originally Posted by Matt Ides

Great thread. Was just discussing this with my teacher since I have a carved bass that is worth some mullah.

Me, too! Oh, and not that there's anything wrong with being a mullah, I think your bass is actually worth moolah. ;-)

[Matt Ides]

Thanks. Edit done.

[Stev187]

Originally Posted by Matt Ides

Thanks. Edit done.

LOL! I just thought it was funny. Didn't mean to come off as a smart a**, just a word guy. I loves me the words.

[Don Higdon]

Originally Posted by mjt0229

Often homeowners will not cover an instrument that's used professionally, so it's wise to look around. My bass is insured through Merz-Huber, as part of a deal through the ISB.

+1 for both points.
Merz-Huber may seem expensive until you have a claim and see how quick and realistic they are.
When I dropped out of the gigging scene, I switched over to Homeowners. I'm surely not making a living out of RSO and RCB!

[drurb]

I'm a weekend/nighttime warrior-- meaning I have a day job. I sure don't make a living with the DB. Still, I never found any homeowner's policy to be adequate. That's why I switched to real musical instrument insurance. Perhaps there are homeowner's policies out there that would work both in terms of the contract language and no-hassle claims. I just have never seen one.

[robobass]

I used Merz-Huber for many years. I never made a claim, and they never raised my rate, but in the last years of our relationship they doubled my deductible every year. When it got to $500 from the original 50 bucks I decided enough. The moral is: Shop Around!

[Eric Swanson]

I use Amica. As mentioned above, I have my bass and bow listed as "additional items" on my homeowner's policy.

This required a signed appraisal of the bow and a purchase receipt of the bass(es).

Also, as I am not a pro player, I have to clarify that the equipment is not being used on a professional basis. If I were using them professionally, the whole scenario, rates, etc. would be different; perhaps even requiring a different policy.

On a side note, I have, unfortunately, had to submit claims on both my former bass (which self-destructed) and my bow (which I nearly destroyed through sheer absent-mindedness). Both claims were submitted and honored within the last year.

With a minimum of paperwork, hassle, and distrust, Amica honored both claims, pretty ideally. I used the bass' insurance money as part of leveraging up to a much nicer instrument (adding more money of my own) and the bow claim money to pay for an extensive, ongoing restoration, following very serious damage.

Insurance, in my case, turned what could have been major setbacks into some relatively minor inconveniences. Amica was really quite wonderful.

[Don Higdon]

Nice to hear about something going right. Thanks.