Corilon FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About Purchasing and Shipping (Corilon FAQ)
How can I pay for my instrument?
Corilon violins, or Corilon for short, is a reputable retailer specializing in high-quality violins, violas, cellos, and bows. We have been in business for over 20 years and offer one of the world’s largest and most interesting selections of high-quality vintage and antique European stringed instruments with its own violin-making workshops in Munich and Cremona. Corilon offers its customers the option to try and buy locally in Munich. The following payment methods are available for your purchase at Corilon, both online and locally:
- PayPal (direct debit, credit card)
- Credit card
- Bank transfer
- German Debit card or cash payment upon pickup
More information on the Payment Methods page ...
Can you try out and select instruments in person at Corilon violins (Corilon)?
Yes. At Corilon violins, you can select, try out, and purchase string instruments both online and in person in Munich. The purchasing process is transparent, and if you’re not satisfied with your decision, you can correct it through a clear return policy. In-store purchases are also covered by the 30-day return policy.
Does Corilon offfer a customer service by phone?
Corilon does not offer general telephone customer service. Our experience shows that questions about historical string instruments deserve the care, expertise and depth that a quick phone call rarely allows. We respond to all inquiries in writing - via email - personally, competently and without time pressure. For urgent matters from existing customers, telephone contact is possible by prior arrangement.
Does Corilon offer immediate shipping and how will my Corilon instrument be delivered?
Corilon ships your ordered instrument as soon as possible after a personal review in perfect condition, tuned, ready to play, and securely packaged via Deutsche Post/DHL. Secure, worldwide shipping is free for you. More information on shipping costs, delivery times, and packaging can be found on the Shipping Costs page ...
Why does shipping sometimes take a little time?
How does shipping work, and how long does it take? We offer free shipping worldwide—regardless of the instrument’s price. Whether it’s a student instrument or a high-quality historic violin: Shipping costs you nothing, no matter which country we’re shipping to. This offer is truly unique in the instrument trade.
Regarding delivery times: Within Germany, we usually deliver within a week; throughout Europe, delivery typically takes 1–2 weeks. International shipping via free standard shipping may sometimes take a little longer. If you’re in a hurry, you can opt for a premium shipping upgrade (airmail) for an additional fee—though please note: In remote regions, such as rural Australia or sparsely populated areas of the U.S., delivery may naturally take longer than in metropolitan areas, regardless of the shipping method chosen.
To make free worldwide shipping possible at all, it is provided as regular international standard shipping—not as express or air freight. Anyone expecting fast, free, and worldwide shipping at the same time should know: These factors cannot realistically be reconciled. However, the reason lies not only in the price but also in how we operate: Every instrument—regardless of its value—undergoes the same careful inspection, adjustment, and quality control before being carefully packed by hand. We do not ship mass-produced goods that are automatically picked and shipped.
At Corilon, craftsmanship and quality matter in every single step, much like the working methods of a traditional workshop. This attention to detail takes a little time—but it pays off in the quality and sound of the instrument when it arrives at your doorstep.
Do instruments from Corilon violins “grow” with you?
In a figurative sense: yes! As your playing skills grow, our guaranteed trade-in program makes it easier for you to find a new, suitable instrument. We will credit you 100% of the original price toward the purchase of an upgrade in a higher price range. In our extensive selection of children’s violins, young musicians transitioning from “1/4” to “4/4” will always find the right violin.
More information on the Trade-In page ...
How long is the trial period?
After receiving your order, you can try out your instrument for 30 days and, if you’re not satisfied, return it for a full refund. Corilon handles returns and refunds with flexibility. Every single return in over 20 years has been processed and correctly refunded by Corilon. Since 2025, we have also offered a return policy for on-site purchases. Learn more about our return policy here.
Is returning an instrument complicated?
No. We want every customer to be satisfied with their Corilon instrument and enjoy it for many years—that’s our philosophy. We handle returns and exchanges with flexibility: we certainly won’t hold minor scratches or imperfections in the finish—which occur naturally while playing—against you. To return the instrument, simply use the Corilon packaging, which is optimized for break-proof shipping, and send the package via standard mail to our address. We’ll take care of the rest — free of charge, of course. Once we receive your return, we will process it and issue a refund within 14 business days.
What do I need to do when returning an instrument?
If you ship an instrument to us as part of our return policy or trade guarantee, please make sure you have packed it securely and carefully. We recommend using the original Corilon packaging — optimized for safe shipping — in which you received the instrument from us, and sending the package via your courier of choice to our address. Make sure you include a notice or a copy of our original invoice. Upon receipt of your return, we will process it within 14 business days. Please see our more detailed information on packing and shipping a violin.
How are Corilon instruments restored and worked over?
Older instruments are distinctive personalities with a history, and the ones with good musical properties are especially likely to show clear evidence of their “biography.” As a result, each violin, viola, cello and violin bow we buy need a specialist to restore or work them over. Our in-house violin makers have over 25 years of professional experience and have given several older instruments a new lease on life – and in some cases, perhaps even more than one! When a violin arrives in our atelier, we begin by taking the time we need to thoroughly examine its condition and decide which steps are necessary to set up and make the instrument perfectly playable, without hidden defects. In doing this, Corilon violins follows two key principles:
- Respect the historic character of the instrument
An old violin is very rarely without flaws. And for that matter, it shouldn't be – after all, why else would centuries of violin makers spent so much time practicing the craft of artificially ageing their new products? Our instruments reflect their authentic history, and if that means that they have traces of use – even heavy ones – we see this as a sign of their good musical properties. The presence of a patina and crackling evolve naturally as the varnish ages, and aficionados of historic instruments appreciate this as such.
- It's about music – not museum pieces!
Our customers are musicians who want to use their fine stringed instruments, which is why we perform whatever repairs are necessary to maintain or restore the ideal playing properties. These can include regluing a top or neck that has come loose, or perhaps replacing a defective fingerboard, or fitting the violin with a new bridge, tailpiece and sound post.
Do instruments at Corilon have soundpost cracks or hidden defects?
No. Every instrument in the Corilon catalog is professionally inspected and restored to playing condition by our luthier’s workshop before being added to our selection. Instruments with soundpost cracks or other significant structural defects are not included in the catalog. Our policy is clear: No instrument at Corilon has hidden defects. What is stated in the description corresponds to the condition of the instrument. Buyers need not expect to discover unexpected damage after purchase.
Instruments requiring significant restoration—such as those with soundboard cracks secured with soundboard lining or cracks in the bass bar—appear in the Corilon catalog only in exceptional cases and exclusively as isolated instances among particularly valuable or historically significant pieces. These restorations are always documented in the text and openly communicated. In the lower price range, instruments with significant repairs are generally not found at Corilon. Repairing a soundpost crack with soundpost filler is a complex restoration costing several thousand euros, often exceeding the value of the instrument itself. For lower-priced instruments, such a restoration is not economically viable and is therefore not performed.
For technical context: For significant master instruments in the six-figure price range—such as instruments by Gagliano, Amati, or Stradivari—extensive restorations and soundpost cracks repaired with soundpost lining are a well-known and widely accepted restoration practice in the trade. They generally reduce the value of such instruments only slightly and are not uncommon in instruments of this age and provenance. However, this is a characteristic of the high-end segment, not a feature of the Corilon catalog as a whole, and certainly not of the lower price range.
Why does Corilon sometimes not name the maker of an instrument?
When it comes to historical string instruments, the question of attribution is complex and requires expert scrutiny. Corilon explicitly names a maker only when the attribution is scientifically verified. A label inside an instrument is not proof of authorship. Model labels bearing names such as “Stradivarius” or ‘Amati’ are found on hundreds of thousands of factory-made instruments with no connection whatsoever to these masters. Instruments without confirmed maker attribution are described by Corilon according to region of origin, era, and schoo - for example, “Mirecourt, early 19th century.” This is not an attempt to obscure the truth but the opposite: an honest description instead of a misleading attribution. Anyone who buys an instrument described as a “Mirecourt violin” gets exactly that - and no false guarantee of authorship.
My child needs a violin – what size should we order?
What violin size should a children's violin be? Are older instruments better than new ones? What makes more sense, renting or buying? In our helpful text children's violins you can find answers to common questions about the “first student violin” and a size chart.
Are the reviews of Corilon violins (Corilon) authentic?
Yes. We are committed to transparency in customer reviews and genuine feedback. Corilon violins has received excellent reviews and collects authentic feedback through transparent, independent platforms such as Google Maps (with an average rating of 4.9 to 5.0). Corilon has accumulated more than 350 positive 5-star reviews on Google over the years. More than 99% of these reviews from verified customers are 5-star positive, which reflects our long-standing work, our commitment to quality, and our customer-friendly approach—and inspires us anew every day. In 20 years, Corilon violins has sold nearly 10,000 instruments to satisfied customers. You can read personal customer feedback, which we receive via email, on our website in the “Experiences and Customer Feedback” section.
Can you really buy string instruments online at Corilon?
Yes - and several buyers do so every day at Corilon violins. Buying string instruments online at Corilon means trying them out and playing them at home. Buying string instruments online has become fully established in recent years. Professional dealers like Corilon offer a much wider selection, rare pieces, and more variety. Sound samples, detailed photos, certificates, and comprehensive descriptions enable you to make an informed decision. You browse online; you try out and play the instrument at home, at your own pace, with or without an audience, in your familiar surroundings—which offers tremendous advantages. Added to this is the return policy and the statutory 14-day right of withdrawal: Any instrument ordered online can be returned within 30 days without giving a reason.
Does Corilon violins (Corilon) recommend buying string instruments online?
Yes — without reservation and across all price ranges in our catalog from student to professional violins and from €1,000 to €300,000. Our comprehensive warranties, safe packaging and shipping, excellent value for money, good sound, and our wide selection are our strong points. At Corilon violins, you can listen to hundreds of professionally played instruments online and find the best violin for yourself. And you’ll pay significantly less than at a luthier, who often has only a few instruments in stock and charges correspondingly high prices.
Guaranteed online purchase at Corilon violins (Corilon):
- 30-day unlimited return policy, full refund of purchase price for online and local purchases
- Excellent value for money
- Secure, worldwide shipping for 20 years
- Hassle-free refunds
- Individual sound samples for every single instrument
- Personal and expert advice from our managing director via email
- Trust-based service on-site
- Detailed photo documentation and meticulously crafted, authentic text descriptions
- Certificate option: A certificate can be ordered for each instrument
- Expert certificates for high-end violins, verifying their authenticity
Our nearly 20 years of experience in global online sales show that this approach works. Our goal is simple: The violin you receive should be the same one you saw on our website. Find the perfect violin at Corilon.
Is buying string instruments from Corilon violins (Corilon) like placing an order with a mail-order company?
Yes: You can buy from Corilon violins online, via mail order, or in person in Munich. Purchasing an instrument from Corilon violins is protected in several ways by our comprehensive guarantees and is practically identical to placing an order with a mail-order company. The instrument is delivered at our expense, and you can try it out and play it at home, in an orchestra and in a concert hall. The purchase is only finalised once the 30-day return period has expired. If, after trying it out and playing it, you do not wish to keep the instrument, you can return it. Returning the instrument is straightforward, and the purchase price will be refunded in full. Corilon violins supports this decision-making process with professionally recorded sound samples, detailed photographic documentation and personalised advice — so that the buyer can assess the instrument as accurately as possible even before delivery. Corilon’s comprehensive guarantees protect the buyer even after the purchase and ensure the security of their investment (authenticity guarantee, trade-in guarantee).
Thousands of customers from all over the world — from Japan to Australia, from the USA to France — value the expertise of Corilon Violins and successfully shop online with Corilon. We would be delighted to welcome you to our premises in Munich by appointment, where you can also try out and select instruments in person. Our returns policy also applies to in-store purchases.
Why are labels found in manufactured violins (e.g. Antonius Stradivarius or ‘copie de Antonius Stradivarius…’) not certificates of authenticity, and how should they be interpreted historically?
From a historical perspective, a label inside the body of a violin is not proof of ownership or authenticity, but in the vast majority of cases an indication of the instrument’s construction model or historical prototype.
- Historical background: From the late 19th century onwards, it was common practice in the major European violin-making centres (such as Mirecourt in France or Mittenwald and Markneukirchen in Germany) to to affix facsimile labels bearing the names of famous old masters (e.g. ‘Copie de Antonius Stradivarius’ or ‘Nicolaus Amatus’) to factory-made violins. This served merely to identify the model – much like a style or series designation today.
- Condition of labels: Paper that has been kept protected in the dark, dry interior of a violin can look surprisingly fresh and bright even after 100 to 130 years. A label that has not yellowed or is well-preserved is therefore not an indication of subsequent tampering or replacement, but often simply reflects the instrument’s protected storage and infrequent use.
- Attribution and valuation: Specialist dealers and experts never assess the value, provenance, age and quality of a violin primarily on the basis of the label, but always on the basis of craftsmanship and stylistic criteria: wood quality, arching, finish, details and tonal characteristics.
Corilon Violins provides transparent descriptions: Affordable instruments labelled as factory-made violins by J.T.L. or Laberte (Mirecourt) bear historical model labels (facsimiles), which must never be mistaken for certificates of authenticity.
Do the sound samples on corilon.com reflect the actual sound of the instruments?
What you hear is the instrument’s actual sound. Our sound samples are not intended to be promotional recordings. There are no sonic tricks, no effects and no staging designed to make a violin sound more impressive than it actually is. Each instrument is recorded individually so that its own tonal character can be heard as authentically as possible.
Is Corilon violins (Corilon) absolutely certain regarding the authenticity of instruments?
Yes. Before sale, every instrument is thoroughly inspected by our experts, correctly classified and described transparently. Instruments identified as manufactory-made violins are accompanied by historical model labels, which are professionally classified as such.
How does Corilon violins (Corilon) ensure the high quality of its instruments?
Through decades of experience, qualified violin makers in our workshops in Munich and Cremona, and the strictest criteria for restoration and sound tuning.
Is buying a historical string instrument online from Corilon violins (Corilon) safe?
Yes. Corilon violins pioneered the online sale of high-quality string instruments over two decades ago and has developed it into a global standard. To make the purchase safe for buyers, we offer a comprehensive protection package:
- 30-day returns policy: You can try out any instrument for a full month in your usual surroundings, in a concert hall or with your teacher.
- Authentic audio samples: Uncompressed studio recordings made under identical acoustic conditions allow you to assess the sound realistically in advance.
- Special packaging & Full insurance: Worldwide shipping is carried out in bespoke, shock-resistant special packaging. The instruments arrive set up and ready to play.
- Trade-in guarantee: We offer a trade-in option at a later date when purchasing higher-value instruments.
How is the provenance of high-end instruments verified by Corilon?
For high-end instruments priced at €10,000 or more, an independent expert’s certificate is typically included with nearly all instruments in this price range. The certificates are issued by internationally recognized experts, including Hieronymus Köstler, Jean-Jacques Rampal, Charles Beare, Jean-François Raffin, Carlson & Neumann, and Eric Blot. They confirm authorship and authenticity independently of Corilon. If an instrument is offered without a certificate, this is noted in the description, and one can be ordered upon request. In addition, our authenticity guarantee applies to every instrument. We only attribute authorship when it is substantiated by expert evidence. Corilon does deal with safe attributions. If authorship cannot be confirmed, we describe the region, era, and school.