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Having recently exchanged emails with Heritage Insurance regarding insuring my 1995 Gibson Citation, I am curious if other folks around here have their archtops insured. I now have mine insured.
I have seen many pics of beautiful archtops posted around these parts over the years, so I am just curious. I will likely never be taking my Citation out anywhere, but I do play it every day. So other than some major catastrophe, I doubt my guitar will suffer anything that requires insurance. Even so, it is worth much more than I ever intended to spend on a guitar, and it would be a real loss if anything happened to it.
Tony
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09-16-2022 01:19 PM
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Tony,
Originally Posted by tbeltrans
A prudent decision for sure. I have my entire collection insured through Heritage. They are great when it comes to customer service. I can add or delete instruments with an email, or text, and they are covered instantly.
This is especially important when shipping, since most carriers limits of liability is $1000.
They are one of the best musical instrument insurance companies in the World.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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ICBW, but I think there are at least two levels of coverage. One for just outside of the home, the other complete, including in-home damage/theft.
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Most personal lines homeowner/renters/condo policies include coverage for musical instruments as part of the Contents Coverage. (Check your policy)
However, there's also a common coverage Exclusion for Personal Property/Contents used at ANY time for business.
Also, some carriers offer additional coverage for certain PP via a Floater/Rider. That's great for expensive jewelry, furs, etc., and possibly an amateur musician/hobby/collector, but NOT for a pro/working musician. If a claim is presented for your guitars, amps, pedals, mics, etc., expect a lot of scrutiny by your claims handler...and possibly a partial or complete denial of coverage.
Bottom line...consider getting a policy with carriers like Heritage.
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i have mine with Heritage out of Philadelphia and have for at least 25 years. No issues they are so far good easy to deal with, but I have been blessed no claims. One needs be careful depending on situation. I live 2 miles from State Farm Home office and while they are fine for car insurance and property, I would not want them dealing with my guitars. they don't have the specifics down to figure things out.
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Though I have some other guitars in addition to the Citation, none are even close in value. For now, they are under my homeowner policy, but I do want to discuss with Heritage possibly moving them over. Homeowner insurance these days seems more reluctant than ever to pay out, so a claim against any of my guitars could put my homeowner policy in jeopardy.
There is a "three strikes" idea that seems to have caught on in the industry. There was an article in the local paper some years ago when a tornado came through one part of town (fortunately, not mine), and it reported that many of those with damaged homes were doing their own repairs at their own cost to avoid being dropped by their insurance companies.
Tony
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No worth it here. Gosh rather than 25 years of paying insurance I'd just buy all new guitars with the money if I wanted.
I don't think any guitar is worth $2000 to me, so I don't buy any that cost that much. Most of my guitars only cost a few hundred each. I certainly would not consider any of them investments. Hopefully they will all be worn out when I pass.
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Another vote for Heritage, Have been with them 23 years, filed four claims, all paid promptly with no hassle.
Danny W.
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I have insurance with USAA, incuding a Valuable Personal Property policy in addition to my regular homeowners' policy. It insures specific items, which must be specified. I don't have many of my guitars on it, because most aren't worth insuring. Some of my wife's jewelry is also on the policy. Since I also have my auto and home insurance with them, and banking accounts, and have been a member for more than half a century, the premium is very reasonable. I don't see a need to use any other insurance companies for anything. Of course, my situation is not that of anyone else.
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Exactly. I use State farm for home/rental properties and auto/motorcycle. I use Heritage for my musical instruments. Originally Posted by deacon Mark
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One night after a job, I accidentally left my Gib Johnny Smith out in the driveway after pulling the car into the garage and closing the door. It was still out there in the morning.
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Yes, we are all into different things. I know people who have expensive cars, yet the car I have been driving for the past 18 years, I purchased for $5k cash when it was 4 years old. For me, a car is simply a tool that gets me from point A to point B and back as inexpensively, but reliably, as possible. For other folks I know, a car is much more than that and what they are willing to pay reflects that. Originally Posted by icr
In a sense, we each live in our own world. Though we all inhabit the same planet, we each perceive it in our own way and function accordingly. I am reminded of how different each of our lives is especially when somebody talks about what s/he was doing during a time that I was in Vietnam. Quite often, that person had a very different life back home being in school or otherwise engaged in very different activities.
My $250 per year to insure my Gibson Citation will probably never approach what it is insured for, for as long as I have left to physically be able to play it. It is insured for $20k because that is its current appraised value, and in 10 years, I will have paid $2,500 in insurance premiums. For somebody else, such a guitar would never even be a consideration, but for me it is special and for very specific reasons. I have no intentions of owning a collection of this type of guitar. One is more than enough for me, yet there are people who collect this type of guitar and some may even have a room full of them on display. Mine gets played and deeply appreciated through that activity every day and I have only one.
Tony
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Now there is a story of sheer good fortune! I am glad for you. Originally Posted by Woody Sound
One night after a job, I accidentally left my Gib Johnny Smith out in the driveway after pulling the car into the garage and closing the door. It was still out there in the morning.
Tony
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OMG.... Originally Posted by Woody Sound
One night after a job, I accidentally left my Gib Johnny Smith out in the driveway after pulling the car into the garage and closing the door. It was still out there in the morning.
I accidentally left my garage door open for at least a week. I have a lot of my stuff from my studio in there due to a divorce. Some if it fairly expensive and easy enough to walk away with. Some of it boutique, and not even replaceable. After I checked, it seems to be all there. We all get worried about crime, but I think overall people are good (maybe not able to think critically because of trauma and fear). Then again my GF said we live in a good place.
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I had a home robbery many years ago (maybe 40 years) in which several of my guitars were stolen.
My State Farm policy covered them I think as unscheduled personal property.
I recall having to submit the model numbers and so forth.
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They also have a "liberal" interpretation of business. For example, if you play any place with an admission fee, such as a benefit, it may be considered business even if you donated your time. Originally Posted by Gitfiddler
I don't play out much these days, but still keep my Heritage instrument insurance, ~$200 a year covers roughly $30,000 worth of instruments and equipment. Never had a claim. I have shipped a few instruments and they're covered after an email to them. Also, as somebody else noted, very easy to add or subtract items.
Brad
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Of course, this incident reminds me of the accordion joke in which on his way home after a gig an accordion player stops at a shop to get something cold to drink. He accidentally leaves accordion on the back seat and the windows open on his car. Once in the shop, he realizes that he did this and quickly runs out side to close the windows and lock the car. To his horror, he realizes that he is too late as he sees that there is now another accordion on the back seat. Originally Posted by Woody Sound
One night after a job, I accidentally left my Gib Johnny Smith out in the driveway after pulling the car into the garage and closing the door. It was still out there in the morning.
Us guitar players should have such "luck".
Tony
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On a related note, I returned very late from a gig to an empty house - the better half was working and the kids were at their grandparents place. I found our cul-de-sac home had been broken into - the side door, which was locked and bolted, had been kicked in. Despite the megabucks in music equipment lying around, it was left untouched.* Apparently the theives were looking for two things - guns, and color TVs. Having none of those, they left empty-handed. Picky, picky, picky! Originally Posted by Woody Sound
One night after a job, I accidentally left my Gib Johnny Smith out in the driveway after pulling the car into the garage and closing the door. It was still out there in the morning.
*Or maybe, they tried lifting the Dual Showman Reverb cab with 2 15" JBLs and the Dual Showman Reverb Head screwed on with those nifty knurled knobs, and decided no amount of money was worth that much work....
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yeah, same thing happened with my banjo... Originally Posted by Woody Sound
One night after a job, I accidentally left my Gib Johnny Smith out in the driveway after pulling the car into the garage and closing the door. It was still out there in the morning.
At least you didn’t do what Jesse van Ruller did, he forgot his Levin archtop was on the drive and reversed his car over it!
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I was expecting you to say that you came back as soon as you realised but sadly it was too late Originally Posted by grahambop
- someone had left another banjo!
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Same here, and for at least 20 years. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
BTW if you borrow or rent an instrument for a session, it should be covered, you may have to list it. If you are having an expensive guitar shipped, you can pay to cover it. I did this once for a 1940 D28. And I sent it back too. That was a $50K+ guitar. I believe it cost a couple of hundred, but it was worth it.
-You have a month to list it new items. So if you get something and it takes a bit to get around to adding it, you should be OK. Up to 30 days
-They cover theft from a vehicle, but BIG IF: the car has to show some evidence of forced entry. This is hard coverage to get. Plus they cover if there is a loss with a carrier (Like cartage)
And you pay to insure for an actual value, so there should be no haggling over that if you make a claim. I hope!
BTW Heritage left Traveler's and are underwritten by Great American Insurance now, not sure if that will make a difference.
Danny, I would love to hear the details of how they covered your loss, I don't know anyone else who has made a claim!
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