Our FAQ answers many commonly asked questions, but nothing beats talking to a real person. Whether you're tracking down a vintage instrument or checking on a restoration, the Folkway Music team is happy to help.
General Inquiries: info@folkwaymusic.com
Repair Shop: repairs@folkwaymusic.com
Call Us: 519-772-0424 | 855-772-0424 (Toll-free in North America)
Currently, Canadian customers can purchase many items directly online. We are working on expanding our online store to include all inventory and international shopping soon.
We believe that some instruments still require a more personal interaction than online shopping can afford. You should know exactly what the instrument you are interested in is all about… and that involves conversation. We provide hands-on descriptions and demonstrations of our instruments over the phone and, if you find that you’d like to hear an audio sample or see detailed photos over and above what we display on our site, we’ll be happy to make it happen for you. We take care through the entire process to ensure that you will be satisfied when you receive your purchase.
We accept payments by Visa, MasterCard, bank wire transfer, eTransfer, and cash.
Credit card limits: We do not accept credit cards for purchases valued above CAD$6,000 or USD$5000. Customers outside of Canada and the U.S. can use credit cards for purchases up to CAD$3000.
Purchases paid via bank wire transfer or eTransfer can be shipped to any address. In order to mitigate fraud, credit card purchases must only ship to the billing address used for payment.
If you require shipping to an alternate address, please contact Folkway to discuss payment options.
Standard Inventory: Can be held for up to one month with a 25% non-refundable / non-transferable retainer.
Consignment Items: Holds are only possible with the specific consent of the owner.
Pending Transfers: If paying by wire or eTransfer, we will hold an item for one week (following a nominal non-refundable credit card retainer) to allow funds to arrive.
Please note that we do not allow holds on instruments that are newly posted on our website.
We ship worldwide using DHL Express or Canada Post, and domestically with Purolator, UPS, or Canada Post. We aim to ship instruments on Tuesdays to avoid over-weekending when possible.
It can get pretty chilly up here in the winter, so we occasionally have to pause shipping for certain instruments. In this case, we notify customers and prepare to ship as soon as weather permits.
For express courier shipments of instruments bound for the United States, customs and brokerage fees are typically included. Some exceptions apply.
Most of the instruments we sell are made in North America, making them CUSMA/USMCA compliant and should not incur additional tariffs.
For instruments and merchandise produced outside of North America, customers will be responsible for any brokerage fees, duties and taxes that may be levied upon import into the U.S..
International customers are responsible for brokerage fees, duties and taxes levied by their home country.
We will not undervalue instruments on customs documentation.
All shipments are fully insured on route to their destination.
Insurance regulations require all instruments to ship in a hard or semi-hard case. If your chosen instrument does not have one, we will provide a properly fitting case at your expense.
C.I.T.E.S. (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) is an international agreement that regulates the cross-border movement of materials made from protected plant and animal species. In the world of vintage and used musical instruments, this most commonly affects instruments containing Brazilian rosewood, ivory, or certain exotic woods.
Yes! Any instrument on our site containing CITES-regulated materials can be shipped both domestically and internationally. Permits are not required for shipments within Canada, but they are required for international destinations. We obtain Canadian CITES Export permits for cross-border shipments of these instruments, without exception.
The process is quite straightforward. Through many years of shipping vintage instruments worldwide, we’ve become very experienced with CITES documentation and handle all required Canadian export permits in-house.
The Canadian permitting process typically takes approximately 4–6 weeks, and a small permitting fee applies.
Some destination countries also require a CITES Import permit before the instrument can be shipped. In many cases – including shipments to the USA and Australia – no additional import permit is required. If one is needed, we are happy to help guide you through the process.
Please note: all CITES-regulated items shipped outside Canada are Final Sale.
We completely understand, and are always happy to talk things through. The CITES process can sound intimidating at first, but after many years of working with these regulations, we’re very comfortable helping customers navigate it.
Our resident CITES expert is Claire, though any member of our sales staff will be able to answer most questions.
Please give us a call at 1-855-772-0424 or +1-519-772-0424.
Unless otherwise noted, all of the instruments we offer for sale have already had any necessary repairs/restorations completed and have been set-up and inspected prior to display in our store or on our website. We make every effort to accurately represent the instruments we offer so that our customers have no surprises when their order arrives. As such, we encourage you to call or email us with your questions whenever and as often as you wish – we are committed to offering the best, friendliest, and most knowledgeable service out there.
Folkway Music warrants all used instruments for a period of thirty days from the time of purchase. This warranty does not cover those instruments that are being sold by us on consignment for a third party, or instruments which are “As-Is” listed. We offer no warranty on used amplifiers.
All new instruments are warranted for a period of 90 days from the time of purchase by Folkway Music, in addition to the Manufacturer’s stated warranty.
Note: Warranties do not cover damage from improper use or environmental factors, such as humidity-related issues.
Our standard approval period for shipped instruments is 48 hours from the time of delivery.
If you aren't satisfied:
Please note that instruments returned damaged or altered will not qualify for refund.
We’re happy to share our step-by-step packaging instructions to help minimize your risk of damage. While the risk can never be eliminated entirely, doing all of this should help ensure that even the most careless shipping company employee will have a hard time breaking the instrument!
The links below will take you to our printable Packaging Instructions.
Yes! Please visit our Sell & Trade page for full details on selling your instrument.
In many cases, you can determine the age of your instrument using its serial number. You can refer to our Instrument Dating page to help decode this information.
However, not all manufacturers use consistent or reliable serial number systems. In those cases, we date instruments by examining construction details and other identifying features. With thousands of instruments passing through our shop, we’ve developed a strong ability to recognize the often subtle differences that distinguish one production year from another.
Vintage instruments often carry increased value due to a combination of rarity, historical significance, and the way they have aged over time. Materials can mature and stabilize, and older production methods or specifications may no longer be replicated today. In many cases, condition, originality, and provenance play a major role in determining value, alongside tone and playability.
Even within the same model, no two guitars are truly identical. Variations in wood density and stiffness, subtle differences in construction, finishing, and setup, and the natural aging process all contribute to differences in tone. As a result, two instruments built to the same specifications can still respond and resonate quite differently.
Different wood species influence both the tonal character and structural behaviour of an instrument. Some woods tend to emphasise brightness and clarity, while others produce a warmer, more complex response. Density, grain structure, and stiffness all play a role in how the top and body vibrate. Stability is also affected - some woods are more resistant to movement caused by humidity and temperature changes than others.
When evaluating a used guitar, it’s important to consider overall condition, structural integrity, and playability. Key areas include neck angle and relief, fret wear, top movement or cracking, bridge stability, and the condition of the electronics (if applicable). It’s also worth confirming originality of the finish and parts, as modifications can affect both value and performance. Most importantly, the instrument should feel right in your hands and respond well to your playing style.
Yes. It doesn’t matter where your instrument was purchased - we service instruments regardless of origin. While we specialize in vintage restoration work, we also service modern instruments. We are an authorized warranty repair centre for C.F. Martin Guitars and Taylor Guitars, among others.
The best option is to bring your instrument in person so we can assess it directly. If you are located further away, you can begin the process by emailing us at repairs@folkwaymusic.com with a brief description and a few clear photos of the instrument and the issue.
Non-structural work (setups, pickup installation, etc) typically take 1–2 weeks. Our repair shop is in high demand, and more complex structural repairs can take significantly longer depending on the scope and our workload. While some jobs require patience, the results are well worth the wait.
We do occasionally pause accepting new structural repair work when our wait list becomes full, in order to ensure we can properly manage existing commitments and maintain the quality of our work.
Yes. After evaluating the instrument, we provide a cost estimate with a margin of accuracy. In some cases, additional issues may become apparent once work has begun. If that happens, we will contact you for approval before proceeding with any additional work that is of significant extra cost.
We’re always happy to help where we can and appreciate being part of the wider luthier community. If you have a quick question, feel free to reach out and we’ll do our best to point you in the right direction.
That said, we’re a small team and are often working through a heavy schedule of customer repairs in-house, so we may not always be able to provide in-depth consultation or detailed troubleshooting. In those cases, we may suggest booking the instrument in or referring to a more formal evaluation so we can give the issue the attention it deserves.
Email: info@folkwaymusic.com
Toll-Free North America: 855-772-0424
Local: 519-772-0424
Full details on our policies can be found here:
These documents outline important information relating to purchases, use of our website, accessibility commitments, and how we handle personal information. If you have any questions about these policies, feel free to contact us and we’ll be happy to clarify.
