Violins, violas & cellos
Antique and modern instruments from the Italian, French and English schools, valued on maker and attribution.
Borrow against your instrument. Play it again when you repay.
Trinity makes pawn loans against fine musical instruments (violins, violas and cellos, bows, and vintage and collectable guitars) from £500 with no maximum. Valued by specialists on maker, attribution, condition and the market, insured door to door, kept in climate-controlled storage, and returned to you exactly as you left it when you repay.
No credit checks. Nothing on your credit file. Offer the same day.
What is your instrument worth as a loan?
Tell us what it is, the maker if you know it, and what papers come with it, and send a few photos. A specialist reviews it against the current market and comes back with an indicative offer the same day, at no cost and with no obligation.
Step 1 of 2 · Your piece
Thank you. We’ve received your details.
A specialist will look over your photos and details and contact you on the email or phone number you gave us. Nothing is recorded on your credit file, and nothing moves until you have an offer you are happy with.
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Lending since 2013Confirm Valued on maker Funds in 24 hours FCA regulated Climate-controlled storage
What we lend against
The instruments we lend against
We lend against instruments with an established market among players, dealers and collectors. A certificate from a recognised expert helps most; our specialists can assess many instruments without one.
Fine bows
Bows by the recognised French and English makers, which can be worth as much as the instrument.
Vintage & collectable guitars
Pre-CBS Fender, 1950s and ’60s Gibson, pre-war Martin and other collectable electric and acoustic guitars.
Other fine instruments
Wind, brass and keyboard instruments of note, assessed case by case.
How much you can borrow
Valued for the maker, not the shop price
Your instrument is valued by a specialist against the current market among dealers and collectors, the maker, the attribution and the condition , not a second-hand shop’s buying price. That means an accurate valuation and a competitive loan, at rates lower than the typical high-street pawnbroker. Loans start at £500, with no upper limit.
Loan size
£500 upwards
Term
6 months, renewable
FeesNeeds confirmation
No arrangement fee
Credit file
No credit checks
Worked exampleRate-led example awaiting compliance
Borrow £[X,XXX] against a certificated violin for [X] months — a rate-led worked example goes here once compliance confirms the figure.
Amount borrowed£[X,XXX]
Term[X] months
Interest£[XXX]
Total to repay£[X,XXX]
Representative APR[XX.X]%
Indicative only. Your offer depends on the specific instrument, its maker and condition, and the market on the day.
How it works
Four steps. Your instrument back at the end.
Step 01
Tell us about your instrument
Send the maker, any certificates and a few photos. A specialist values it and sends an indicative offer the same day.
Step 02
Send it to us, insured
We arrange free, fully insured delivery in its case, or you can bring it to our City of London office by appointment. Larger instruments are collected by specialist transport.
Step 03
Accept the offer and get paid
Once we’ve examined the instrument in person we confirm the valuation. Accept, and the money is with you within 24 hours.
Step 04
Repay, and it’s back with you
Loans run for six months and can be extended. Repay early and you pay less, with no penalty. Your instrument is returned to you when you repay.
How we value musical instruments
Valued by specialists, on maker and condition
Every instrument is assessed by a specialist (maker and attribution, originality, condition, any restoration, and the certificates and papers behind it), then valued against recent auction and dealer results for comparable instruments. We value the instrument, not what a shop would offer for it.
Attribution examined
Labels, workmanship and certificates weighed against each other.
Papers valued
Expert certificates and provenance add to the valuation.
Restoration noted
Repairs and replaced parts assessed honestly, not ignored.
Nothing sight-unseen
You see the valuation before you commit to anything.
Why Trinity rather than the alternatives
A pawnbroker for the instrument you intend to keep.
A dealer buys your instrument or sells it on consignment. We lend against it instead: you keep ownership throughout, it’s kept in the right conditions, and you play it again when you repay.
Trinity
Selling or consigning
Your instrument
Yours throughout: a loan, never a sale
Sold, or consigned and gone
Rates
Lower rates than typical high-street pawnbrokingNeeds substantiated APR
Higher headline APRs
Valuation
Valued by specialists on maker and attribution
A shop’s buying price
Storage
Climate-controlled, insured storageStorage conditions to confirm
A back room
Credit file
No credit checks, and nothing recorded on your credit file
May run credit checks
Redemption
No early-repayment penalty. Redeem the moment you’re ready
Wait for a buyer
400+ five-star reviews of Unbolted, the FCA-regulated lender behind every Trinity loan.
Case study · RedeemedAwaiting a consented case
[Musical instruments case study to be supplied — the item, the sum lent, the timeline, redeemed. No identifiable people, no full customer names.]
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Musical instruments FAQs
Asked, answered
No. This is a loan against it. You keep ownership throughout and take it back when you repay.
It helps, and for the most valuable instruments it may be needed to confirm attribution. But our specialists can assess many instruments without one. Tell us what you have.
In its case, in climate-controlled, insured storage (never played, displayed or lent) and returned to you when you repay.Storage conditions to confirm
Free, fully insured delivery in its case, insured up to £25,000 by Royal Mail Special Delivery. Above that, or for cellos and basses, we arrange specialist transport. You can also bring it in by appointment.Specialist transport arrangement to confirm
Talk to us first. A pawn loan means we hold the instrument until you repay, so it suits an instrument you can be without. A second instrument, or a bow you are not using.
Talk to us. Loans can usually be extended. If a loan is not repaid, the instrument may be sold, and anything it makes above what you owe comes back to you.
No. There is no credit check and nothing is recorded.
Representative exampleVerbatim from compliance
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Get started
Find out what your instrument is worth
A confidential valuation, at no cost, with no obligation to proceed.
Value my instrumentOr speak to a specialist on 020 3567 1300 , weekdays, 9am to 5.30pm.
