About Fiddleheads Violins

Fiddleheads Violins is an eco-friendly and award-winning business in Salmon Arm (Canoe), British Columbia, Canada and online at www.fiddleheads.ca. We specialize in quality stringed instruments and bows, accessories and music. We serve elated customers from around the world.

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Mission Statement - Awards Received - Customer Testimonials - Tone Guarantee - Pricing, Payments & Shipping - Contact Us - Articles Archive - "Green" Eco Policy

Owner

I am Rhiannon Schmitt (33) , an experienced violin & fiddle instructor and award-winning classical musician who understands the importance of having good "tools" to work with.

I'm the violinist pictured at the top of each page.

I also served for five years as the founding President of a non-profit group which provided instruments and scholarships to children. Above all duties I am a wife of a wonderful man and mother of two sons, a toddler and a 9-year-old.

I love my job and I think this love is reflected throught this site and in everything I do.

History

Years ago I, like many other string players, I had a hard time finding good quality violins for my students from honest sources. I was frustrated by inexperienced music shops, fly-by-night traveling salesmen and guys operating violin "chop-shops" out of their basements!

I originally developed the sales branch of my business in order to provide a trusted source for quality instruments at fair prices for my own violin students.

As with most of my projects the service took on a life of its own. Now I carry the finest selection of student to professional violin-family instruments in the Okanagan region of BC and undoubtedly offer the best violin expertise in the area. The website allows me to serve thousands of elated customers across the US, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia. The site has nearly 350 pages and has seen hundreds of thousands of unique visitors in a few short years.

[Read customer testimonials]

Though the shop brings in 95% of my business, I continue to teach violin a few afternoons each week as teaching is a passion of mine. I simply love the people I work with and think I will always teach violin.

I also play in concert on occasion and am featured on a few albums. As my kids get older I hope to get into my performing career again.

Personal Experience and Trusted Advice

Unlike monstrous box stores and impersonal, massive online bargain shops, Fiddleheads doesn't stock every possible product made.

I personally select products which I believe, as a professional musician and experienced teacher, are the best tools for the job. Fiddleheads.ca is thus a specialty boutique for violinists and string players.

My experience in finding the best possible products makes me able to expertly guide my customers in their purchases and sell the same accessories and materials which I use myself and in lessons. I will happily bring in other items by request.

I never pay teacher kickbacks or commissions for the sale of instruments.

I think it is unethical and not fair to the customer to pay commissions. I do encourage students to pay their teacher for their time (chocolates do the trick, too) when asked to assist them in finding an instrument. It is very prudent to ask your teacher or local shop if they pay or accept commissions if you do not want to participate in that sort of dodgy payment structure.

Read the Strings Magazine Article, "An Elegy for Ethics," to discover how, "unbeknownst to buyers, many music
teachers get commissions for helping students find instruments."

You may also glean info from customer testimonials on our ethics and my published articles:

Cheap Ebay Violins, Sadly, an Easy Sell for Some: The Deal that is "Too Good to Be True" certainly is Just That

The Dark Side of The Violin: Crooked Luthiers, Greedy Salesmen and Other Creepy Creatures Exposed

Dance of the Pawn Shop Swindlers: Don't Let their Tactics Throw you off Balance

Imitation isn't always flattering

Fiddleheads.ca has seen such tremendous success and a strong customer following that recently a small crop of knockoff, similarly named websites which sell inferior products and provide inexperienced service have spawned with hopes to capitalise in our efforts and trusted reputation.

Please shop carefully and make completely sure you are shopping with the original award-winning Fiddleheads Violins and owner Rhiannon Schmitt.

Our Instruments

As for instruments, we stock a wide range of new and used instruments so every tone quality and price range is available. I select those with the best tone qualities and to ensure they are properly set-up and repaired before they are put up for sale. I also personally "play-in" some new instruments so their tone has begun to open up before going out on trial.

My shop offers an exceptional and unprecedented Tone Guarantee which promises all our new instruments' tone will improve significantly as played over the next year or your money back.

Exceptional, Personalised Service

Fiddleheads Violins consistently offers trusted advice, exceptional service and fair prices. You will see all my prices and policies are posted online so all information is open and there are no catches to our business dealings.

My customers are incredibly pleased and surprised by my personal service and prompt, complete replies to their emails. I take the necessary time to assist all customers in making informed decisions and it shows. And I'm not a salesperson; I'm just a player and teacher who wants to aid other players in purchasing the best possible instrument they can afford from me.

Our fantastic service has earned Fiddleheads several business awards and many other nominations on top of hundreds of sparkling customer testimonials.

Convenient Online Sales

We currently accept cash and credit card payments via Paypal to make payment easier and more secure for everyone and use "drop shipping" straight from our suppliers to save our customers on shipping whenever possible.

Some items are shipped free of charge.

Instrument and accessory trials are also encouraged and welcome to allow customers to make the best decisions possible.

Forward Thinking

Fiddleheads.ca supports many local events and charitable causes and I, the owner, am involved in several community projects. A passionate environmentalist, I have also implemented a "Green" eco policy for my business [since 2006].

This eco policy has already won Fiddleheads a "Green Award" which my family and I were honoured to receive.

Thank You

Thank you for your interest in Fiddleheads Violins and feel free to contact us with any requests you may have.

- Rhiannon Schmitt, Owner Fiddleheads Violins

Visit our Testimonials from many elated customers

Read my article on fair vs. sketchy violin shop practices

Visit our Awards page