Store Policies

Legal Terms

All information on this website is provided on an "as is" basis without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. Information from this website may contain typographical errors, incorrect prices, or technical inaccuracies. Policies, terms, prices, availability, specifications, and all other information is subject to change and/or correction at any time without notice.

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Account Security & Confidentiality

At Hickeys, we value your privacy and your trust in us. Your name, address, e-mail, phone number and purchase history are kept on our in-store computer system. Your credit card is not stored on our system at all, only the final four digits. We use our system to expedite your orders and provide intelligent customer service to you. We do not ever rent, sell or otherwise make available any information whatsoever about you or your history to anyone. Ever. We diligently guard your privacy and refuse all requests from outside firms for access to our mailing list. For those who have signed up on our e-mail list, you may also rest assured that the address is completely confidential here at Hickeys. It may be used to occasionally notify you of our special offers or other promotions we are running of which you may be interested. We do not allow any outsiders access to your e-mail address for any reason. Please let us know if you have any concerns or questions about our privacy policies or practices. You can email us at info@hickeys.com or call 1-800.442.5397.

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Returns & Exchanges

Our Return Policy is designed to be fair and upright, so that we may offer you the widest selection of hard-to-find musical items at a reasonable cost with low-cost speedy delivery. As such, it may be different from those of some other retailers, therefore please take a moment to become familiar with it.

All returns or exchanges must occur within 30 days of the original invoice and must be accompanied by a copy of the invoice and a Return Form or a note explaining the reason for the return. Be sure to always include a copy of your invoice—returns received without invoice copies may not be credited or credited correctly. You do not need a Return Authorization (R/A) number before sending your return. If you are uncertain of whether you are allowed to return an item, please contact us first before sending it back. Any item returned in violation of this policy will not be credited and may be refused and sent back to you.

  • Instruments:   In-stock instruments are returnable within the established trial period. Special-order instruments are not returnable. See Trial Periods below.
  • Music & Books:  Music and Books are not returnable or exchangeable unless there is a printing error or we shipped the wrong item to you (except for Music Half & Half Trials—see Trial Periods below). We can not take back music because it is not satisfactory or is not what you expected, or because it is too easy or too hard. In the case of defective music, we will exchange your defective copy for a corrected version if possible. We will only issue a refund or credit if a corrected copy is no longer available. Music returned must be in mint condition with no markings whatsoever.
  • Accessories:   Accessories are returnable if they and their packaging are unused and in mint condition. Accessories that arrive with themselves or their packaging damaged will be credited at a lesser value than when sold.
  • Recordings:   CDs and DVD's are returnable only if they are still in their original, unbroken shrink wrap. Defective CDs can of course be returned, and will be exchanged for new ones. CDs may not be returned because they are not what you expected or because you don't like the performance.
  • Software:   Software is returnable only if the item was sent in error and the shrink wrap is unbroken. Software that has damaged or defective media (disks) can be exchanged for undamaged only. No refunds will be issued for damaged or defective media unless a replacement is unavailable. Software that has "bugs," does not work on your system, or is otherwise found to be unsuitable is not considered defective and can not be returned.
In cases of defective or erroneous merchandise, we will also refund your shipping charges if the original shipping charges pertained to only the returned item. In cases where you are returning an item for reasons other than defect or error, we will credit your account for the cost of the item only, minus shipping charges. This is our general policy regarding returns and exchanges. There may be exceptions or circumstances unforseen at the time of this writing. In those cases we will do what is fair and appropriate to remedy the situation.

We appreciate your cooperation with us in regards to this and other policies outlined on this page. These policies have been instituted so that we may offer you the widest selection of hard-to-find musical items at a reasonable cost with fast delivery. While a more liberal return policy might be initially appealing, it would seriously affect our ability to offer you the wide range of products you will find here.

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Trial Periods

We offer trial periods on in-stock music, mouthpieces and instruments. We don't do trials on special-order music, mouthpieces or instruments.

How it Works:  You may try a maximum of three in-stock mouthpieces, one in-stock instrument or $1,000 worth of in-stock music for up to seven (7) calendar days (the clock starts once you recieve your order). We'll sell you the item(s) you wish to try as a normal sale. You have the right to return any trial item within seven (7) days of receiving it (see exceptions below). To clarify: the trial counter starts on the day you receive the items. Any items that are to be returned should be on their way back to us no later than the eighth day, please. Upon arrival back here in our store, we will issue a refund of the purchase price less the outgoing shipping cost, plus any restock fees, clean-up fees or damage assessments (see details below). The cost of return shipping is yours—we regret that we cannot provide free return labels for trials.

Mouthpieces:  When we receive your return, we will credit your credit card, less the original shipping charge and a $5 per-item clean-up fee. All mouthpieces should be rinsed out and wiped down prior to return. Woodwind players—please use a mouthpiece patch during the trial to prevent teeth marks. Returned mouthpieces must be free of patches and have no marks whatsoever as a result of the trial. Mouthpieces with teeth marks cannot be returned and will not be refunded at all. Please don't send them back if they have teeth marks. Brass players—please be careful of causing excessive scratching of the shank—please insert and remove the piece carefully during the trial period. Please do not buff or polish the mouthpiece—we will handle that here. Mouthpieces are carefully inspected prior to shipping to look for dents and scratches. Any mouthpiece returned to us with a dent or scratch (other than light wear on the shank) will incur a loss-of-value fee. If we notice a dent or scratch when shipping to you, we will note it on your invoice. Mouthpieces with dents or scratches on the top of the rim cannot be returned and will not be refunded at all. Please don't send them back if they have damage in this area. For all mouthpieces, boxes must be clean, straight, uncrushed, and in resalable condition with all parts and/or accessories included. Please be careful when unwrapping and testing to avoid additional charges. Don't be concerned with plastic bags around the mouthpiece itself—we will replace those with new when the mouthpiece is returned. If damage is evident, the loss of value to the mouthpiece will be deducted from your refund. If you notice damage on the mouthpiece you must notify us immediately upon receipt to avoid any fees.

Instruments:  Instruments (except mouth instruments) are sold on a returnable basis (in-stock models only, not special orders). You may trial the instrument for seven (7) calendar days and may return it if it is not right for you. All instruments are thoroughly inspected and play-tested to ensure there are no defects, so the only thing you need to do is decide whether you like the instrument or not. Hopefully, you love it, but if not, you can return it. If you decide to return your instrument purchase, any shipping charges are yours to bear. We regret that we are unable to provide free return shipping. When we receive your return safely back at our store, we will credit your credit card, less a restocking fee equal to the shipping charge plus a Credit Card Transaction Fee equal to 5% of the full invoice value (to help partially offset credit card processing fees incurred by us at the time of the sale and at the return—yes, they charge us twice.). If you paid via cash, check, or purchase order, there will be no Credit Card Transaction Fee. If you paid via ACH/EFT, there will be no Credit Card Transaction Fee, though there might be a fee to offset any ACH/EFT fees we incurred at the time of the sale. These are usually around $25. There is no clean-up fee per se unless the instrument is returned in a dirty condition. The instrument must otherwise be in exactly the same condition as when it left our store, identical mechanically, with no new dents, dings, scratches, etc.. If new damage is evident, the cost of repairs and the loss of retail sales value to the instrument will be deducted from your refund. Hickeys shall be the sole judge in all cases. Instruments are shipped to you expertly packed and fully insured, and must be returned to us in the same manner. Any damage sustained during return shipment will be your responsibility to rectify. We recommend using a professional shipping service with insurance if you intend to ship the instrument back to us. But hopefully all this is moot because you'll love the instrument and will never want to part with it!

Music:  We now offer a "Half & Half" program for music trials. Under this program, you may purchase a quantity of music totaling $250 to $1,000, with the right to return up to half of it within a trial period of seven (7) days. Returned music must be neat, clean and unmarked to receive return credit. No copies, photocopies, scans, snaps, reels, pictures, etc. of any sort whatsoever may be made during the trial period. Credit for returned music will made in the form of a refund to your credit card.

Other Stuff:  We regret that we can not allow trials of CDs, DVDs or software due to copyright issues. Mouth instruments (recorders, harmonicas, etc.) can not be sold on a trial basis for reasons of hygene and state law.

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Woodwind Instrumentation Codes

Following many of the titles in our Wind Ensemble catalog, you will see a set of numbers enclosed in square brackets, as in this example:

Description Price
Rimsky-Korsakov
Quintet in Bb [1011-1 w/piano]
Item: 26746		 $28.75

The bracketed numbers tell you the precise instrumentation of the ensemble. The first number stands for Flute, the second for Oboe, the third for Clarinet, the fourth for Bassoon, and the fifth (separated from the woodwinds by a dash) is for Horn. Any additional instruments (Piano in this example) are indicated by "w/" (meaning "with") or by using a plus sign.

Flute   Oboe   Clarinet   Bassoon   —   Horn

This woodwind quartet is for 1 Flute, no Oboe, 1 Clarinet, 1 Bassoon, 1 Horn and Piano.

Sometimes there are instruments in the ensemble other than those shown above. These are linked to their respective principal instruments with either a "d" if the same player doubles the instrument, or a "+" if an extra player is required. Whenever this occurs, we will separate the first four digits with commas for clarity. Thus a double reed quartet of 2 oboes, english horn and bassoon will look like this:

0,2+1,0,1-0

Note the "2+1" portion means "2 oboes plus english horn"

Titles with no bracketed numbers are assumed to use "Standard Instrumentation." The following is considered to be Standard Instrumentation:

Brass Instrumentation Codes

Following many of the titles in our Brass Ensemble catalog, you will see a set of five numbers enclosed in square brackets, as in this example:

Description Price
Copland
Fanfare for the Common Man [343.01 w/tympani]
Item: 02158		 $14.95

The bracketed numbers tell you how many of each instrument are in the ensemble. The first number stands for Trumpet, the second for Horn, the third for Trombone, the fourth (separated from the first three by a dot) for Euphonium and the fifth for Tuba. Any additional instruments (Tympani in this example) are indicated by a "w/" (meaning "with") or by using a plus sign.

Trumpet     Horn     Trombone   .   Euphonium     Tuba

Thus, the Copland Fanfare shown above is for 3 Trumpets, 4 Horns, 3 Trombones, no Euphonium, 1 Tuba and Tympani. There is no separate number for Bass Trombone, but it can generally be assumed that if there are multiple Trombone parts, the lowest part can/should be performed on Bass Trombone.

Titles listed in our catalog without bracketed numbers are assumed to use "Standard Instrumentation." The following is considered to be Standard Instrumentation:

People often ask us about "PJBE" or "Philip Jones" instrumentation. This is a special instrumentation adopted and perfected by the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. It consists of the forces 414.01, and often includes Percussion and/or Tympani. In addition, there are often doublings in the Trumpet section - Piccolo and Flugelhorn being the most common. While this instrumentation has come to be common, it is still not "Standard" as many Brass Dectets use very different forces, most often with more Horns than PJBE.

String Instrumentation Codes

Following many of the titles in our String Ensemble catalog, you will see a set of four numbers enclosed in square brackets, as in this example:

Description Price
Atwell
Vance's Dance [0220]
Item: 32599		 $8.95

These numbers tell you how many of each instrument are in the ensemble. The first number stands for Violin, the second for Viola, the third for Cello, and the fourth for Double Bass. Thus, this string quartet is for 2 Violas and 2 Cellos, rather than the usual 2110. Titles with no bracketed numbers are assumed to use "Standard Instrumentation." The following is considered to be Standard Instrumentation:

Orchestra & Band Instrumentation Codes

Following some titles in our Orchestra & Band catalogs, you will see a numeric code enclosed in square brackets, as in these examples:

  Order Qty Description Price
Beethoven
Symphony No 1 in C, op 21
[2,2,2,2-2,2,0,0, tymp, 44322] 		$150.00
Jones
Wind Band Overture
[2+1,1,3+ac+bc,2,SATB-2+2,4,3+1,1, tymp, percussion, double bass] 		$85.00
MacKenzie
Hines Pond Fantasy (DePaolo)
[2d1+1,1,2+1,1-2,2(+2),3,0, perc, tymp, 44322, Eb clarinet, SAATB saxes, trombone solo] 		$75.00

The bracketed numbers tell you the precise instrumentation of the ensemble. The system used above is standard in the orchestra music field. The first set of numbers (before the dash) represent the Woodwinds. The set of numbers after the dash represent the Brass. Percussion is abbreviated following the brass. Strings are represented with a series of five digits representing the quantity of each part (first violin, second violin, viola, cello, bass). Other Required and Solo parts follow the strings:

Woodwinds—Brass,   Percussion,   Strings,   Other

Principal auxilary instruments (piccolo, english horn, bass clarinet, contrabassoon, wagner tuba, cornet & euphonium) are linked to their respective instruments with either a "d" if the same player doubles the auxiliary instrument, or a "+" if an extra player is required. Instruments shown in parenthesis are optional and may be omitted.

Example 1 - Beethoven:

[2,2,2,2-2,2,0,0, tymp, 44322]

The Beethoven example is typical of much Classical and early Romantic fare. In this case, the winds are all doubled (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets and 2 bassoons), and there are two each horns and trumpets. There is no low brass. There is tympani. Strings are a standard 44322 configuration (4 first violin, 4 second violin, 3 viola, 2 cello, 2 bass). Sometimes strings are simply listed as "str," which means 44322 strings.

Example 2 - Jones: (concert band/wind ensemble example)

[2+1,1,3+ac+bc,2,SAATB-2+2,4,3+1,1, tymp, percussion, double bass]

The second example is common for a concert band or wind ensemble piece. This ficticious work is for 2 flutes (plus piccolo), 1 oboe, 3 clarinets plus alto and bass clarinets, 2 bassoons, 5 saxes (soprano, 2 altos, tenor & bari), 2 trumpets (plus 2 cornets), 3 trombones, euphonium, tuba, tympani, percussion and double bass. Note the inclusion of the saxes after bassoon for this band work. Note also that the separate euphonium part is attached to trombone with a plus sign. For orchestral music, saxes are at the end (see Saxophones below. It is highly typical of band sets to have multiple copies of parts, especially flute, clarinet, sax, trumpet, trombone & percussion. Multiples, if any, are not shown in this system. The numbers represent only distinct parts, not the number of copies of a part.

Example 3 - MacKenzie: (a fictional work, by the way).

[2d1+1,1,2+1,1-2,2(+2),3,0, perc, tymp, 66432, Eb clarinet, SAATB saxes, trombone solo]

In the third example, we have a rather extreme use of the system. It is an orchestral work for piccolo, 2 flutes (1 of whom doubles on piccolo), 1 oboe, 2 clarinets plus an additional bass clarinet, 1 bassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets (plus an optional 2 cornets), 3 trombones, no tuba, percussion, tympani, 6 first violins, 6 second violins, 4 violas, 3 cellos, 2 double basses, Eb clarinet (as an additional chair, not doubled), 5 saxes (soprano, 2 alto, tenor & baritone) & a trombone soloist.

Note: This system lists Horn before Trumpet. This is standard orchestral nomenclature. Unless otherwise noted, we will use this system for both orchestra and band works (in most band scores, Trumpet precedes Horn, and sometimes Oboe & Bassoon follow Clarinet). Also, it should be noted that Euphonium can be doubled by either Trombone or Tuba. Typically, orchestra scores have the tuba linked to euphonium, but it does happen where Trombone is the principal instead.

Saxophones, when included in orchestral music (they rarely are) will be shown in the "other instrument" location after strings and before the soloist, if any. However for band music, they are commonly present and therefore will be indicated after bassoon as something similar to "SAATB" where S=soprano, A=alto, T=tenor and B=baritone. Letters that are duplicated (as in A in this example) indicate multiple parts.

And finally, here is one more way to visualize the above code sequence: