Woodstock Chimes - Retailer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If you own or manage a retail business in the United States, you will need to establish a wholesale account with us. If you're interested in opening a wholesale account with us or would like to receive further information about our product line, please click here and complete the following questionnaire. We, or our sales representative for your area, will respond within a few days. Please note: Approval by a local sales representative is required before a new account can be established. If payment terms are requested, credit approval will also be required.

If you are interested in selling Woodstock Chimes products outside of the United States, please click here to find a distributor in your country. If a distributor is notlisted for your country, please click here to send us an email and we will get back to you shortly.

Do you have a guide on how to hang Woodstock Chimes for the best performance?

Click here to find out where and how to hang Woodstock Chimes for optimal performance.
Click here for instructions on hanging and adjusting an Emperor Gong.
(You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to see these documents.)

What are the maintenance instructions for Woodstock Chimes?

Every part of a Woodstock Chime is weather protected. Over time, however, those layers of protection can begin to wear. To enjoy your Woodstock Chimes for years to come, we suggest the following simple maintenance tips.

Periodically, apply a thin layer of Danish or lemon oil with a clean cloth to the hardwood parts. Regular oiling will help protect the wood and retard the natural aging process.

The tubes of traditional Woodstock Chimes are made of anodized aluminum that will not rust when exposed to the elements. However, over time, the aluminum may show pitting as a result of environmental factors. Please note this will not affect the beautiful tones of your chimes.

Use mild soap and water (or a foaming, non-abrasive cleanser) to clean the tubes, glass or plastic parts. Try not to dampen the string.

The brass parts of Woodstock Temple Bells, Garden Bells and other Woodstock bell products can be polished with a brass cleaner.

Copper-plated steel elements should be wiped clean with a duster or damp cloth. Polishes should not be used on these, as it may remove the protective varnish coating.

Click here to see how to care for chimes made of natural bamboo (as compared to laminated bamboo).

Can a consumer contact you if they want their Woodstock Chimes refurbished?

Refurbishing services are available for many of our Signature Chimes. Depending on the style of chime, we will replace the wood and string parts, re-string the chime and ship it back to the consumer for a fee.

To initiate this service, please click here for our Refurbish Request form (this is also available to consumers in the Consumer FAQ area). The consumer should complete and transmit this form to us so we can provide them with additional information, including a Return Authorization number, shipping instructions and the exact cost to refurbish their Woodstock Chimes.

If your consumer's chime is not listed on the Refurbish Request form, we do not provide refurbishing services for that chime at this time.

Can customers buy replacement string or wood parts to refurbish their Woodstock Chimes?

While we offer refurbishing services* for many Woodstock Chimes, repair kit options are also available for our more traditional chimes. Depending on the style of your customer's Woodstock Chimes, they may purchase one of the following types of kits:

o Center string

o Center string and windcatcher

o Center string, windcatcher and clapper

Prices are based on the style of chime.

To initiate this service, consumers can click here to complete our Repair Kit Request form (this is also available in the Consumer FAQ area). After they transmit the completed form to us, we will provide them with further information, including the cost of the repair kit they have selected.

*If your customer prefers that we refurbish their Woodstock Chimes, please click here to complete the Refurbish Request form (this is also available in the Consumer FAQ area).

Can customers purchase replacement parts for other Woodstock Chime products?

In addition to the various refurbishing and repair kit options listed above, we also sell various replacement parts for our Garden Bell and Fountain products, as well as some of our other chime products. Please click here and let us know what your customer is looking for (this is also available in the Consumer FAQ area).

Can consumers purchase accessory parts for their Music Collection products?

We sell various replacement parts for our drums and other Music Collection items. Please click here and let us know what your customer is looking for (this is also available in the Consumer FAQ area).

Do you have an online product registration system?

Yes, your customers can register their product(s) online. Simply click here to go to our online registration site (this is also available in the Consumer FAQ area - there is also a hotlink to this from our home page).

What is your warranty policy?

You expect excellence and so do we. We’re committed to quality and stand behind everything we sell.

Limited Warranty

Products manufactured by Woodstock Percussion, Inc. are warranted to be free of defects in materials and workmanship. All precision-tuned Woodstock Chimes with aluminum tubes come with a lifetime tuning guarantee. Your product is warranted for one year from the date of purchase. This warranty excludes capiz, bamboo, glass and coconut chimes and components as well as defects due to normal wear, abuse, shipping damage or failure to use products in accordance with the instructions. The warranty is also void in the event of unauthorized repair or modification. In the event of a defect, product will be repaired promptly, without charge or, at our option, replaced with a new product of equal or superior value, if delivered to Woodstock Percussion, Inc., prepaid, together with the sales slip or other proof of purchase date. PRIOR APPROVAL FROM WOODSTOCK PERCUSSION, INC. IS REQUIRED FOR RETURN. RETURN AUTHORIZATION REQUESTS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.CHIMES.COM or contact our Customer Service Department at woodstock@chimes.com or 800-422-4463. Once you have a return authorization number, products should be returned to Woodstock Percussion, Inc., 167 DuBois Road, Shokan NY 12481-5124 USA.

Except to the extent precluded by applicable law, Woodstock Percussion, Inc. WILL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, AND ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANT-ABILITY OR FITNESS FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSE EXPIRES WHEN THIS EXPRESS WARRANTY EXPIRES.

This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights which vary from state to state.

If your customer's Woodstock product is still under warranty and appears to have a defect, please let us know so we can determine the best course of action (this is also available in the Consumer FAQ area). For maximum customer convenience, we also suggest they may be able to exchange the defective item at the place of purchase.

What is your consumer product exchange policy?

We do not accept consumer products as returns or exchanges. Instead, we direct consumers to contact their place of purchase regarding returns and exchanges.

I understand Woodstock Chimes are precision-tuned, what does that mean?

When Woodstock Chimes first began producing windchimes in 1979, most windchimes were made by artists who created visually beautiful chimes with little consideration for the sound. Woodstock Chimes elevated the windchime into an item that combines beauty with musical relevance, using a technique that precision tunes the company's windchimes to musical scales. "Windchimes are musical instruments that are played by the wind," says founder Garry Kvistad, who taught collegiate music classes for many years, and is also a musician with the group NEXUS and a percussionist with the Steve Reich and Musicians ensemble. "When you're purchasing a windchime, you should close your eyes and listen to it. If you have an immediate, positive reaction to the sound, it's an ideal windchime for you."

For reasons of musical purity, we tune all of our products to an ancient system known as just intonation. Therefore, many of the notes used on Woodstock Chimes fall between the notes of the piano which is tuned to a modern system called equal temperament. This makes our products not only authentic when we tune to ancient scales, but also gives the sound its beautiful and unique quality for which we are known. Each and every tube or rod used in our special chimes is individually tuned to exacting frequencies to assure the best possible result. This means that tubes tuned to the same note found on other Woodstock Chimes will be in tune with each other but might be slightly different in length. Other windchime makers often cut to exacting lengths but the sound will vary due to the slight inconsistencies of the tubes (wall thickness, diameter, temperament of metal). While our products are mostly enjoyed in homes and gardens, many musicians use them as well. Since the intervals don’t always match the modern system of tuning of the piano exactly, trained ears can appreciate the difference and adapt to the ancient system. For those wanting to explore this ancient tuning system of just intonation in great detail, I suggest the following: http://www.kylegann.com/tuning.html.

Do you have a glossary of terms ?

Yes, of course! Please click here to see our glossary of commonly used terms.

I have an inquiry about something that hasn’t been addressed here. How do I get an answer?

Please click here to send us an e-mail message. We’ll reply as quickly as we can.