|
I need an instrument, what should I do?
Your options: A new instrument, used instrument, or rented instrument.
Buying New
Getting a new instrument can be the most expensive choice in the short term, but the buyer then hopefully knows exactly what they are getting. If the instrument isn’t all that it is promised to be, the retailer is obligated to help make things right. You just need to make sure to buy a reliable brand and model of instrument from a reliable seller.
Don’t buy new instruments out of online catalogs. They can’t be seen before purchase and returning instruments with problems can become nearly impossible.
Purchase instruments from local retailers that you can maintain contact with, and don’t go out of your way to get the greatest cash deal possible. Aim for modest deals that include features and assurances of helping out when something with the instrument goes wrong. Lots of music stores will match prices and sell things for their base values that can be found online, but this runs the risk of alienating the retailer and making them unhelpful in times of trouble. There is nothing wrong with taking advantage of good deals offered by the vendor though, so keep an eye out for annual half-off specials and other clearance specials
More detailed information about:
Local retailers I’ve had experience with and would recommend:
- Pied Piper Music
301 R H L Blvd
South Charleston (Located in Corridor G)
(304) 744-0500
Best for guitars and related supplies
- Gorby’s Music
214 Seventh Ave
South Charleston
(304)744-9452
Best for purchasing pianos
- Kerr’s Music
911 Bigley Avenue
Charleston
(304) 345-3011
Source for clarinet and other band instrument materials
Buying Used
Used instruments are fine but they run the risks of any used item. Be careful in your purchasing, because it can be very hard to tell a great deal from a lemon. Treat buying a used instrument like you might a used car, bring it to someone who knows about instruments and can look it over before the final purchase is made.
Get to know local repairmen in advance since it is more likely that you’ll need their services. It’s good to know them with new and rented instruments too; it is just more common that things can break with used instruments.) If a used instrument comes from a music store, it might cost nearly as much as the same instrument new, but if the store will commit to doing setup and repairs to the instrument for a month to work the bugs out, then it might be worth it. If the instrument comes with no such guarantees and is being sold off the internet, make sure to get a good discounted price since those dollars saved might be needed for repairs.
Renting
Renting an instrument is an excellent choice for a student that isn’t completely committed to taking music lessons.
For guitar students, renting is definitely a temporary option, since a beginner guitar of some quality should cost $200-$400. After a couple months, the decision should be made to stop renting and buy a new guitar, since the student has shown commitment to staking lessons.
|
|
For piano, the decision to rent indefinitely or not is more dependent on what perks come with renting. Will the music store renting the piano offer help moving it and tuning it? How much is the rent? The point at which renting a guitar becomes a money losing proposition comes comparatively soon, but since a nice new upright piano might run a couple thousand dollars, it is much more understandable to just rent a piano until the day the piano isn’t wanted anymore.
Clarinets are not as expensive as pianos, but renting for the first few months can help you avoid purchasing an instrument before you know that the student will stick with it. By the time the student has been playing for a year and plans to continue, it becomes more practical and economical to purchase an instrument.
It is a good thing for a student to feel like their instrument belongs to them in every sense, so my leaning is generally to purchase instead of rent as one’s economic situation allows.
A few notes on gifts and borrowing (not recommended!)
An instrument can be borrowed or given as a gift, but this takes away control over the instrument in either situation. If an instrument is given as a gift, the person intended to be playing the instrument might not have any hand in picking the instrument before it is given, and since it is a gift they might be reluctant to sell it or trade it away for a better instrument if the gift is of poor quality.
If the instrument is being borrowed from a friend or relative, the student quite often treats the instrument differently since it doesn’t really belong to them. I’m all for a student being cautious with their instrument, but any playing involves a risk of doing some damage and when repairable damage does occur the only thought should be how to reasonably get the instrument working again, not “how can I make it look like nothing ever happened so that the owner of the instrument won’t hurt me.”
I don’t have an instrument and I want to take lessons, what should I do?
Unfortunately I can’t supply instruments for most students – I don’t have enough clarinets for clarinet students, and guitars are delicate enough that I feel that there are some liability issues with letting students freely handle my guitars for all lessons. For piano students, I have an electric piano, which they can have their lessons on. To take music lessons, a student must have their own instrument (or for piano, an instrument that they just have free access to).
School music programs may have instruments available to borrow—speak with your school music teacher to see what options are available.
|
