Purchase

Purchasing an Instrument


Recommended for:

• Students that are currently playing a full sized instrument that are serious and dedicated to playing in orchestra


Cost:

• Varies by instrument and quality

• $400 and up

• Do not purchase an instrument less than $300

• Prices are usually negotiable; you may wish to enter into a conversation with the dealer to

find out if there is some ‘give.’


Where:


What to Look For:

• The sales clerks at the dealers will help you in finding the right instrument

• The correct size

• A sticker on the inside of the instrument with the maker, serial number, and year; found by

looking through the sound holes. Mrs. Needham recommends newer instruments (within the last

twenty years) because they require less maintenance

• No cracks or open seams (where the glue has come undone)

• A straight, un-warped bridge that has been fitted to the instrument; if you can slide a piece of

paper between the bridge and the top of the instrument, the bridge has not been fitted to the

instrument and is more likely to collapse


Things to Avoid

• Purchasing on Craigslist, eBay, flea markets, garage sales, etc. Instruments purchased

through these venues usually need a lot of repairs, which ends up being more expensive

than what you would have paid a dealer for a quality instrument in the first place. An instrument that is much lower in price is always too good to be true.

• Colored instruments/instruments with designs drawn or painted on them; fine-quality wood

used to make instruments cannot be painted. If an instrument is painted, then the wood is

low-quality, resulting in a bad sound.

• Broken instruments or instruments that need repairs that you plan to “fix”; this will eat your

money and will be more expensive than what you would have paid a dealer for a quality

instrument in the first place.

• If you have a family instrument or an instrument that has been in the attic, you need to have it

checked out at one of the dealers listed above or bring it to Mrs. Needham to look at. If it needs a

lot of repairs, it might be cheaper to purchase a new instrument.

• Purchasing an instrument that isn’t the correct size because it’s cheaper or because your child

will eventually grow into it. Playing on an instrument that’s the wrong size can cause pain

and physical damage to your child’s fingers, wrists, and arms.