Purchasing an Instrument

Buying versus Renting

Renting:

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Buying: Purchasing an instrument will give your student a sense of pride and ownership and teach responsibility. Be involved in your student's music education by providing them an instrument that they can be proud to call their own.

Many of the stores above will allow you to rent with the option to buy, or will put the monthly rental price into equity for an instrument. It would be best to wait until your student has grown into a full-size violin or viola, a 3/4 sized cello, or a 3/4 sized bass before buying one. They may grow out of a smaller one.

It is of the UTMOST IMPORTANCE that you purchase your instrument from a reputable string or music store. They will often be the ones to repair and maintain your instrument. PLEASE do not purchase instruments online from EBay or Amazon. While both of these sites offer great deals on many things, instruments should never be purchased from these websites. Usually instrument purchased on the internet cannot stay in tune and usually do not last more than a few months at best.

Used or new?

What is a quality instrument?

Playability and repairability:

Things to check when purchasing an instrument:

• Instrument Body- Check to make sure the instrument is made of wood, traditionally string instruments are made of maple. Make sure there are no open cracks or splits in the wood. These can cause buzzing and other issues down the road.

• Pegs- Turn them slightly to make sure they are not too loose or too tight. If they are not staying put in the store, chances are they won't stay put while your student is trying to practice.

• Bridge- this is the part of the instrument that holds up the strings, located below the fingerboard. The bridge should be carved specifcally for that instrument. The carving may only be completed by a trained string repair technician at the music store. Beware: many online purchased instruments come with a "cookie cutter" bridge, that proves troublesome eventually.

• Cello and Bass end pin- this is the silver road that comes out of the bottom of the instrument when you turn the screw. It stabilizes the instrument on the floor and is height-adjustable to grow with your student. If you can, request an end pin that has a black rubber ball on the end, not a tiny rubber tip. The tip wears thin after a while and the instrument slides on the floor, causing damage to the instrument and possible injury to your student. The inexpensive ball will pay for itself many times over.

Durability:

From rehearsals and concerts to the bus, you never know where your student will end up taking their instrument. Make sure you are protecting your investment with a quality, sturdy case.