Buying an Instrument

Buying Advice for Beginners

Having decided which instrument you are going to take up, the following section contains useful information which will help you decide on which model/type to choose, what accessories you are likely to need and what the likely levels of maintenance/running costs will be... we've concentrated on Guitars, Woodwind and Drums as these are our main areas of specialization, but also include sections on Pianos/Keyboards, Violins, other popular instruments and educational accessories.

General overview:

Over the last 5-10 years there has been a revolution in the design and mass production of the most popular band and orchestral instruments - this has largely been as a result of the growth of Far Eastern (particularly Chinese) manufacturing. Quality has hugely improved over the last 4/5 years whilst prices have become ever more competitive, so that it can honestly be said that there has never been a better time to take up an instrument!

Some important points arising from this are:

- These days many budget priced instruments are so good that they can easily carry you through from beginner to very advanced levels of playing, without the need to 'upgrade' at an early stage... this applies particularly to guitars, saxophones and drums, and to a lesser extent to flutes, clarinets, violins and brass instruments.

- If you are contemplating buying a second-hand instrument, avoid 'early' Chinese made instruments (ie over 5 years old) as these were often very poorly designed, uncomfortable and musically hopeless!

- In the past, buying a new instrument was simply a case of sticking with a major brand name and avoiding certain others, whereas now it's often possible to save a large amount of money with little or no trade-off in quality by going to an alternative brand. Of course you should always check with your teacher as well, but bear in mind that he or she may not be aware of recent quality improvements in lower priced 'entry-level' brands.