Buying an Instrument

In my last post, I had my article, "To Rent or To Buy?" and we discussed the pros and cons of renting versus buying.  In the latest violin lesson newsletter, I discussed things to look for in an instrument to purchase.  But, where to buy?

If you've been renting, hopefully you're renting from a shop that has a rent to own program.  If this is the case, then you should have some credit built up with them, and they can be your first stop.  When you go in to purchase an instrument, go in with a clear idea of your budget.  Find out how much credit you have, so you know how expensive of an instrument you can buy.  Finally, ask to see all instruments within your budget.

If the shop does not have several instruments for you to choose from, ask them if they can have any shipped there from other stores.  It's worth the extra wait.  You want to be able to choose your favorite among several instruments.

If you haven't been renting, there are several other places to check out.  I really like David T Stone Violins.  They're very helpful and knowledgeable.  When I first went in and told him I was just thinking about buying a new bow (I wasn't ready at that point), David taught me so much I felt like I was in school again!  Someone who's that willing to invest time into my education, when I'm not even ready to buy yet, is definitely a good one to return to.  And I'm very happy with the bow that I did end up buying from him.

I recently bought a viola and cello, both relatively cheaply but they're pretty nice instruments.  And while I generally say an emphatic "No!" to buying online, that's where I got these instruments.  I went to ebay, to the kkmusicstore, and got a good deal.  Make sure you get one of their top instruments to get your money's worth.  The thing with buying online, however, is you can't try it out, so make sure there's a return policy.

Those are my recent experiences with buying instruments.  There's tons of places to buy from.  You can get some really good deals buying a used instrument from an individual, but they won't have several for you to try, and odds are they'll have cheap instruments.  You may pay more buying from a shop, but you're also paying for their expertise as they should be able to help you find an instrument that works for you.  And best of all, you'll be able to try several.  Even if you don't plan to buy from a shop, you should go in and try their instruments so you can have a feel for what you like.

Happy Playing!!