Sound familiar?

Every year many parents echo these concerns. This page will help you make a more informed decision about helping your new musician be successful.

Musical instrument manufacturers produce woodwind and brasswind horns that are designed to fill the needs of new students. These are "student model" instruments. They differ from the professional models in many ways. The most obvious being the price. Other ways they differ include higher quality materials, design, workmanship and so on.

How much does a new instrument cost?

The more popular instruments, such as the flute, clarinet, trumpet and trombone are generally available in the $500. - $700. (new) price range. This will vary somewhat between brand and model. Saxophones are usually between two to three times that amount.

How can I rent one?

There are music retailers that cater to school music programs. In the Central Island area Long & McQuade is the best known company for rental instruments. They have opened a new store in Nanaimo and recently, Tom Lee Music has also opened a store in Nanaimo and are offering school rental instruments as well. There are usually rental evenings arranged through the band teachers in each school district or individual school. Basic rentals of flutes etc. averaqe about 15.00 per month with discounts for a full year rental payment. Some or all of this rent may be applied to the purchase price of the instrument depending on the terms of the rental agreement. Instruments can be rented at those store locations. I provided linked icons on the index page of Westwind Music web site to help you find those stores.

NOTE: If you want to have a factory fresh new instrument, these are available on the "Rent To Own" agreement which have a higher monthly rent, but all rent is applied to the purchase of that instrument. Straight monthly or yearly rentals are usually slightly used or previously rented instruments. You can also buy your rental with a partial application of rent paid. Details available upon request.

It's important to know ...

• Not all brands are of equal quality and price ... some are just great ... some are downright awful. More on this farther down this page.
  
• You can "rent to own" or just "rent to use"... each choice has it's own purpose.
  
• You can rent a new or used instrument. The main difference is the cost to buy out the instrument if you decide you want to keep it.
  
• What about buying a used instrument privately? .. "I have a friend with a flute for sale for only $200. Should I buy it?" Buying used is a very good option, BUT ... don't buy a used instrument from any source without having a technician inspect it first. Not all music stores have a service tech on staff, but they may offer a warranty or have return policy. There can be a hefty cost to refurbish/repair an instrument that has been neglected or abused. This work may not be evident to the untrained eye. Inspections are 'no charge' at Westwind Music.

The price for a used instrument will vary depending on, make, model, age, and mostly ... the condition. You can expect to pay about half of the new retail price for a used instrument on average. Whether you plan to rent or purchase a new or used musical instrument, always do the math then do what's best for you.

What if I am renting and then want to buy?

If you are buying the rental horn ... simply call the rental company to find out the buy-out price. If you are buying from another source, simply return the rental and buy the instrument from where ever you wish. L&M has no return penalty. Westwind Music usually has a limited number of very good reconditioned instruments for sale at approximately half of retail.   Click here to see what currently available.

What if I am renting and the instrument needs repair or service or what if it is stolen or badly damaged?

Whoa!! These are legitimate concerns, but not to worry, you can insure your rental from L&M for only one dollar per month. Others rental companies offer similar coverage, but may require approval and possible charges for excessive damage due to mistreatment or carelessness. L & M covers all damage and repair carte blanche. In short, with a Long & McQuade rental horn you won't have to pay for service, damage or loss on insured rental instruments.

What if I own the instrument and it's not working?

Like any mechanical device, you will need to have it serviced and adjusted periodically. With proper care, this service will be affordable and help you get years of use from your instrument. There is much listed on service and repair elsewhere on this web site.    Click here for service pricing.

About instrument Quality

Band instruments have been slow to rise in price over the past decade. When most of these instruments are being purchased by parents of kids in school, the prices cannot be too high or the option of music fades.

In order to hold down prices, manufacturers are faced with finding ways (or places) to reduce the cost of producing a musical instruments.
Here are a few ways that costs are being held down.

• Use less expensive or poorer quality materials.
• Allow greater tolerance levels to reduce precision of production and save time and quality assurance.
• Contract an off-shore manufacturer to stamp brand names on brand X horns using cheap labour.
• Consolidate several instrument brands under one roof to eliminate competition and increase volume of sales. Make many of them the same instrument with different brand names and don't waste time or money producing a parts catalogue. UMI has done this successfully.
• Cheapen the case, and/or the included mouthpiece, ligature etc.

How well the keys line up and fit between the posts and on the hinges on woodwind instruments will determine how well the instrument stays together. Also the thickness of the metal body and bracing/ribbing.

Many instruments that are manufactured off-shore and now even in the USA and Mexico lack a reliable parts supply. This means that you will not easily deal with the need for parts replacement.

These are just a few examples of the differences between a quality instrument and one that will not last for a long time.

A better quality instrument often won't cost much more than a lower quality one and will require less service and retain greater resale value. In purchasing one of the four basic instruments for example, the difference may only be $50. A good saxophone maybe as little 10% more than for a poor one. It pays to compare. If you need information ... ask!

Another big consideration is that the comfort and ease of play (ergonomics) on a quality instrument is superior to that of a cheaper quality horn. There are some cheapies that play and feel nice out of the box, but that doesn't last. The newer student will lack the experience to be able to discriminate between a good or not so good instrument. The progress a student can make on a quality horn is greater than otherwise. It must be state as well, that even the cheapest and lowest quality instruments look and play nicely when they are brand new, but they simply don't stand up to the rigors of on-going use by students in school programs and they don't have much resale value if you ever want to sell or trade them.

My point is simple ... buy the best quality instrument you can possibly afford.

So what brands are best?
(The following are some of those I recommend, new or used.)

• All Yamaha instruments.
• Gemeinhardt flutes.
• Vito saxophones (made in Japan models only).
• Vito clarinets, bass clarinets.
• Bundy, and Bach brasswinds.
• Bundy and Buescher woodwinds.
• Older model King instruments (1970s models were pretty good).
• Getzen brasswinds are excellent.
• Holton brasswinds also excellent.
• Caravelle brasswinds (oldies but goodies).
• Olds instruments in good playing condition. Ambassador is the student line .. no longer in production, but still good.
• Armstrong and Artley flutes.
• Some models of Conn brass and woodwinds.
• NOTE: Any band instrument in really good condition will do, but quality will last and outperform the others.

Companies that are manufacturing most of the lower quality *student line horns are companies manufacturing or distributing instruments made in China, Taiwan, or Eastern European countries. These instruments are commonly offered to renters and buyers to compete with the better brands listed above. The are inexpensive. Most companies fall into this category to some extent.

(update 2007) It should be noted that in recent years most companies have lowered the quality of their student line instruments to keep costs down and remain competitive. In some cases they have simply placed their brand name on instruments made in the regions I mentioned who produce the low quality horns. Best rule: Buy the highrest quality you can afford. I have noted that the Taiwanese made Jupiter line has improved quality on their newer horns and are still priced very competitively.

* Parts availability and technical support considerations are included in this assessment.

Do not use this information to decide on purchasing professional line horns. Only student models are being discussed here.

Always ask about service policy and and availability of service when renting or buying a band instrument.

It is not often that parts need to be replace on musical instruments, other than pads, corks, springs, but it happens often enough that you want to know about the availability of parts on whatever brand you buy.

Many wind instrument manufacturers have been bought up by each other. At this time and with the best information I have at this time, (11/2006) most U.S. wind instrument companies are now owned by the Steinway Piano company.

The list includes former UMI brands ... Artley, Armstrong, King, Conn, Musica and some others. Also the high quality line of the G. Leblanc company including Vito, Leblanc, Holton and others. Another biggie in the Steinway stable is the Selmer/Bach company which includes: Selmer, Bach, and Bundy. (update 2007) Steinway also now owns the G. Leblanc musical instrument company of Wisconsin. Leblanc offers high quality instruments including the student line, Vito.

I have found it nearly impossible to get a decent parts catalog from any for these except Yamaha. I must rely on third party suppliers for parts and that list is usually limited. There are some companies who make instruments for each other and simply stamp the brand on the bell. Leblanc exchanges woodwind models with Yamaha and Selmer uses some Yamaha brasswinds. Very messy business when one is trying figure what exactly it is you are buying.

Whatever you do, avoid buying instruments from big box stores, drug stores, Costco and other places that are not musical instrument specialists. I consider these lowest grade instruments to be similar to bic lighter. Use them until they run out of gas and then get another one.

"No one ever regretted buying quality" ... Paladin .. aka Richard Boone.

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