Especially this time of the year, meaning July, August & September, used band instruments are popping up everywhere. Some first year band students will decide not to continue to the next year. Consequently, the parents will be trying to sell the instrument and recoup some of their money. Now, here is where you come into the equation. Your child wants to start playing a musical instrument at the start of the next school year.

You have several options: 1) New  2) Used  3) Horns that people give you  4) Buying over the Internet

1) If you buy a new instrument please buy a brand name horn and buy from a reputable dealer. Don’t buy a band instrument from “Big Box” stores, from stores that also sell furniture or stores that also sell food. They might be less expensive and just as shiny as the instrument you see at your local music store. However, if it needs repair, most repair people will refuse to work on it. Why? They are not made well and parts are not available. So again, if you are buying a new instrument buy a brand name horn and buy from a reputable dealer.

2) If you decide to buy a used instrument, also, buy a brand name horn. If you aren’t sure what the most common brand name instruments are then call or bring it by the shop. We can certainly tell you if it’s a good brand and if it’s worth the asking price. Treat buying a used instrument like buying a used car. If you buy a used car (excuse me, a previously owned car) from a used car dealer, wouldn’t you first take it to your mechanic to check it out? Also, if you see a used car for sale in the newspaper wouldn’t you first take it to your mechanic to check out before buying it?

3) Horns that people give you might be good or they might not. Especially if they are really old. An example: “Here, this was your grandfathers horn. It’s probably a good horn. Older horns are better that newer horns.” Well, not always true. Sometimes the cost to restore an older instrument to playing condition can be dramatically more than the horn is worth. Plus if it does get restored it still might not play that well. In this type of situation we definitely need to see the horn.

4) Buying over the Internet! Danger Will Robinson! Danger! Or, as my dad would say, “That’s like buying a pig in a poke.” You don’t know what you’re actually going to get until you purchase it and open the box. However, if you must, stay with sellers that have good ratings and good feedback from previous buyers. Look over the photos of the instrument well. Hopefully they are photos of the actual instrument. Also, ask if there is a return policy. Get that in writing!

I enjoy buying and selling used instruments. Sometimes you can find amazingly good horns at very reasonable prices. However, keep your eyes open. Have an experienced repair person look over the horn for you, before you buy it. Except for you Internet buyers. Also, just because someone plays an instrument doesn’t mean that they can evaluate its playing condition. For example, I use a computer everyday but I don’t know how to repair one!

I hope to see you soon with a true gem.

Michael