Newsletter - Buying an Instrument

[Ashley Brockett]

South Hill String Studio Newsletter Tips on Buying Instruments Recently on the South Hill String Studio Blog, I posted an article titled, "To Rent or To Buy?"  It goes over the pros and cons of buying versus renting an instrument, and contains a lot of good points.  If you haven't read it, it's worth it. If you've decided to buy an instrument, now you need to know what instrument to buy!  I get asked all the time what are things to look for, so now I'm answering. If you're buying an instrument, you want something you can be happy with for awhile.  You don't want to need a new instrument after only a few months.  So here are some tips on what to look for: 1)  Ebony fittings.  Ebony is a very hard, black wood.  It is the best material to be used for the fingerboard, and in my opinion also for the pegs and tailpiece.  Any shop can put ebony fittings on a cheap instrument, but most won't bother, so it's a good point to go by.  But beware - a lot of cheap instruments have these fittings painted black, so ask or look carefully. 2)   The top of the instrument should be a high quality, aged spruce.  The sides, back, and neck should be a high quality, aged maple.  If the seller doesn't specify that this is the case, then it's probably not. 3)   Nice instruments will have hand-carved ebony inlay around the edge of the top, and sometimes the back.  It's not remotely necessary for a good sound, but it's a way of telling that time and energy were put into making the instrument.  Cheap instruments will often have this painted on, so take a close look. 4)   Grain of the wood:  the top should be of fine-grain spruce.  If you can't see the grain, or you see a very wide grain, it's not worth it.  You should be able to see a very fine grain. 5)   Flaming.  The sides and back should have some pretty colorations, called flaming.  Higher grade woods have them, and it makes a difference. 6)  Now that you've visually examined the instrument, comes the most important part - playing.  This is why I often recommend most people to start out renting, so they can actually play an instrument they're thinking about buying.  The instrument should be enjoyable to play, the strings should react well (a lot of this can be adjusted, but why take the chance?), and the student should love the sound.  If the student doesn't love playing the instrument, then they won't.  So if they prefer a cheaper instrument to a very expensive one, rejoice that your pocket book won't be as stressed. 7)   Finally, is there some kind of return policy?  What if you take the instrument home and play on it for a few weeks, and realize you don't really like it, or the neck is too thick for your hand?  Can you take it back?  Instruments are an expensive investment, so this is an important point. I hope this was helpful to you.  If you're not ready to buy yet, no worries - the next newsletter will be on renting.  Happy playing! Ashley Brockett South Hill String Studio 253-267-2063 www.ashleybrockett.musicteachershelper.com Facebook