- There is a new store in the area, Music Go Round (Feb.2010). The store is in the 9/27 Plaza with Staples & Building 19. They specialize in buying and selling USED instruments. They have mostly guitars, but also have a decent selection of drums and wind instruments and some strings. Of course the selection changes all the time, but it is definitely worth checking out. They also carry supplies like reeds, oil, drumsticks and bags, strings, etc. 508-647-6874 www.musicgoroundboston.com
I had a long conversation with the owner, Philip Chernin, both to see what his philosophy was and also to find out what he had to say about some of the poor quality instruments that are going around. (Particularly, there are some disreputable companies out of China that make really poor quality instruments. You can't go by names because every couple of years they change the name on the instrument! Keep in mind that you get what you pay for. When the cheap instruments break, you often can't repair them! Not economical.) Anyway, he said he has a few of the cheap instruments, and showed them to me, and said that he is up front about the issues when people are interested in them.
- Leonards Music - Michael Leonard, a fantastic
woodwind repairman here in Wayland, and his wife Rebecca
Leonard, private teacher to many of our students, also
sell and rent instruments. Leonards Music http://www.leonardsmusic.com/
Rice Road, Wayland. By appointment only: 508-653-2189 or
email info@LeonardsMusic.com.
The Leonards have beginner level instruments (rent to own
or purchase) and advanced level instruments.
- Strike up the Band - in Natick, 5 Washington
Street - 508.655.9223. Sells instruments, supplies, gifts
& has lesson teachers. Will be stocking our
percussion needs. StrikeUpTheBand@gmail.com
- K&C Music Co. is no longer our main supplier. A representative will still come to the school if you need repairs or need to turn an instrument back in or have some other need on an instrument which you purchased from K&C. (781) 769-6520 -- fax (781) 769-8827 or email: sales@kandcmusicco.com (they do
not have a website)
- Centre Music House in Framingham - 18 Main
Street, Framingham, off of Route 9. 508.875.0909
http://www.centremusic.com.
Quality instruments & a rental program.
- Liberty Music in Saxonville - 1613 Concord
St., Framingham - 508.877.5272. Rents all band
instruments, carries supplies, has repair shop.
- Sudbury Music on Route 20 - 354 Boston Post
Rd. 978.443.8610. Rental service, carries supplies, has
repair shop, has lesson teachers.
- DRUMS: There are many places to look at &
play drum sets & such: Music Go Round, The Guitar Center, Daddy's Junky Music, etc. Before buying a set, talk to your child's
private teacher (and I would not buy a set for a student
without a private teacher). The cymbals are the most
expensive & the most important part of the set -
don't skimp on cymbals if your child is a serious
musician.
- Johnson Strings (for violins, violas, cellos
& basses) can be found at http://www.johnson-inst.com/
ADVANCED INSTRUMENTS:
When it is time to move up to a better quality
instrument, be sure you move is upward, not sideways to a
new instrument of the same quality. First of all, the best
bet is to work through a private teacher - they know what is
best out there right now and what is best for the individual
student.
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Buying a new
instrument??
(Exciting moment!) The School Band &
Orchestra Magazine has created a website with
information that might be useful to you when
embarking upon the fairly difficult task of
purchasing a new instrument.
http://www.sbomagazine.com and click on the link for "How-to Series" -- PLEASE
beware of instruments that have a
cheaper sticker price -- they look great, but there
is a reason that they don't cost as much, and
usually they develop major wear problems very
quickly (sometimes we call them "Band Quitter
Models"). See below for more info
on cheap instruments. Ask a private teacher or
your band director about the brand you are
considering. Don't just buy off the shelf! I
would say never buy from a discount store, and I
would be cautious about buying from a store that
seems to deal primarily in guitars, keyboards,
drumset, etc. I have found that even though they
look like they have a band/orchestra instrument
department, they often don't have people who
really know the instruments. Even some of the
beginning drum kits that come from these stores are
often not worth the money - I had a terrible time
trying to adjust an elementary student's drum at
the spring concert (I never did get it to sound
right). When I asked, he said it came from a local
store that really deals mostly with guitars.
Your best bet is to work through a private
teacher who can be most knowledgeable about
advising you of what is best for your child. If
your child is not taking lessons, do check in with
the band director before making purchases.
CHEAP
INSTRUMENTS: Follow the link for an excellent
article on the dangers of buying cheap instruments.
Here are a couple of reasons listed in this article
& the author is right on target:
- Local dealers and repairmen often refuse to
work on instruments that are substandard. Broken
parts may not be replaceable or fixable. There
is a real possibility that attempting to repair
one of these instruments could cause further
irreparable damage.
- A cheap instrument is often more difficult
to play and has an inferior sound. This is a
leading cause of frustration for beginning
students who give up playing because they can't
make a good tone. It is an unfair test of a
student's talent if he has to overcome problems
with an instrument.
- All instruments, but especially stringed
instruments, should be adjusted by a skilled
technician to assure it's in the best possible
performance condition. Factory setup is rarely
sufficient. Cheap instruments may not be capable
of being made playable at all.
- A good instrument is a good investment. In
most cases it retains much of its value. Should
you decide to sell it for any reason there will
be less cost in the long run.
(quoted from: Dwight Newton, "Why You should Not
Buy A Cheap Musical Instrument" http://www.oriscus.com/columns/030507.htm,
5/7/2003)
Go back to the list of
local music stores |
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