Help purchasing musical instruments for school

[Mskanga]

Where did you purchase your kids instruments?
I am looking to purchase a flute for my dd ( not renting ) from a reliable place.
Does anyone know of any?
Any suggestions you may give are appreciated.

 

[monkeyboy]

Yellow pages under Music Store or talk to other parents

Good luck

 

[dianeschlicht]

You don't say where you are, so that kind of advice would be difficult to give. Here in the upper midwest, I usually send my students to Schmitt Music or Trestman music. Flutes are not usually expensive for student models. Be sure you are getting a good brand and everything should be fine. I usually recommend Yamaha and Gemeinhardt.

 

[Mskanga]

I am in PA , and the music stores around here want $400-500 for a used student flute.

 

[nemo1987]

whoa! 400-500 dollars for a flute??!?!? did i miss where they went so high? and its used. wow. when i got mine the music teacher ordered them for us and mine was only like 120 for a brand new one. i quit right after i started--i know, i know i promised my mom i wouldnt but i did. 400-500 for a used one seems ridiculous to me! dont get one from jcpenney my friend got one from the catalog and it broke a week after
**Sarah**

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Don't forget EBAY & look in your local paper under musical instruments. My neighbor bought a nice flute for her dd on EBAY.

We did buy dd's saxophone from a music store, still paying on it for 2 years now. It was brand new at about $2000, (ugh), almost finished.

 

[KarenC]

I ordered my son's saxophone from woodwind-brasswind. We got a great price for a new sax. Now he plays the Bari, and uses the school's instrument. I'll have to buy him one when he gets to college.

http://www.wwbw.com

 

[Mskanga]

Karen , that is the place I am checking right now and I have founf a potential one for $149 which is inmy price range.
The problem is also that I do not trust ebay, I want something from a manufacturer that comes with some kind of warranty and I think I am going to buy it from wwbw.

 

[Piglet's Pal]

We are in south central PA and we use Menchey Music. They are very good to work with. Our school district pushes for rent to own rather than buying for new music students. The reasons for this are--if the instrument needs any repair service during the rental period there is no charge, if the instrument is damaged during the rental period Menchey's will replace it at no charge and if the student changes their mind on what instrument they want to play you can easily do an exchange. The rental runs about $25 per month and the length of the rental depends on the cost of the instrument.
Menchey has stores in Harrisburg, Hanover, Lancaster & York, they also have affiliate stores throughout PA & MD. Their web site is www.menchey.com
Good Luck with finding a flute!
PP

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Hey thanks for the site!!!

 

[sharbear]

My daughter plays the flute. I got both of her flutes from Woodwind Brasswind. My daughter plays a Pearl Flute. It is very nice and has held up pretty well. We were happy enough with the first Pearl to go with a Pearl for her intermediate flute.

I have a link for the flute that my daughter had as her beginning flute. I have been very happy with Woodwind Brasswind, free shipping and no tax. We received her flute very fast. I see someone else recommended wwbw.

My daughter's flute teacher did not recommend a Gemeinhardt flute. She is not a big fan.

http://www.wwbw.com/Pearl-Flutes-501-Preferred-Series-Flute-i50675.music

I hope your daughter like playing the flute. My daughter sure does. In fact she's going to a music camp in two weeks, she's excited about going.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font color=navy>We have a local music store called Marshalls. I rented my dd's flute until it was paid off - took three years, and she still uses it.

 

[stacilee]

I went to the info night at school last year and found out what my second band student needed and then narrowly escaped the clutches of the Menchey people that were there exclusively, with financing contracts and pens in hand!

I ordered the same exact model plus a bunch of extra things I knew that he would need by the next year anyway and still only spent 1/2 of what the local music company was charging!

Their service was great, shipping was free, and anytime that I have had a question I have called their 1 800 # and gotten polite, professional advice.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

This may seem a bit silly but right now at my Wal-mart we have a flute, trumpet and clarinet made by First Act- They are real instruments that are promoted as "excellent for school groups"

As I play the radio I have no idea how good they are or whatnot but they are all about 150-200- Eventhough First Act is a decent brand for the guitars and drums we have had in the past Ours are up by the vision center-

-em

 

[sharbear]

I had to leave and I thought of one thing that I wanted to add. For a begining flute player, she needs closed holes with a split E and C foot. More egonomic (sp?) to play. Don't buy one with open holes as it is for a more advanced player, by the time she should have open holes, it will be time for a new flute.

I really think that owning is a better way to go than renting. JMO

 

[Cindy B]

Not to hijack.. .but I am looking for info on this as well.

My son wants to play the oboe...

Yes, the expensive $1500 oboe. He has never played before, and wants this instrument.

Any ideas on oboe as well?

 

[wdwfam]

I add another vote for Woodwind and Brasswind. We've bought two clarinets from them for about half the price of store bought instruments. DD's last clarinet - a Buffet lists at about $5,000 but we bought at WWBW for less than $1900 last year. The only thing that I can complain about was that it took several weeks to be delivered. DD's first one came in a matter of days. Many music stores try to let on that they are inferior quality instruments, but we haven't found that to be the case. Many students in my DD's wind ensemble class have instruments from them, and let's just say, the kids are pretty well known in our area as being an extremely talented group of musicians in High School.

 

[Bildmouse]

Another vote for WWBW. We are lucky to have a store about 45 minutes from us (in South Bend). My DS (trumpet) and DD (clarinet and trumpet, now drum major) love to go there and browse. They are very good about letting students try out the instruments in practice rooms. I know you would probably be ordering from their website but we have not had any problems with the service from them.