This is intended as a guide for beginning musicians and or parents of beginning musicians. We hope that this guide will help you make an informed decision when purchasing a musical instrument.

We feel that it is important that every beginning musician be given an opportunity to succeed at music and the quality of the instrument plays a major role in that success. A poor quality instrument sets the student up for failure before they even start to learn. If the instrument isn't constructed properly, adjusted correctly, and made from the right materials it cannot work. This will cause unneeded problems for the student and the instructor.

If you purchase from us or elsewhere you should invest in a quality instrument. Purchase from some one that will service your instrument. When you get that "deal" on line or from a mass merchandiser ask do they repair what they sell? Do they play these instruments themselves? Or are they just making a quick sale at your expense?

A local music store has a vested interest in you and their community and will want to be sure your purchase is correct for you. Someone in an other state or country will never see you face to face and making a sale is their primary goal.

We have divided the informantion into categories by instrument type this way you can get information specific to the instrument that you are interested in.

Band instruments can be difficult to judge by their appearance. Most of them look pretty good but it is the materials and workmanship that set a good band instrument apart from an inferror one. Local music dealers with a knowledgeable staff can give you the assurance that the instrument you buy is of good quality.

Band instruments need to have the following for them to function correctly:

• Proper Playability
• Structural Stability
• Correct Sound and Tuning

Proper Playability - The instrument must function correctly, things like proper valve clearance correct key position and over all functionality are critical.

Structural Stability - Keys and other parts must be made from the correct alloys - if they are not they may be difficult or impossible to adjust and once adjusted they may not stay in adjustment for very long.

Correct Sound and Tuning - Low quality instruments often are not made with correct dimensions. This will cause the instrument to play out of tune and this problem can not be corrected.

When an orchestra instrument is of poor quality the instructor will need to spend valuable class time tuning instruments instead of teaching music. The student will be unable to successfully learn because the instrument is hard to play and functions incorrectly. Often the student sees this as their "lack of ability", lowering their self esteem, when it is the instrument that is at fault. This adds to the frustration of all involved.

Because of the extreme importance of a properly constructed and adjusted instrument, the MENC (Music Educators National Conference) developed a set of standards establishing minimum requirements for string instruments.

The following information has been taken from the Music Educators National Conference specifications for string instruments. If you would like to read them in more detail they can be found on the MENC web site.

For your Orchestra instrument to function properly the following are minimum requirements that it must meet.

• Easy, Stable Tuning
• Proper Playability
• Structural Stability
• Acoustic Performance (Sound)

Easy and stable tuning - The tuning pegs should be fitted properly with all surfaces of the peg and peg box touching. The pegs should be made of good quality ebony, rosewood or boxwood. If mechanical pegs are used they need to be adjusted properly for smooth operation. When steel core strings are used the instrument must have 4 fine tuners installed.

Proper Playability - This involves the way the instrument is adjusted and is known as the set-up. The nut slots must be of correct depth and spacing. The bridge must have the correct arch on its top - the feet of the bridge must contact the top across its entire surface - bridge height must be adjusted to give the strings the correct distance from the fingerboard - the string spacing should be correct on the bridge - and the top edge of the bridge should be the correct thickness. The neck needs to be at the proper angle so that the fingerboard is the correct distance from the top and the strings are aligned down the center of the instrument. The fingerboard must be shaped correctly, with the correct arch and must have a slight scoop or relief along its length, to allow for proper string clearance.

Structural Stability - This involves the use of the correct materials and preparation of the wood. The woods used in an orchestra instrument need to be of the correct type and species. As the instrument expands and contracts with temperature and humidity changes stress is put on the joints where the different parts are connected. If the woods expand and contract at a different rate these parts can come apart. The top should be made from European spruce, the back, sides, and neck should be made of European maple, and the fingerboard, pegs, and tailpiece from ebony or rosewood.

When a description of the wood is maple, for example, this does not tell you if it is the correct "maple". Different species of the same wood have different properties and expand and contract differently. Therefore it is very important that the woods are the correct species for instrument construction.

The woods must be prepared or dried correctly. If "wet" woods are used in the construction of the instrument when the woods dry they will shrink and the instrument will come apart. The best method for drying instrument woods is air drying. This allows the moisture to escape naturally and forms a stable material. It can take 7 years or longer for correct drying and cheap instruments just don't use this method.

Acoustic Performance - For an orchestra instrument to sound its best all of the above requirements must be met. In addition the care and skill of the builder and the way the woods are shaped and thicknessed will greatly influence its sound. The best instruments are made by builders with many years of experience.

Music Centers offers only instruments that meet or exceed these specifications. We want you to be successful in learning and playing music - "We Care About Your Music"

One of the best options for a beginning band or orchestra student is our rental program. It allows you to use a top quality instrument without the up front cost of purchase. Get more information on our rental program.