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My oldest is going to play clarinet this year in 6th grade band. Her teacher knows of someone who is selling a used Yamaha clarinet for $250. He says it's in good shape and retailed for at least $800 new.

Should I jump on this? Or should I rent her one or should I buy a cheap one for her to use for a year and then re-assess?

Is she commited long term to the band? If so, get the used one at least. If you don't know whether she's going to stay with it, go with a rental or something cheaper. Depreciation is a killer.

I'm not a parent, but I was in the band. Some kids' parents would buy expensive instruments right off the bat only to have to try and sell it when they quit a year later.

I don't know if she will stay with it but renting a good one will cost more than buying the Yamaha over the course of a year. The price I was quoted was $30 per month. If she quits in a year, I will have paid more than what I would've paid for the used Yamaha and will recoup none of that.

I gave no thought to buying her an expensive one. I had planned to spend around $100. A good clarinet costs $800. No way was I going to spend that kind of money, for the same reason I'm never the parent who buys DeMarini softball bats and $70 cleats.

I was a band kid (from 6th grade till 14th) and I have only one piece of advice.

Start on saxophone.  It is so much cooler.   :smile:

Then get the used one. I didn't know that the price was now 30 bucks a month to rent one. At least it sounds like it might be a quality instrument and it probably isn't that much more than one of poor quality.

$30 might be high... but even if it's $20 for an instrument of that quality, the price is a wash if she quits after a year. If she does quit, I can sell it. If she doesn't quit, she can keep it. Either way I'm ahead.

I thought the used one made the most sense... I was just curious if somebody was going to tell me to buy the cheap one. The instructor scoffed at the cheap ones.

She went in wanting to play trumpet... she tried trumpet, french horn, flute, clarinet, and sax and she liked clarinet the best. I think it had something to do with her mom having played clarinet in band.

I didn't play in band and I laugh at all you band geeks. I was in choir instead which is SO much better.

I was in the band, chorus and theater.  :laugh:

I was in three different choral groups (concert choir, madrigal ensemble, and barbershop revue) and didn't have time for that other weirdo stuff.  :laugh:

We have tried to teach our kids that music programs are not geeky or weird. My wife played in band and I was in choir. My sister and brother-in-law were both in band and choir (actually my sis was flag corps). All of us are successful well-adjusted people. Appreciation for the arts are part of what makes us well-rounded.

That being said my youngest's idea of art is Justin Bieber so she may be a lost cause.  :laugh:

Buy the used one for $250.  If it is the instrument you describe, worse case scenario should be that you get your money back on it if your daughter decides to quit playing it and you sell it.

Or you could learn to play it yourself and become the next Pete Fountain.   :naughty: 

MY daughter plays the violin in her school's orchestra...not band, but I rent it. It's not much per month, and it's a rent to own.

My son played, and still does play, the drums.  He was in the band in middle school, but not in high school.  Consider yourself fortunate that your daughter plays the violin.  It can't be as loud as the drums.   :eek:

Congrats on your kid's school having an orchestra.

No, it's actually quite nice, once they learn to play it properly.

It is a good thing for sure, but I was wondering, there's no music place that does rent to own there? I'm paying $24/month, and in three years we'll own it. She can even change the size of the violin and the past payments would apply. I'd check around.

Yes, they have those programs but it wouldn't make a lot of sense if I could get a used Yamaha in good shape for $250 when it would cost $1000 over 3 years to rent to own a comparable new one.

That's true. I guess you could check craigslist and find something even cheaper.

Bill knows of what he speaks.

My son Chris played the clarinet and SHE purchased a quality instrament for band (yes, my wife is a genious! *%#@*) only to find out that she bought a wooden clarinet, real cork on the sleeves, etc. Well, with school marching band you cannot use your wooden clarinet in the rain so you have to buy one of the plastic ones as well. Two!

Go ahead and buy a used one, a plastic instrament and make sure your child learns how to care for her instrament. She will take pride in ownership and care for it and hopefully build an appreciation for music. Then, spend the $$$ when she needs a special instrament. $250 is not a lot of money when your child is building an appreciation for music. However, make sure her instructer fits her with the proper reeds! You can waste a lot of money there and the barking she'll do will drive you crazy if you don't!

Fortunately, you have a lovely bride who can help!

G

Go ahead and buy the Yamaha.  If anything, you can sell it (for possibly more) next year when she decides not to do it anymore.

The Yamaha sounds like the best route in my view.

Mom and dad rented one my first year and then we got a cheap one.  When I got to the (then not so) big building on Emory Rd they bought a good clarinet (which I still have).