When starting a new instrument, do you....?

[Martin Milner]

This is the poll that I started to post on Friday, and then deleted because not all the options showed. Apologies to Izzeryn_du for the confusion.

I've noticed that there seem to be several schools of though regarding the purchase of a new instrument.

The first is that, not knowing if you (or a child or spouse) will stick with it, you buy an entry level instrument, which doesn't sound great, but you assume you will upgrade later if it's still being played in a year or two's time. This basic instrument will have almost no resale value.

Alternatively, realising that a better instrument is nicer to play, and may encourage you to stick with it, you buy something mid-range, as much as you can afford with a little savings, and realise that a ways down the road, when you are better acquainted with the instrument, you may upgrade to something that suits your playing style and preferences.

The third option is to buy top of the range, maybe taking out a loan to afford it, because you want to have the best available, and thinking that, if for any reason you decide not to stick with it, it'll be easier to sell with only a small loss, or maybe even at a profit.

I assume that (apart from whistles), we all acknowledge deep down that you get what you pay for, and a high-quality instrument is not going to be picked up off eBay for a couple of dollars.

[Flyingcursor]

I voted #1 but I'd have to qualify that. When I bought my hammered dulcimer I got a pretty good one.

[Wombat]

I voted for 'start cheap' because that's what I usually do. On guitar, whistle, flute keyboards that's how a got going. On concertina I borrowed a cheap instrument to begin on, even though I bought a high-end instrument as my first purchase.

When I can play a certain kind of instrument, when I branch out into other members of the family I buy the best I can afford. Guitar led to bass, bouzouki and mandolin and I bought the best I could afford of all but bouzouki first up.

My inclination is to start on the best available but prudence dictates that I first buy a cheapie or two to see if I'm going to be serious about the instrument, at least when I am buying something wholly new. Fortunately, I'm now in a position to borrow instruments when I start so I can usually skip that first stage. I think it's great that there are very playable cheap whistles and flutes since I never feel as though I've blown my money when I upgrade and, in the case of both, I still enjoy my cheap whistles and PVC flute (thanks Alan). I cringe at the thought of the guitarists put off by a bad instrument who would have persevered if only that first puchase hadn't been such a mistake.

The bottom line then is this. Whatever you start on, begin on a good instrument. If it also happens to be cheap, so much the better.

[izzarina]

Apologies to Izzeryn_du for the confusion.

We accept your apologies, MarMil
About the topic, I usually get something more mid range because I don't want to have to upgrade anytime in the near future. But to qualify this, I didn't do this with the whistle. I bought a Clare nickel one piece and a Sweetone for my first whistles, and I've gone up from there. But that's because I knew I could with the whistle, for more money doesn't always mean better whistle.

[missy]

I'm not voting cuz you didn't put my choice:

Actually, as teachers (mountain dulcimer), we did something to help with this situation. We bought four "student level" dulcimers that are on a plywood base, but are very well made and sound good, and are easily playable. We loan these to students for a $100 check, that we don't cash. When the student brings the dulcimer back to us, we give them their check back, uncashed.

This allows a person to hear different instruments - builders - woods - etc before making a commitment to buy. It also hopefully prevents them from spending money on a "DSO" - dulcimer shaped object, something that is totally UNplayable.

Missy

[Wormdiet]

Depends on the instrument. In general, I guess I get stuff that will fulfill a certain function for perpetuity. . . . I hate selling stuff, so I like to get gear that will last the duration.

When I finally got an electric guitar after 8 years of playing an accoustic 12-string, I went for a Rickenbacker 330 (About a grand). I don;t regret it at all. I wanted to get a strat clone but they just do not appeal to me aesthetically and I can't make them sound good. When I got an electric 12 I went for the top-of-the-line rick from the get-go. But I knew exactly what I wanted and got the more expensive model because there are real playability differences from the basic model. I'll probably never need an electric 12 again unless something bad happens. I'll also never "need" an electric 6 again (although a 335 type guitar would be great for variety's sake - they sound totally different fom what I have.)

The accoustic 12-string was definitely a mid-range guitar. 12-string takamine. Unfortunately it has a crack somewhere that produces a nasty buzz

Then again, I started guitar on a cheap student pack accoustic model my brother got for Christmas in high school. I also had a cheap strat clone with a floyd rose whammy that was a total POS. I think that one turned me off from "student instruments" for a good long while.

My GHB's are definitely good but entry-level (Not pakistani, but not chased sterling either. Just imitation ivory mounts) Does that make them "midlevel?" I've had them for 19 years and see no need to upgrade. They sound fine for my purposes since I'm not going to be competing anytime soon where subtle tone differences matter that much.

I have an order pending for an M & E Rudall as my first "real" flute. I'm hoping that I can use it as a "number 1" for a very long time. I really don't want to spend any money on something I will outgrow within a year or two. If I end up selling the M & E, I can probably get enough back so that the loss would equal the money spent on a purely "entry level" flute.

It would be fun to get more flutes, but I'd probably get something like a Pratten clone or a low A flute for variety's sake - NOT as a strict "upgrade" or "replacement."

So I guess in the final analysis, if it's my money on the table, I'll get "good enough to do the job" without the need for an upgrade. Sometimes that means lotsa bucks, sometimes not.

[moxy]

If it's expensive, I borrow.

Like the flute I'm learning to play now.

[Jayhawk]

I voted mid-range, but I probably should qualify that.

I think on some instruments (including whistle) the cheap ones can be the only instrument you ever need. Good Gen, Good Oak, you're set until WHOA kicks in for no logical reason.

I usually opt for a mid-range started instrument. Not only could I not afford a top of the line keyed flute, but do I really need one?

My experience to date is that you give a good player a mid-ranged instrument, and it'll sound great. Give a mid-ranged player (which most of us are) a great instrument, and it'll sound mid-range. As long as the instrument is decent, the player is 90% of the sound. Now for pros, maybe that extra 10% make a topline instrument worth it.

Eric

[emmline]

I haven't started a new instrument in forever, but if I did it would have to at least appeal to me aesthetically, which might mean mid range.

[Darwin]

I've always started cheap.

In the case of whistle and guitar, I ended up regretting it, but it worked out reasonably well for mandolin, banjo, bass, and fiddle.

A friend started out with a cheap concertina and had some tendon problems, because the bellows were too stiff. She switched to a more expensive one (also new) and the problems went away. I've mentioned elsewhere that my first guitar was almost impossible to play and had serious intonation problems, and my first three whistles each had a different problem (ugly sound, bad intonation, took too much air).

I'd say that the main thing when buying a cheap instrument is to have an experienced player check it out for you first. I bought my grandnephew a $200 guitar that was really quite good as a starter instrument--easy to play, good intonation, and decent sound. I'm sure that if I'd been able to have Peter Laban pick out my first whistle for me, I'd be the owner of a very nice untweaked Generation.

[avanutria]

Hm. I think I rarely buy midrange. When I buy an instrument, I either get something cheap that is an easy expense, or something that I have to save up for but would have reasonable resale value should I decide not to keep it. My drum was a Halpin, my concertina is probably the lower end of high quality but would sell well if I were to sell it, I think. My first harmonica was a £7 job that I got mostly because of the cool case. I want to get another concertina but I need to learn more about what is out there first - I have a maker and model in mind, but I never make a high- or high-ish end purchase without quite a bit of research and waiting.

[Redwolf]

I like to go midrange...again, as someone else said, with whistles being the exception (my first whistle was a Generation Eb bought with my babysitting money as a kid, and I still play it). My experience with other instruments has been that very cheap ones can be frustrating and unsatisfying to play, which makes it more likely that I will just give up. I don't like to put the money into something top-of-the-line, however, unless it's something I play every day and am really into.

Redwolf

[Jeff Stallard]

I start cheap...and STAY cheap. I've been playing the mandolin for five years, and my instrument of choice is a $170 Troubadour.

[aderyn_du]

Re-registered my vote as it got DELETED before... hmmph... I generally buy mid-range, because my budget doesn't usually allow me to be extravagant. If it's something I'm really not sure about sometimes I'll go cheap entry level.

[DCrom]

The devil of it with whistles is that a cheap whistle can be truly wonderful - and another of the same make can be well nigh unplayable.

I almost gave up whistling thanks to my first whistle, a Walton's D - I thought it was me. Luckily for me, I picked up a couple of Feadogs first, and discovered that my particular Walton's was bad (bad enough that after a lot of tweaking it only moved from "nearly unplayable" to "so-so"). But some of my other Walton's whistles are among my favorites.

If I could hand-pick it for them, I'd have no qualms about a new whistler starting out with a real cheapie - but if they needed to buy it themselves I' probably recommend either a midrange whistle or one of Jerry's tweaked Sweetones or Generations. Of course, we're still talking about $35 or less.

Back when I still played (attempted to play?) guitar, I had a similar experience - the cheap guitar I started with had the strings so far off the neck that Godzilla would have had trouble - every experienced player who tried it told me to get something more playable. The mid-range Martin I switched to was a revelation. And though I eventually had to give up guitar, my niece is playing it today.

Cheap doesn't always mean "junk" - but if I wanted to go cheap, I'd get someone who knows a *lot* about the instrument help me pick one out.