Should I Purchase or Rent?

As crazy as it is to think about, plans for the 2023-2024 school year are underway. This past week, The String and Horn Shop went to our two first school drives where we got to meet some of our future musicians! Once your student gets confirmation about what instrument they will be playing next year, the next question that comes up is probably what now?! Here at The String and Horn Shop we can answer all of your burning questions. At our store we offer purchase and rental plans for whichever instrument your child picks to play. We also carry all supplies that they will need to begin their music journey including mouthpieces, special rosins, and more! 

One question that might come up is whether you want to rent or buy your student’s new instrument. For first year musicians, there are many incentives to renting the instrument. There are a couple of reasons for this: 

• For string instruments specifically, your student may not be at a full-size instrument during their first year of playing. String instruments are not one size fits all and it is possible that your student will need to move up to a larger size instrument throughout the school year. This means if you purchase a ½ size violin then you would have to purchase a ¾ size violin and then a 4/4 size violin as your student grows. By renting, you have the opportunity to trade in your outgrown instrument and size up.

• As much as we hope for all our incoming students to continue with music all the way up until graduation, sometimes this isn’t the case. With renting, you can return the instrument at any point, and this is where your payments would stop. 

• Rentals come with insurance plans whereas purchasing does not. This means any dents, leaks, and other maintenance work that needs to be done to your student’s instrument is factored into your rental payment. The actual repair work would be covered at time of work. 

For purchase pros:

• Sense of responsibility for the instrument. Since the instrument is specifically theirs, your student will likely take better care of their instrument. 

• Don’t have to worry about keeping up with payments. In the age of subscriptions, we understand that adding on one more monthly cost can turn into more of a nuisance rather than a pro. We do offer purchase options for used and new instruments in our shop. All used instruments are inspected by our repair shop so they are in great playing condition!

At the end of the day, purchasing vs renting turns into a personal choice of what fits your family needs. There are incentives for both. Here at the store, we are happy to answer any questions you may have about both options. Get in touch with us through the contact form above or call us at 979-779-8548.

Happy Practicing! 

The String and Horn Shop Team