Starting any new hobby is expensive, starting a new instrument, especially so! Fortunately schools tend to offer rental options for most instruments, meaning less outlay upfront. Within we'll explore why you might choose to buy vs rent, as well as exploring our rental partner, Studio19.
Renting
The school IMSS program offers rentals for most instruments, with prices starting at $125 per year, with individual schools adding a premium to account for the cost of additional equipment and music pieces. While most instruments are available, some are only available to rent for the first year, after which students are required to bring their own.
When renting it is an important to know whether you or the rental supplier will be responsible for the upkeep of the instrument. There may be certain components of maintenance which are your responsibility and others which fall to the supplier, i.e. trumpet valve oiling is required frequently vs replacing the corks on a clarinet which is done rarely, but it's always worth confirming the specific care expectations for your rental.
Buying
The purchase of a quality instrument is a great choice, especially for children confident in their instrument choice, or those who have already committed to a year of playing.
Investing in a quality instrument not only eliminates the rental cost, but also means that should your musician choose to swap to a different instrument or move away from the hobby, you've got something solid which will hold it's resale value.
When looking to buy for your child we always recommend the 'student' series instruments, they're a perfect entry point, providing great quality, and value. If they choose to stick with it long term, there's plenty more premium options to explore too!
Studio19
Studio19 is our rental partner, they offer rentals for a period of 6, 12 or 36 months. One of the perks of Studio19 is that you can apply to buy the item you're renting at any time, even after a single day and the purchase price will be reduced based on how long you've been renting!
You'll see our Studio19 pricing on each product on our site, pricing is given on a per week basis, but payments are collected monthly. You can apply to rent with Studio19 right here on our site, or head in-store and tee up a rental with one of our staff. If we need to order in the right instrument your payments won't start until you've got the instrument in your child's hands.
Studio19 also offers protection plans for their rentals, while this is different from insurance and doesn't cover everything it does protect from accidental damage, fire and theft in Australia. If you've got more specific enquiries you can contact them directly here.
