Buying Guides

Practical advice for evaluating a used instrument before you buy.

Guitars & Basses

From a beginner acoustic to a vintage bass: pickups, tonewoods, and what to check before buying used.

String Instruments

Violin, viola, cello, and double bass: tonewood, bow choice, strings, and how to judge a used instrument's condition.

Plucked Strings

Banjo, mandolin, ukulele, and harp: body styles, string types, and tips for a first purchase or your next one.

Keyboard Instruments

Grand piano, upright, digital piano, synthesizer, and accordion: action, sound generation, and what matters when buying used.

Wind & Percussion

Saxophone, trumpet, trombone, flute, clarinet, and drums: materials, maintenance, and tips for buying used.

All Guide Topics

Not sure where to start? Browse every buying guide across all instrument families.

Discover

A few articles from across every category you might not have stumbled on otherwise.

Clarinet

Grenadilla Wood vs. Plastic: Sound and Value Differences

Why most professional clarinets are wood while most student clarinets are plastic, and what changes between them.

Saxophone

Matching Mouthpiece and Reed: How Tip Opening and Reed Strength Work Together

Why the mouthpiece's tip opening and the reed's strength have to be chosen together, not separately.

Cello

Checking the Endpin, Bridge and Sound Post Condition

The endpin, bridge and sound post decide how a cello sits, responds and stays stable. What you can check and adjust yourself, what belongs in the shop, and what it roughly costs.

Saxophone

Choosing Your First Reed Strength as a Beginner

Why softer reeds are the usual starting point for new saxophone players, and when to size up.