Guides
Instrument buying guides
The cross-cutting questions that don't belong to one instrument: is used or new the smarter buy, when renting beats buying, and the cheapest honest entry point per instrument. Straight answers, no upsell.
-
Beginner Instrument Cost: What Each One Starts At (2026)
$100–$5,000
What a first instrument costs in 2026, ranked: guitar from $100, violin from $120, clarinet and trumpet from $200, cello from $400, and french horn from $1,200.
-
Rent or Buy an Instrument? The Honest Math (2026)
$19–$170
Instrument rental runs about $19 to $32 a month for violin or trumpet and $93 to $170 for tuba. Here is the break-even point, and when renting is clearly the better buy.
-
Used vs New Instruments: What You Actually Save (2026)
$120–$800
Used instruments typically run 30 to 50 percent below new, and used pianos far less again. Where second-hand is the smartest buy in music, and where it is a costly trap.