Instrument-shaped Objects: Knock-off Band Instruments

On top of all that, they are usually made of low-quality materials, usually from the hands of sweatshop employees. If it’s a trumpet, flute, or alto saxophone, for example, it’s made of a pot metal that is better for toy jewelry than something actually made of brass.

Also, the accessories are likely low quality, and I picture those sweatshop workers who manufacture bog-standard accessories for bog-standard single reed instruments making reeds out of bamboo instead of French Arnudo donax cane. Poor naming, vicimization of common band instruments, unprofessional finishes, and cruddy materials make up instrument-shaped objects.

One thing that bugs me more than cruddy quality and el cheapo-sounding names alone is the misleading cost of those off-brand instruments. For example, a Vito student soprano clarinet in B-flat costs as much as a thousand dollars, but with an off brand that costs a quarter or a half of the price, it’s a much cheaper choice. Those instruments are sold at neighborhood flea markets, Walmarts, Costcos, and other discount retail vendors.

The time of purchase is usually when the Latin phase, caveat emptor, chimes in and haunts the consumer for making a purchase. When the discount clarinet becomes decrepit, he or she takes it to the music dealer and he refuses to repair it because of low quality. Other nails in the coffin shaped like a saxophone gig case are the timbre and playability of the instruments. I read review after review of the off-brands (again, not mentioning them) and noted squeaky tones, keys falling off, and leaky pads on shopping and auction sites that sell them.

Parents should be chary of making purchases of instruments over the Internet. If there’s a brand they are not sure of when shopping online, they should look it up on the web and read the reviews. They should look for trusted brands, like Jupiter for trumpets and Yamaha for clarinets.

Better yet, they should sacrifice a bit of gas mileage and drive their tushes to their local music retailer for a rental. Rent-to-own instruments are close to certain that they are manufactured by reputed brands and they are the same prices as their cheap, bog-standard counterparts.

If parents have their children in band, if they have children aspiring to partake in that said elective in school, or if consumers are joining it themselves, they should cautiously discern the woods of instrument sales – otherwise, they would end up with a decrepit-beyond-repair instrument known as an instrument-shaped object.

Suggested Reading:
Why Buy or Rent Quality Band Instruments, Not Knockoff Instrument-Shaped Objects?
The Insider’s Guide to Buying a Beginner Flute
Beware of ISOs
How-to Article: Buying a Saxophone
Instrument Quality Important