Below is a list of approved brands. Please reach out to contact@theorchestraplace.com if you have any questions.
Armstrong, Artley, Bach, Besson, Benge, Blessing, Bueshcer, Buffet-Crampon, Bundy, Conn, Eastman, Emerson, Fox, Gemeinhardt, Getzen, Glaesel, Holton, Jupiter, Keilwerth, King, Knilling, Leblanc, Martin, Scherl & Roth, Schroetter, Selmer, St. Petersburg, Yanagisawa, Vito, and Yamaha.
Stick with good, brand name instruments. Beginners need a quality start to succeed.
- Highest-quality instruments with professional set-up
- Up to 45% off retail with special Los Angeles local rental rates
- Optional Damage Protection available, with no deductible
- Full warranty
- Flexible rental and purchase options
- Free delivery to select schools and personal help from the retailer
Beware of cheap, low-quality instruments. These can cost more in the long run and hold students back from their full potential.
There are an increasing number of Instrument Shaped Objects (ISOs) in the marketplace today, and many of them are not good for students. These instruments do not meet standards of performance for tone, technique, intonation, or mechanical and maintenance reliability. Some are old and should be retired, but there is also a growing class of “inexpensive” new instruments to avoid.
We feel strongly that these ISO’s are not fit for the classroom. They take a toll on the success of aspiring young musicians and are not intended for the benefit of a quality music education. Instead, they lure consumers to a low-priced alternative and capture market share through mass-market distribution channels.
School band and orchestra directors regularly express two concerns about these new, poor-quality instruments. First is the effect their poor performance qualities and/or mechanical reliability have on beginning student success and retention. Second, music teachers understand the relationship of the quality of each student’s instrument to the performance of the entire ensemble and as a result are justifiably concerned with the quality of their first instrument. Music educators know it will be the only instrument investment most parents will make.
For this reason, we are diligent to provide parents with this information at registration. Please beware of ISOs. We do not allow them in our programs. To avoid ending up with an inferior instrument, we recommend using our instrument supplier, The Instrument Place. They have both new and lightly-used quality instruments, with discounted pricing and flexible payment options.