Instrument Upgrades

In every young musicians life there will come a point where the instrument they began on will no longer be satisfactory. I don't mean "satisfactory" in the sense that a beginner-level instrument will one day run out of joy to provide, but rather that a student's growth as a musician will be inhibited by the level and quality of the instrument they are using.

But we paid $$$$ for this instrument -
​now you're telling me it has gone bad?

No, not exactly! Here is an example of this phenomenon: certain woodwind instruments - when produced for beginners - are designed and built without certain keys. Young players wouldn't be able to reach them anyway, or know how to properly engage them, or really even need them in the music they are playing, for examples. As a musician learns and develops, the music they perform becomes more challenging and those "extra" keys would really come in handy.

Now that might be a bit of an oversimplification, but the idea behind it is very accurate.

Buyer Beware

There are a good number of brands and manufacturers on the market that produce high-quality and lasting intermediate- and advanced-level instruments. As with any industry, however, there has also been a recent influx of "third party" solutions to the cost associated with upgrading your instrument.

If you find a deal that is too good to be true, it almost always is. Buying a cheaper horn will save you money initially but (usually) after around 6 months is where the problems begin. The parts for repair are not readily available in the United States and need to be purchased and shipped from overseas; sometimes, they don't exist at all. The repair costs will far exceed the initial investment of an intermediate- or advanced-level instrument.

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