What are some reliable online retailers for band/orchestra instruments?

by Ken Lund

Most of the music stores in my area focus on guitars. So I’m looking for any reliable online band/orchestra retailers. I’ve been looking at Musicians friend and Sam Ash, but the retailer reviews are pretty iffy for both of them. Are there any other well renowned professional and reliable online retailers for band/orchestra instruments? Any help is greatly appreciated

Answer by Xymbalreborn
In no particular order:
- Interstate Music
- Woodwind and Brasswind
- Brook May’s
- NEMC

There are more but they are more “specialized” like percussion, woodwinds, etc. These companies deal primarily for concert/marching/jazz bands, orchestras and choirs.

Answer by techfiddle
http://beststudentviolins.com/

What do you reckon? Answer below!

hi, i am really perplexed in sales online and at music stores. according to amazon and seats as such, instrument reviews gets 5 stars (5/5 total) and the people write saying that thier teachers recommend it and they couldnt tell the difference between music store bought instruments, and instruments they bought online. the excellent rated instruments online is sold in the 200-800 dollar category, but all the instruments sold in music stores im aware of reguardless of the brand is in the 1,000-3,000 dollar price range which is way out of my budget and im really confused..

This is the item i want: http://www.amazon.com/Conductor-Model-300-Alto-Saxophone/dp/B002UBNXT2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1268541655&sr=1-3

its a concert alto saxophone and im debating whether to buy it or not. right now, i have an average yamaha sax, but i want a better one to play in concert season. so far it only has three reviews and that also makes me sceptical about it. delight, im asking for your suggestions on what i should do. should i trust the seller and buy it? or should i just stick to export instruments in music stores?

Answer by AJB
I don’t know about saxophones, but my family owns a guitar store; and to answer your question as to whether there is a difference, my answer is yes. Though you might see instruments online, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are high quality, or not a scam. This is often the case on sites, including E-bay! Experienced musicians usually prefer to try their instruments, as for the most part all instruments have a different feel, or signal to them. Kijiji.ca(com) is a excellent site for local trades/sales. Through this site you can find and post ads and really contact the person and meet up with them in order to try the instrument and make your pronouncement, which is a lot safer than putting your credit card out on the internet, and innocent someone you don’t know.

HOWEVER, your local music store does offer the upside of supporting locally owned businesses, as long as this business is not apart of a chain. Be wary though, because although these retailers obviously have to make a profit by dealing goods that may be unaccessible, they may also be overcharging. If you live in a less vital area, you may be better off heading to a major city, as the prices in music stores there will be cheaper because they go their product quicker.

Anyways, I hope this helps!

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