This time of year is so much fun as we help people shop for Christmas presents. One of the most common questions is about electric instruments. I love electric instruments and all of the neat things that they can do, but they are so often purchased as an afterthought with too much emphasis placed on flashy looks. There are a plethora of cheaply-made, wildly-shaped electric instruments available on the internet and we see them in the shop on a regular basis. Most of these end up being unplayable due to poor setup or faulty electronics. Most often, the value of the labor involved to make them playable is higher than the original purchase price! There are a few good ways to avoid the common pitfalls of purchasing poor-quality electric instruments:
- Focus on reputable brands carried by brick-and-mortar stores with a good reputation. Yamaha is one of my favorite makers of electric instruments, their YEV-104 being a great example of a quality instrument that doesn’t break the bank ($595).
- Consider electrifying your current acoustic instrument. Fishman makes a line of transducers that allow you to hook your instrument up to the effects pedals and amplifiers that can make electric instruments so much fun!
- Consider renting. We have a rental program on certain models of Yamaha electric instruments that give students the chance to try an electric instrument without the long-term commitment.
Please give us a call for more information!
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