If you're shopping online you might find new brands of instruments available on large websites.

Here are observations about *new brands* from Mr. Dean's career


Pros
Very Inexpensive $50 - $200
Made to look very bright and shiny
Strange Colors
Include "free" bonus items

Cons

Will fall apart - Even if your child is very responsible and never breaks anything, these instruments sometimes just fall apart. 

Difficult to play - Companies that are copying designs of the time-tested-brands do not have the experience or machinery to construct an instrument that is easily playable.

Not worth repairing - if a new-brand instrument breaks, sometimes the repair may be similar to the cost of the instrument; parts may not be available

No buy-back value - When your student is in high school or college and their director tells them the need a higher quality instrument - it is unlikely you will be able to make any money back from these low-cost instruments.

Strange Colors - High quality instruments use generally use traditional colors: black (wood / plastic), silver, gold.


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