TIPS FOR PURCHASING A PIANO
Go to your local piano store and browse. Do this for a few weeks or even a month! Salesmen will try to get you to buy this piano or that one RIGHT NOW! Stick to your guns and look at several different pianos until you are sure that you have found one that you like. Listen to the tone, is it harsh or smooth sounding? Is it dark or bright sounding? How does the action (touch) feel? Is it stiff or too easy? Piano brand names are usually worth a look, but even some can be lemons. Some brand names of note are:
Steinway, Yamaha, Baldwin, Kawaii, Young Chang, Kurzweil, Bosendorfer, NordiskaTIPS FOR PURCHASING A GUITAR (Acoustic, Electric, or Bass)
Again the main idea is to try as many different instruments as possible and get a feel for one that will be easy to play and sound great. It should be easy to press down on the strings (this is called the "action") and easy to slide up and down the frets as well. Make sure the guitar is free of any chips in the paint, no cracks anywhere (ESPECIALLY the fretboard, but also the body) and generally looks well taken care of. Pawn shops are usually a great place to find a nice guitar for a good price, but make sure you have an idea of what you want before you plan to buy anything. Some brands are:
Ibanez, Gibson (Epiphone), Fender (Squire), Parker, PRS, Larivee, Ovation, Yamaha
Ibanez, Gibson (Epiphone), Fender (Squire), Parker, PRS, Larivee, Ovation, Yamaha