Question Home

Position:Home>Performing Arts> Why Are Musical Instruments So Expensive?


Question: Why Are Musical Instruments So Expensive!?
I wanted to buy an oboe to start playing, and the cheapest yet still a good quality one I've seen is around $1,500!. What about instruments (oboes especially) make them so pricey!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
They are finely crafted and frequently from expensive materials!.
I think of my musical instruments as tools!. I have about $4,000 tied up in my Viola!. I used it to make a living!. My brother was an auto mechanic!. his tools cost him close to $30,000!. He says I got off cheap!.
Cheaper oboes can and have been made but they didn't work very well, and definitely could not be used by an advanced student or professional!.
Very few quality musical instruments can be made by machine!. A quality oboe might take as long as a month to make!. If the maker got $1,500 for doing it he could make $18,000 a year at best!. that is not good pay for proffesional!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

im a tuba player myself!. and well Hirshberner is top of the line!. HAND made in Germany!.!.!. could set you back weeeeell over $70,000 my tuba prof got his from a friend for a steal!.!.!. $20,000 haha AND it was a POS that needed refurbished!. anyways, its all in the quality!. but, in a Violins case while quality is important its age that matters most!. the older the darker the sound!. a cheap GOOD violin could cost $9,000!. Stadivarious, haha, well those are $100,000+ now, some will argue (like myself) that its not always about the pricetag!. obviously youd want wood not plastic and all that good stuff!. but, the best thing you could do is try it out! you never know, you may make a cheap oboe sound just as good or even better than the expensive one!. i have a Conn 56J tuba!.!.!. the middle class of tuba!. and my prof was like OMG EWWW YOU GOT THAT!!?!!?! then he heard me play it, and he said "wow" so i mean its all you pall!. obviously if you play it thinking that this horns cheap then consequently it will sound cheap :-) hope that helped!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Like the person above me said, the production is not cheap!.

Try and find one that's not brand new that someone is selling that is still in decent shape, that's your best bet on finding one that's not as expensive!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

Oh well, you have to think about how much it cost to make the instruments!. Then the companies have to make profits!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Yeah how come proper musical instruments are so expensive for those who want to learn music!? yes I am backing this question!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Oboes are cheap!. You're lucky you aren't looking for a bassoon!Www@QuestionHome@Com