Commitment

How long the student is expected to play.

Rentals are a great choice if you're not certain the student will commit to the instrument for more than a few months, or if the student may decide to switch to a different instrument (for example from cello to bass). Rentals allow 6 months of rental credit towards purchase, so you would have up to 6 months to decide about rent vs. purchase without penalty. If you expect them to play for a year or more, purchasing will generally save you money.

Growing

Trading up to the next size.

Children grow bigger and often. Though all kids grow at their own pace, a general guideline is they will go up an instrument size every year or two. Trading up rental instruments is easy and without cost. Purchased instruments in good condition can be traded up for up to 75% of the purchase price.

Responsibility

Instrument Insurance.

All rentals come with rental insurance which covers all craftsmanship issues and half of everything else (and there's a lot in that category!) excluding strings. While craftsmanship issues are still fully warrantied on instruments purchased from us, the owner is responsible for damage from accidents and negligence.

Family 

Younger Siblings.

Many families hang onto purchased fractional instruments* for younger siblings to use when it's their time to explore music.

*Instruments smaller than full-sized