Breaking into music without breaking your budget

CARY, N.C. — Learning a new musical instrument or upgrading to a better one can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be.

John Augusta owns Music Go Round in Cary – one of several stores that buy and sell new and used musical instruments.

Augusta said a big part of his clientele are parents, who like the idea of saving money on an instrument they're not yet convinced their child will stick with.

“Without knowing if it's something he's absolutely going to want to do, it's kind of hard to dive into it, but we figured if we could find a decent one that was used, where he could kick in some money and we would put in some money, then it would be cost effective,” customer Ed Rosen said.

A new beginner drum set costs $329 and the used version is going for $199, Music Go Round employee Jason DiLorenzo said.

A beginner clarinet costs close to $600, but Augusta said a used one is available for less.

One of the many used guitars in the store is on sale for $199. Augusta says the same guitar new is $299.

All instruments are sold only after being cleaned and refurbished. The store buys used instruments and also accepts trade-ins, which can help ease a parent’s mind.

Augusta said they tell parents if the child sticks with it they can trade the instrument toward something better. If the child doesn’t stick with it, the parents can sell the instrument back to the store.

“So it’s kind of a win-win,” Augusta said.

The store also offers high-end used equipments. Augusta has a used high-end drum set available for $2,200. He says the same set new would be about $4000.

The store also lists some of its items online.