Looking for a practice marimba! Where can I find a website with used musical ins

Question:I checked on ebay and there are a few, but I'd be interested in looking at other choices. Daughter plays percussion but can't always stay late at school to practice and marimbas are HUGE. I'd like to find a practice set she can work on at home and where I don't have to spend a minimum of $1500. Ideas?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I checked on ebay and there are a few, but I'd be interested in looking at other choices. Daughter plays percussion but can't always stay late at school to practice and marimbas are HUGE. I'd like to find a practice set she can work on at home and where I don't have to spend a minimum of $1500. Ideas?

Marimbas come in a variety of size--and smaller sizes can be at the expense of heavily utilized octaves. I'm sorry to burst the price range, but instruments (especially marimbas) are expensive and low prices often come at the expense of quality. There are no practice marimbas, only marimbas of different ranges.

If you want something cheap and just to practice on, I would suggest a practice bell kit. It has a different sound than a marimba obviously, but that will be a lot cheaper because of the materials used. It's also smaller. This I would recommend as a last resort.

eBay/craigslist will be your cheapest option. My best recommendation for you is to visit your local music store. Often musicians will post equipment for sale on their bulletin boards. Also, they have connections with certain companies and can provide you with financing for instrument purchases, or connect you with companies who sell used instruments in your area.

Lastly, you can also be creative.
It's a strange idea, but taking a large posterboard, you can draw marimba bars on the paper. You could place it on a counter and practice that way, but it won't have the same rebound as a marimba--you could buy cork sheets and place them under the bars to mimic a sense of rebound.

Edit:
I would go after the first one. When buying an instrument online you must consider these things:
1. Is the brand reputable? Can I go online and easily find out about it? Reputable brands=accessible replacement parts when the time comes. Repairmen will refuse to fix instruments by un-reputable brands.

2. Description of instrument in detail--model, serial number, instrument specifications. With specifications you can research the serial number and see if they match the original manufacturer's website description.
It also tells what the instrument is made of so you can figure out the quality (durability) and what accessories you may need to buy that aren't included with the purchase.

3. Of course, common sense things...check to see if the seller was smart enough to check their ad for spelling errors and the like.

The first link looks to be the best option. It will get snatched up quick! I would avoid the second one altogether--no brand name listed and the description is riddled with spelling/grammar errors.

Have you spoken with the band director or a local music shop? Many schools sell their old percussion equipment to music shops who then fix it up and sell it again. The shop clerk can point you to a wider variety of used instrument websites or locals in the area.

I have had the same problem! Marimba is my favorite insturment and last year I would have to stay after school everyday! I did the same search and did find some reasonable choices but never had the cash. Then I got lucky and found out my church had one and never uses it so I made a deal with the director. If I could borrow the marimba I would take it back every 2 months and play a solo for the worship part of sunday service. If you could find somone with a marimba not in use try somthing like this. But if you cant then go to http://www.nextag.com/Musser-Marimbas-M3... or http://www.wwbw.com/Yamaha-YM40-Padauk-W... or http://cgi.ebay.com/4-oct-Marimba-Xyloph... the ebay one was very tempting for me!