Rental Instruments at Ted Brown Music
Ted Brown Music is an integral part of music education in Washington State. We are active in classrooms daily, providing help and support to music teachers and students alike. We offer free on the spot repairs at marching competitions and other music festivals throughout the school year. We also provide students the opportunity to play professional level instruments worry and commitment free during school music classes, and sponsor and host several festivals, camps, and clinics throughout the year. So when it comes to providing the instruments, supplies, and support students need, it’s no wonder Ted Brown Music comes highly recommended by music educators all across the state.
Ted Brown Music Rental Portal
The Ted Brown Music rental portal has all the details you need to rent an instrument, get your rental serviced, or return your rental if it is no longer needed. Each of the buttons below will open the portal in a new tab so you can easily manager your rental account.
Please Note: Our retail website and rental portal use separate accounts, which means your retail login won't work on the rental portal. For your convenience, you can make initial rental supply purchases on the rental portal, but all further product purchases will need to be made from the retail site using your retail account.
Common Rental Questions
- How do I rent?
- You can rent in person at any of our store locations, or visit our instrument rental portal where you will find price details and additional information about each instrument and the contract to begin the rental process.
- What size string instrument do I need?
- Your teacher is always a good first resource, or we are always happy to size them if you are able to make it in to your closest store location. There is also details about sizing each instrument on our instrument rental portal.
- Do you offer rent to own for student instruments?
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Not in the traditional sense. Traditional rent-to-own programs often lead to paying more than the instrument’s retail price because monthly rental fees include interest or service charges that add up over time.
Instead, we offer Rent Then Own, a flexible program that rewards your rental history with stacking discounts toward the purchase of a brand-new instrument—not a used one. Here is how it works:
- Rent for 1 year: take 10% off a new instrument
- Rent for 2 years: take 20% off a new instrument
- Rent for 3 or more years: take 30% off a new instrument
This means you avoid overpaying for an aging instrument, and when your student is ready to commit, you can choose a fresh instrument that better suits their growth. No long-term contract, just flexibility and meaningful savings.
- What instruments do you rent?
- We rent student level flutes, clarinets, trumpets, trombones, percussion kits, oboes, bassoons, alto saxophones, tenor saxophones, baritone saxophones, bass clarinets, single French horns, baritones/euphoniums, tubas, violins, violas, cellos, and string basses.
- What do the different rental tiers mean?
- Our rental instruments are available in three competitively priced tiers based on cosmetic appearance and included accessories. Every instrument has been checked for quality and playability so even though an economy tier instrument may not look as nice as a premium tier, they will all play just the same.
- Every previously rented instrument has been fully cleaned and sanitized. Here is a general breakdown for each rental tier:
- Premium
- Our highest-value rental option. Some of these instruments may be brand new, while others have been rented once or twice before. All have little to no visible cosmetic wear and are thoroughly inspected, cleaned, and adjusted by our expert repair staff to ensure they perform at their best.
- Premium rentals come with the following items:
- A name brand student model instrument with case and mouthpiece or bow
- Ted Brown Music Starter Kit (Contents vary by school, see what's included during checkout)
- One month of free micro-tutoring/mentorship via our partner, Practicing Musician
- Standard
- These instruments have been rented previously, usually fewer than five times. They may show light cosmetic wear like minor scratches or small dings, but each is fully serviced by our repair team and performs just as well as a Premium instrument.
- Standard rentals come with the following items:
- A name brand student model instrument with case and mouthpiece or bow
- Basic instrument specific accessories such as valve oil and cork grease
- Economy
- These instruments have been rented multiple times and will likely show more visible cosmetic wear which may include scratches, visibly repaired dents, tarnish, and lacquer cracking or erosion. None of these things have any effect on the instrument’s sound or playability. They are the same trusted brands and, like all of our rentals, are fully inspected and adjusted to ensure reliable playability.
- Economy rentals only include a name brand student model instrument with case and mouthpiece or bow
- How do I return my rental?
- Heading into any of our store locations to return your rental is a fast and simple process, or we have some options for picking the instrument up from your student’s school through our instrument rental portal.
- Can my rental be returned to the school?
- As long as school is still in session, picking up a rental from the school is an option. If you decide to return your rental, you'll find everything you need under Rental Returns on our rental portal.
- What is maintenance and replacement?
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Maintenance: Ted Brown Music provides free repairs for normal wear and use. Supplies like reeds, strings, and oils are not included. Damage from misuse or unauthorized repairs is the customer’s responsibility.
Replacement: If the instrument is lost due to fire or theft (while stored at home or school), it can be replaced with a similar one for a $200 fee. To qualify, the loss must be reported to school officials, law enforcement, and Ted Brown Music within 10 days. This guarantee is void if payments are overdue or if the instrument was lost in an unauthorized location.
- Do you offer short-term rentals?
- Our rentals typically require a minimum three-month commitment. In some cases, managers may approve shorter terms, but this is handled on a case-by-case basis. To explore your options, please call us or visit any of our store locations to see if an exception can be made.