For any difficulty using this site with a screen reader or because of a disability, please contact us at 1-800-444-3353 or cs@harborfreight.com.

This isn't a cynical attempt to persuade you to buy from us, but advice on purchasing an instrument that isn't going to shatter ambitions as soon as you or your child starts playing.

When using a specialist shop such as ourselves you get the opportunity to view and try several instruments, knowledgeable help in choosing the best option for you, and the reassurance of good after-sales service with our Perfect Performance Plan. We are on the front line, having to give a reality check to the unfortunate purchasers of these instruments, many from auction sites or web-only shops.

These instruments look the part and on first appearances seem like the real thing. We're constantly being sent samples at this price point from manufacturers, and in most cases they do not make it past our repair studio. Only after careful inspection, consultation and design dialogue directly with the factory have we developed a range of competitively priced yet good quality instruments that carry our name.

This HERCULES® auger bit is constructed from durable heated-treated alloy steel for fast drilling in tough, nail-embedded wood.

Every year there are more and more cheap, poor-quality 'own-brand' instruments arriving in shops, mainly from China. Although not in every case, we have found the majority to be poorly made, and in our opinion could actually put you or your child off playing a musical instrument altogether. The difficulty can be that these instruments are hard to identify, since they usually have European or American sounding names and have all sorts of 'teacher recommendations'.

Firstly, we realise that buying an instrument is not cheap and can be a risk taken by parents who are not sure whether their child will stick to playing. We believe in making good-quality instruments available to as many people as possible, so when we are sent samples, our technicians test these instruments with an open mind. Here are some of the problems they often encounter: