Musical instruments: Hitting the right note with TÜV SÜD's help

Musical instruments: Hitting the right note with TÜV SÜD's help

Quality and safety play a key role – even in musical instruments. These criteria should be borne in mind by anyone planning to make a Christmas purchase or gift of a drum kit, saxophone or other instrument. The product experts at TÜV SÜD have compiled some tips on what to look out for in selecting and caring for musical instruments.

  • Hopefuls dreaming of becoming guitar heroes overnight need not beat a path to the guitar shop straight away. Musical instruments can also be rented for a trial period – from music schools, private teachers or specialist music stores.
  • Once playing becomes a passion, budding musicians will naturally be keen to have their own instrument. Quality, safety and usability are the watchwords when making a choice. In addition, consider that beginners do not need the most expensive instrument from the outset; however, quality flaws may quickly impair the joy of initial progress.
  • If the instrument is intended for a child, it must be suitable for the child's age. This means that in case of doubt a smaller-size guitar or violin may be better. Many children gain additional motivation from playing music with others – and from buying their instrument accompanied by a music group or music teacher as a guide.
  • Novice musicians purchasing an instrument should ensure that they have all the necessary accessories – such as a footrest for acoustic guitars and extra plectrums for electric guitars. A good teaching guide is also important.
  • What impression does the craftsmanship of the instrument make? Prospective buyers should take their time over this question, as the quality of craftsmanship and the playing quality of the instrument are often closely related.
  • The TÜV SÜD specialists conduct in-depth inspections of the mechanical, electrical and chemical safety of instruments, examining questions such as whether a keyboard stand is stable or has a tendency to topple, whether an amplifier has a protective earth terminal or whether nickel is flaking from the mouthpiece of a brass instrument.
  • The instrument must be capable of maintaining performance over the long term – and always hit the right note. To ensure this is the case, TÜV SÜD's experts check numerous in-depth questions of usability. In the case of bongo drums, for example, skins must be appropriate for the instrument and should be partially tuneable. Children's drum kits and percussion sets are inspected to ensure that the dimensions and design are actually suitable for use by children and meet specific safety requirements with respect to children and children's toys.
  • Which specific drums should I buy for my preferred type of music, and which combination best corresponds to my ability? These are questions that prospective purchasers of drum kits must consider in detail. Beginners are quickly swamped by too many different drums or other items of percussion, warns TÜV SÜD. The type of music that will be played – from hard rock to jazz – naturally plays a role in assembling the right combination of drums, skins and cymbals. Irrespective of musical style, drums and mechanical parts such as bass drum pedals must be rugged and stable. The hardness and design of the sticks also play a key role in determining the style of playing and overall sound.
  • Is the instrument too heavy? This may be an important issue in the choice of an electric guitar, for example. The TÜV SÜD experts recommend choosing a guitar body in lightweight wood or honeycomb structure. Guitar jacks must be standard design, and cable connectors must fit the tuner and the guitar itself. We recommend testing in-store whether all mechanical parts move easily. To achieve the maximum range of sound variations, pickups should have separate volume and sound controls and be combinable as required.
  • Customers on the lookout for an acoustic guitar must pay particular attention to the following: Is the neck straight? Do all mechanical parts run smoothly even when the instrument is fully strung? Do strings hold their pitch after initial acclimatization and after being tuned several times? Is the overall sound in keeping with the size of the instrument? Anyone buying a guitar or other instrument for the first time is advised to seek assistance from a specialist.
  • Oboe, clarinet or saxophone: all keys, holes, valves and finger buttons should move smoothly – and naturally close properly to produce a perfect note. As most wind instruments – from trumpets to harmonicas – are made of metal, they must be easy to clean to avoid oxidation.
  • Care and maintenance instructions must be included in any instructions for use, as they are vital to maintaining the cleanliness of the instrument and prolonging its life. Parts subject to wear should be standard wherever possible to enable replacements to be easily obtained from specialist music stores.
  • To protect the often fragile or sensitive parts of your instrument, you need a rugged case for storage and transport. TÜV SÜD warns that penny-pinching on a case for an expensive instrument is false economy.
  • Useful guidelines when purchasing musical instruments are the GS (Tested Safety) mark (Geprüfte Sicherheit) or the TÜV SÜD Product Service octagon symbol. The specialists at TÜV SÜD carefully examine the mechanical, chemical and electrical safety of the products, ensure that comprehensive quality control is in place and pursue issues of fitness for use–- even down to checking the user instructions for completeness. In their activities, the TÜV SÜD experts collaborate with famous instrument-makers and professional musicians playing in orchestras, pop and rock bands or schools.

For further information on consumer products, visit www.tuev-sued.de/ps

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