If you are looking to purchase a piccolo for any particular reason you may be wondering how much does a piccolo cost?
You can easily expect to pay anywhere (on average) from $100 for a basic piccolo to $5,000 or more.
The reason for such a large variation is that piccolos intended for beginners are going to cost less than a piccolo intended for a professional musician.
Table of Contents
- Two types
- How much does a used piccolo cost?
- What about renting? Can I rent a piccolo?
- Why are piccolos so expensive?
Two types
There are two main types of piccolos. The first is a piccolo that is made out of metal. The second type is a piccolo made out of wood.
The former is fairly inexpensive and intended for beginners and casual use while the latter is expensive and easily broken if not handled properly.
Some price ranges are included below.
- Metal Piccolo – Anywhere from $50 – $300
- Wood Piccolo – Anywhere from $150 – $5,000+
The price can even vary based on the brand of the piccolo as well. A wood piccolo from a company like Yamaha will be somewhat cheaper than anything made by a more prestigious brand like Pearl.
The difference between brands can be a significant gap which will be anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
How much does a used piccolo cost?
Like with any used item, the cost of a used piccolo varies depending on what kind of piccolo it is along with the condition it is in.
A high-quality piccolo that has been barely used and is in great condition will go for a higher price than one that got treated like garbage. In addition to that, a used metal piccolo that is in good condition will be cheaper than a new one.
However, a fairly worn metal piccolo may cost less than $50 unless it has some other factor to it that would it increase the asking price. But generally, you can expect to pay way less for a used piccolo as opposed to a brand new one.
So a good range of prices to expect for a used piccolo will be anywhere from $50 to $3,000+.
As you can see, it will still be expensive to purchase a used piccolo. However, it’ll certainly be cheaper than buying a brand new one.
What about renting? Can I rent a piccolo?
Yes, this is an option if the costs of owning a piccolo are too steep for your budget. The challenge you will mainly face will be finding someone with whom you can rent a piccolo or any other instrument.
Instrument rental services are a very niche market, so it may be difficult to find someone that offers that service.
If you do happen to find someone that offers a rental service for piccolos, the price will be significantly lower than purchasing a piccolo. You can expect this price to range anywhere from $19.99 to $45 per month.
While this is a great option for anyone who just needs to borrow a piccolo for a while, this cost can add up if you need to rent an instrument for more than a month or two.
Before long that cost can spiral out of control, and the next thing you know you have spent enough money over time to have just bought a decent budget piccolo for the same amount of money.
Why are piccolos so expensive?
It comes down to a simple matter of supply and demand. Selling instruments is a very niche market, just like renting instruments.
Since there are going to be fewer customers for this kind of product, the companies that make instruments like a piccolo need to adjust prices accordingly in order to make a profit after they recover any expenditures from making the product that they sell.
But that doesn’t mean that piccolos, or any other instrument for that matter, are too expensive for a newcomer.
This is why there are cheaper versions of a piccolo that can be purchased for those who are just starting out or don’t need all the extra bells and whistles that are found on the more expensive piccolos that are intended for more professional musicians.
As a beginner, you don’t really need all the extra features and capabilities that come with a piccolo that costs several grand.
