A rented guitar costs €15 to €30 a month, a digital piano €30 to €60, an electronic drum kit €40 to €70. Peer to peer it is lower, and for a week’s trial €5 to €10 a day is enough. Buying the same instruments costs €150 to €900. For a beginner the real question is not what the instrument costs: it is whether they will still be playing it in three months. Renting exists to find that out without paying the full price.
Musical instrument rental searches in Italy peak in September, when music schools open, with a smaller one in January. The top cities are Milan, Rome, Bologna, Padua, Bergamo and Cagliari.
Prices
| Instrument | Shop (per month) | Peer to peer | New, student grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical or acoustic guitar | €15–30 | €5–10/day, €20–40/month | €120–300 |
| Electric guitar with amp | €25–45 | €8–15/day | €250–500 |
| 88-key digital piano | €30–60 | €30–60/month | €400–900 |
| Acoustic upright piano | €50–90 + €150–300 transport | rare | €2,500 and up |
| Electronic drum kit | €40–70 | €10–20/day | €400–800 |
| Student violin (sizes 1/4 to 4/4) | €15–30 | €10–20/month | €150–400 |
| Student sax or clarinet | €25–45 | rare | €500–1,200 |
| 61-key keyboard | €15–25 | €5–8/day | €150–300 |
Shops almost always offer rent-to-own: after twelve or twenty-four months the instrument is yours, and the payments made come off the price. It suits people who are sure they will continue. For those who are not, the first three months peer to peer cost less and commit to nothing.
Why rent for the first three months
Half of those who start an instrument quit within the first year. That is not a failing, it is a statistic every teacher knows. Someone who bought a €300 guitar resells it for €120, if they resell it at all. Someone who rented it for three months spent €60 to €90 and has an answer.
The second reason is that after three months you know what to buy. A beginner picks a guitar by colour. Someone who has played for twelve weeks knows whether they want a narrow neck, nylon strings, a 20 or 40 watt amp. The instrument bought after renting is almost always the right one.
The third is about children. A violin comes in six sizes, from 1/16 to 4/4, and a child goes through three or four between six and thirteen. Buying them all costs €800. Renting costs €15 to €20 a month, and the music school usually knows where.
What to check at pickup
For a guitar: the strings, which should be changed every three months and cost €8; the string height above the fretboard, which if too high hurts the fingers and puts a beginner off in the first week; the tuning, which should hold for at least a day.
For a digital piano: weighted keys, meaning resistance similar to a real piano, and all 88 of them. Anything less is a keyboard, fine for playing around but not for study. Ask for the sustain pedal and the music stand, which are often missing.
For an electronic drum kit: headphones, which are not included, and a module that switches on. Mesh heads are quiet, rubber pads are not: in a block of flats the difference is between playing in the evening and receiving a letter.
For all of them: the case. A rented instrument without a case comes back with a scratch, and the scratch costs.
If you have an idle instrument at home
The guitar bought at twenty, the keyboard of the child who quit, the electronic drum kit in the cellar. These are the objects beginners would like to try for a month, and they have sat still for years. A guitar at €25 a month, rented six months a year, makes €150. A digital piano at €40 a month, ten months a year, makes €400: more than you would get selling it used.
In the listing give the make and model, the year, the condition of strings or keys, and what is included: case, cable, amp, pedal, headphones. A ten-second video of you playing something is worth more than five photos. Our guide on how much you can earn renting out your stuff has figures by category. On Sharepact every renter is ID-verified and every rental is insured.
FAQ
How long should I rent before deciding?
Three months. Less is not enough to get past the stage where your fingers hurt. More, and rent-to-own is the better deal.
Classical or acoustic guitar to start?
Classical, nylon strings, if you are under twelve or have tender fingers. Acoustic, steel strings, if you want to sing over it. Electric if you like rock: with headphones on the amp it bothers nobody.
Do I need insurance for a rented piano?
From shops it is included in the fee. Peer to peer, the deposit covers small damage; on Sharepact insurance is included in every rental, as explained in our guide on renting out safely.
