America's Top Musical Instrument?
October 5, 2010 11:10 PM   Subscribe

What are the most popular musical instruments in the US? What types of musical instruments are sold more in the United States than any other?

Looking for sales figures on numbers of guitars vs flutes vs trumpets, etc. that are sold each year. Maybe it's the tamborine?

My bet is the kazoo is the most popular.

Anyone got access to stats?
posted by lotusmonster to Media & Arts (7 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
I'd put my money on the recorder. It's very inexpensive, almost every grade school student in the US learns to play a few notes on one, and at least around here, that extends as far as requiring every student to BUY their own some time around 3rd grade. Sorry, no stats.
posted by drlith at 3:48 AM on October 6, 2010


Available, for a price.
posted by quodlibet at 4:46 AM on October 6, 2010


I would actually spread your stats out more if you can into age groups that buy instruments or is it individual purchasers or city/county/state.

Most bought and most bought because someone wanted THAT instrument are two different things, but for your question as it is written I'd say that recorder is on the money
posted by zombieApoc at 6:24 AM on October 6, 2010


Guitars are the number one seller, beating out number two keyboards 2:1, according to Music Trades Magazine (4/10 issue p.44).

Recorders are listed under their School Music Market: Woodwinds category, I think, and the total sales for that category are only 16% of guitar sales by volume.

I'm hesitant to give out their numbers in public but you can Mefi mail me.
posted by tresbizzare at 7:30 AM on October 6, 2010


I had to buy both an alto and soprano recorder. I still have them.
posted by jeffamaphone at 10:10 AM on October 6, 2010


Tresbizzare, by volume do you mean unit volume or dollar volume?
posted by drlith at 12:04 PM on October 6, 2010


You can also buy decent recorders & book/recorder sets in places like book and toy stores. I wonder if Music Trades gathers that data.
posted by mintcake! at 12:14 PM on October 6, 2010


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