A Sax for a Song : Pawnshops are a great source for good buys on used musical instruments, especially for students.

By GERI COOK

Sept. 9, 1994 12 AM PT

Hardly any of life’s necessities are ever for sale in a pawnshop. When folks are in a bind for money, it’s the luxu ries that go first--jewelry, stereos, TVs, cameras and musical instruments.

With the onset of school, many students will be signing up for music classes. And, in many cases, Mom and Dad will have to come up with a good deal on a guitar, clarinet, flute or whatever. Used is the way to go.

You won’t find many listings in the Yellow Pages under “Musical Instruments, Used,” but pawnshops are excellent sources for bargains on these items. All pawnshops must be licensed by the state of California, and many of the reliable ones are members of the Collateral Loan & Second Hand Dealers Assn., based in San Jose.

A few pawnbrokers restore musical instruments that are brought in for quick cash, and they occasionally offer a warranty. Such is the case at the Second Hand Store in Los Angeles, where an Armstrong flute (new $450) had an excellent price of $275. Bundy student clarinets go for $150 to $250 and a 5-year-old Ensonic keyboard that was $1,600 new was tagged $350. All come with a 90-day warranty.

At Crown City Jewelry & Loan in Pasadena, instruments are checked to see if they are in “good working order,” but no written warranty is provided, said Mary Robinson, the store’s co-owner. Good buys abound. An alto saxophone is $450 instead of the original $900 to $1,000. Crown also sells new violins, Chinese imports that are good for beginners, for $99. They retail for $150 to $200.

At Union Pawn Brokers, a 16-store chain, musical instruments are given a 15-day warranty. Art Corral, manager of their Reseda location, said they try to price their instruments to beat the competition. A Martin alto sax that would command $1,500 new was $999. For a budding Isaac Stern, a Cremona violin was $299, compared to $450 new.

At the Collateral Lender, with two San Fernando Valley locations, one shopper recently got an excellent deal on a seven-piece Yamaha drum set, said Cesar Salgado, the Van Nuys store’s manager. (A second shop is in Reseda.) Negotiations brought the asking price down $200, to $700, compared to the usual used price of $1,200, Salgado said.

Depending on the instrument, a warranty of two to four weeks is given. Les Paul electric guitars range in price from $300 to $600, before negotiating. New, the guitars cost from $600 to $1,200.

Salgado also had a bargain-hunting tip: “The sharp shopper should always dicker in pawnshops and never pay the asking price.”

Doug Brown, owner of The Second Hand Store, said certain bargain shoppers come in daily to check merchandise that is newly available for sale, but Monday is the busiest day for getting loans. “People overspend on the weekends and need quick cash on Mondays.”

So if little Isaac doesn’t take to his musical instrument, you can always take it back to a pawn broker and get something back on your investment.

Geri Cook’s Bargains column runs every Friday in Valley Life! Questions about shopping may be sent to her, in care of Valley Life!, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth, CA 91311. Letters will not be answered individually, but topics of general interest will be discussed in future columns. Geri Cook can be heard from 9 to 10 a.m. on Saturdays on KIEV 870-AM.

WHERE TO SHOP

What: Union Pawn Brokers.

Location: 7030 Reseda Blvd., Reseda.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Cards: Cash only.

Call: (818) 343-8116.

What: The Collateral Lending (Van Nuys location is also known as Van Nuys Jewelry).

Location: 6374 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys, and 20900 Sherman Way, Canoga Park.

Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Cards: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa.

Call: (800) 888-PAWN (Phone number works for both locations if you call within the Valley; you will be connected to the shop nearest you.)

What: Crown City Jewelry & Loan.