How much does a didgeridoo cost? The 4 price ranges

Video in French

When you set out to buy a didgeridoo, one question comes up very quickly: “How much should I spend?” And for good reason: your budget is what decides which range you will look at. But between a €200 didgeridoo and one at more than €1,000, it’s hard to find your way!

In this article (and in the video shot at Greg’s, in the Didgeridoo Passion shop), I give you a few landmarks to see more clearly. Let’s go!

Just starting out? Start under €100

First things first: if you are a beginner, I recommend starting with a didgeridoo under €100. I have picked several in my guide What didgeridoo should I buy to start with?

It’s much cheaper, and it gives you time to find out whether you really enjoy the didgeridoo. You’ll have plenty of time later to put more money into an instrument… because you’ll see that prices climb quite fast! (Read also: Watch out for cheap didgeridoos!)

So this article is mostly for those who want to invest a little more, in a second or third didgeridoo, after their first instrument.

A quick note: I have a selection of didgeridoos at Didgeridoo Passion. When you buy one of these instruments, you also support my work. But most of the didgeridoos in this selection are not the ones I mention here. I make my living from my lessons, my online courses and my workshops, and I’m happy to support Greg: there aren’t that many of us making a living from our passion for the didgeridoo! (Listen: Interview with Grégory Zwingelstein, founder of Didgeridoo Passion, podcast in French)

The 4 price ranges

To keep things simple, there are four price ranges:

• €200 to €400,
• €400 to €650 or so,
• €650-700 to €1,000,
• over €1,000.

So how do you find your way?

€200 to €400: some interesting instruments

This range can be very interesting. Some makers offer very good instruments here, such as Vefoun and his agave didgeridoos, which I find really interesting for the price. (Listen: Vefoun’s agave didgeridoos from Reunion Island, podcast in French)

€400 to €650: careful, there’s a bit of everything!

In this range you can find real gems: I tested some instruments at Greg’s that were really good for the price. But, and this is only my opinion, you also find a bit of everything and anything. So be particularly careful with this range.

From €700: instruments that will stay with you for a long time

From around €700, you start finding didgeridoos that sound really good, and that will stay with you for a long time.

That’s the whole problem with the lower ranges: they are often “study” didgeridoos. They will teach you a lot, but at some point you will feel limited. (Read also: 5 top-of-the-range didgeridoo makers you should know)

Buy now or save up?

Of course, not everyone has the budget for a top-of-the-range didgeridoo. And there are several possible strategies.

For example, you can spend €500 on your second didgeridoo, planning to sell it in three years. If you buy it at Didgeridoo Passion, Greg already selects his instruments: you can be almost sure you’ll be able to sell it again, and normally at a good price.

Personally, I think it’s worth saving up to put your money into a higher range. But it all depends on your situation: do you have the money now? Can you save for another two years to get a good instrument?

This is not a universal truth at all. When I started (it was another era, there wasn’t nearly as much choice!), I played on instruments costing €250 or €300. And I bought a new one every six months, because I got bored quickly and wanted to learn new things.

What if it’s love at first sight?

Because there is also the encounter you have with the instrument. If you fall in love with a didgeridoo, and it doesn’t follow any of the advice I’m giving you here… who cares!

The goal, above all, is to have fun. And spending €1,000 on a didgeridoo doesn’t mean you’ll find it amazing. Maybe you’ll fall for a €150 didgeridoo, in a so-so wood, entry-level, that will teach you loads.

My first didgeridoo was really bad. Very, very, very bad! It was a teak. But I loved it: for my level at the time, I found its harmonics amazing, it suited me perfectly. I soon realised it wasn’t great… then I bought other instruments, which I gradually got bored of too.

So budget remains a delicate subject. In fact, there are plenty of didgeridoos over €1,000 that I will never buy, simply because they don’t suit me.

Next step: choosing the note, to get an overall view of all the notes you can find on the didgeridoo. (Read also: Didgeridoo notes: high, mid or low, which one to choose?)

And you, how much did you spend on your didgeridoo? Love at first sight or a well-thought-out purchase? Feel free to share your experience or ask your questions in the comments!