The most common mistake when equipping a school is counting the students and ordering that many instruments. The real logic is to split by course type: major lessons, ensemble and chamber classes, and general electives. Each has different requirements in tier, quantity and storage, and lumping them into one purchase guarantees part of it will be wrong.
Major-lesson instruments: fewer, but better. Major students practise for hours daily and are still forming their habits, so the action and tonal feedback of the instrument directly shape their learning. Keep this tier small and high-grade, confirmed instrument by instrument with the teaching staff. Never let a purchasing office choose this tier without a professional player involved in acceptance.
Ensemble instruments: consistency first. Ensemble classes demand uniform rhythm and tone; if a dozen instruments feel different under the hands, students compromise constantly. Buy this tier as one batch of one model, and compare consistency on sampled play-tests. Check the room acoustics too — a long reverberation room is wrong for a loud model.
General electives: sufficient is enough. Elective courses are about experience and appreciation, so instruments see light, short use. Choose a stable, low-maintenance tier. This tier is usually the largest in quantity, and tendering it separately frees budget for the professional instruments.
Storage and room planning. The space requirement of batch guzhengs is routinely underestimated. Write into the plan: stand dimensions and floor area, whether dedicated instrument rooms exist, and dehumidification arrangements for the damp season. Adding a room afterwards costs far more than planning one at the start.
If you are preparing a school configuration plan, send us student numbers, course structure and room conditions and we will return a tiered specification list and budget range for internal approval.