Well, newbie, I come from a long line of people who hate to throw money around. And here you are, talking about buying an instrument you don't know how to play and don't know if you will like.

What if you hate the whole Renfest experience?

I have a suggestion. Why don't you and your friends learn some old, old rounds and sing them for the crowd? It will seem authentic, it will cost almost nothing, and people will like it. Here's a place to start, although a public library might be more convenient.

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/ravenscroft/modern/

That name 'Ravenscroft' is a famous one in the world of early rounds.