$2,300 Hand-made Powell Flute???

lilrosebud1456 · Post by **lilrosebud1456** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 2:05 pm

I was just wondering if anyone has ever
heard of a hand-made Powell flute for $2,500. Powell flutes are usually very $$$
and great quality. I never seen a kind of flute made by this professional brand
for only 2,500 dollars. Im asking this because my friend is saying she is
getting a flute like that and im just wondering if it is like a "fake"???
Please, If anyone owns the flute im talking about or has heard anything about
them, please do share I''ve just never heard a a HAND-MADE POWELL flute for
only $2,500. Thank You *Amy*

AG950Flute · Post by **AG950Flute** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 3:53 pm

Amy, Powell made some "commercial"
flutes I believe in the 60s and 70s that are really great instruments. These
flutes have drawn tones holes and do not have french key arms although they are
solid silver and have many of same sound qualities as a hand-mand powell of that
same time period. They generally sell for a little less because they are not
completely hand-made. However $2500 even seems a little low for a commercial
Powell. Powell also now has other flutes that are not hand-made but often people
might refer to them as hand-made in passing because they are coming from Powell.
And these flutes are not completely machine made and have certain parts worked
on by hand. The best way to know if a Powell flute is a "real" hand-made flute
is they have soldered tones holes (so they do not have a rounded edge around
tone hole - a drawn tone hole is rounded at the point where the pad touches the
tone hole.) I hope that helps!

lilrosebud1456 · Post by **lilrosebud1456** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 4:20 pm

Thank you for the info Courtney. I'm
not sure if my friend purchased it or not, but if if she ends up buying it, ill
try to post some info on it Thanx again. Amy [:bigsmile:]

Dixon · Post by **Dixon** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 7:41 pm

Hi if you look online you will see
Powell flutes start for under $3000(street price). It isn't impossible to think
someone could find a deal for around $2500 but unlikely. More like the Sonare
which is a Powell with the body made by an oversees factory which sell for up to
that price range. As far as "hand made" and "soldered" tone holes. Those are
really yesterderyear terms that some companies still use to sell flutes. Very
few companies still sell soldered tone hole flutes. Flutes are really "hand
assembled" now not truly "hand made". Go to Powellflutes.com and find where it
says they solder ANY tone holes. What you will find is extruded tone holes on
Signature and Conservatory flutes both silver and Auromite(the Powell
silver/gold/other metal mix)$10,000 flute. What you will find is Powell bragging
about drawing tone holes showing themselves as inovators way back in the 1927.
You can read about the problems with soldered toneholes and why they are almost
gone and would be except for some peoples love of tradition. There are no longer
any advantages to solder or disadvantages to drawn or extruded tone holes.

lilrosebud1456 · Post by **lilrosebud1456** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 7:46 pm

A Sonare? I've heard little of them,
but I would think they would be "nice" since it has a Powell head joint. Does it
have a good reputation? If anyone owns a Sonare, or heard more "in depth" info
about it, please share! [:)] Thank You everyone again for the info. *Amy*

lilrosebud1456 · Post by **lilrosebud1456** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 7:18 pm

Does anyone know about the Sonare
flute? Never heard of it...thanx Amy

Dixon · Post by **Dixon** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 7:27 pm

Well you seem to have forgotten from
one post to the next that you have heard of Sonare. Sonare a divsion of Powell
flutes. Sells a series of step up flutes with the same head that comes on their
signature pro flute. There are 3 basic models with typical options. They are
like 5, 6 and 7 or 5000, etc depending on which number you go by. They are free
blowing, easy to play and sound very good and powerful. If that is your
preference for head cut The bodies depending on which series are made In an
Asian country Taiwan, or China or Bejing china or whatever. They are made to
Powell specs, the top series is solid silver with apparently good quality. The
lowest series from the feedback I have should be avoided. The highest series
seems to be a great bargain for the price but hasn't been around long enough to
have a history that can confirm quality, a track record to see how they wear.
hope that helps to each his or her own Certainly a flute worth play testing if
you are thinking sub 2000.