Gold plated piccolo?

music_elf16 · Post by **music_elf16** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 5:34 pm

I have a solid silver 3SB Gemienhardt flute with a gold lip plate. Does Gemienhardt sell a companion piccolo? I'd like to have a matching pair.

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 7:43 pm

Not as far as I know, but in any case, buying instruments for their appearance (or to have a matching set) is not the way to go. You need to playtest piccolos and find the one that suits you best. This is arguably even more important when picc shopping than when flute shopping, as pitch and tone can be a far more noticeable disaster if the player has to fight the picc. You may find that you like a Gemeinhardt picc, or you may find you like an Emerson, Jupiter, Yamaha, etc....Just because you like the flutes from one company does not mean you'll like their piccs (and vice versa). They're two very different beasts, and should be treated as such. Simply picking instruments that look alike is not likely to provide good results. If you're interested in buying a piccolo, we can provide you with recommendations of piccs to test out if you can provide an approximate budget and a description of what you want to use it for.

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 8:58 pm

Absolutely. Piccs and flutes within the same company often play quite differently. For example. I like the way Emerson flutes play. But, I can't stand their wooden piccs. They do not play well for me at all. For me, I like Yamaha flutes okay [they are great flutes, just not quite my style.... almost, but not quite] but their piccs are a good match for me.

I have found that gemeinhardt flutes and piccs play quite differently. So, if you are picc shopping, definately look around first, and try a bunch out.

But, to answer you question directly.... They do make a solid silver piccolo that I believe you can have the lip gold plated. So, yes I believe they do make a VISUALLY matching piccolo. The gold lip is custom though... I think.... you would definately have to ask for it, or have a private company plate it for you.

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:06 pm

I just checked Fluteworld and the Gemeinhardt website, and none of the metal piccs currently in production offer the option of a gold plated lip plate as far as I saw. You could get an after-market plate job done, but these are often very thin, weak plate layers which wear off very quickly. I would only recommend going that route if you have some extra money you want to spend on something that won't affect how the picc plays.

As a side note, I believe the 3SB has a the option of a gold PLATED lip, but not a solid gold lip.

fluttiegurl · Post by **fluttiegurl** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:44 pm

The KG Special piccolo comes atandard with a gold plated lip. It is a limited edition that only some dealers carry. For that reason, it is not on the web site (nor is the companion flute KG Special). Whether or not it is a good piccolo will greatly depend on the player, but in my opinion, you can get a better instrument for the money. They are not cheap.

As far as I know, the only Gemeinhardt that comes with a solid gold lip plate option is the KGM Limited, though I could be wrong. Gemeinhardt was the first to hit the market with the gold lip option and marketed it as a huge selling point (though there really is nothing to it unless you have an allergy). Other makers caught on, but the fad seems to be dying a little now. The bad thing about the plating is that after a time of heavy use, it will come off. It can be re-plated, but it is not really worth the money. Generally, by the time this becomes aparent, a large portion of serious students are ready for another upgrade, so it is not a big deal, though it does hurt the resale value.