DFlute wrote: Great info in this post! Wish we had teachers and flute dealers like these in northern california!
I agree. And would also add that if you are in the central U.S. (specifically south central), Carolyn Nussbaum & Co. is a great dealer to work with when trying to choose either a flute or a head, or just need supplies, music, etc. I don't know anything about her "matching" any other competitor, but I do know that she charges exactly the same price for a new instrument purchased in her store that you would pay if you bought it directly from the company. At least that's the way it was a few weeks ago when I bought a gold head there (she had also gathered about 20 gold heads from around the country by different makers, too, which gave me a very wide range to choose from; great customer service, IMO).
i have a pearl 665 CODA
I've had it for 2 years and I think it's great
it has french pointed arms and a c#trill key which is totally awesome
and it's a good price
consider 665 or 765
freshginger wrote:i have a pearl 665 CODA
I've had it for 2 years and I think it's great
it has french pointed arms and a c#trill key which is totally awesome
and it's a good price
consider 665 or 765
Pearl flutes are relatively unusual in that they offer the C# trill on flutes that aren't top of the line, fully handmade models. That little key sure is great, though, isn't it? It may sound wierd, but the C# trill is my favorite key on the flute!
I recently purchased a 765RBE Coda. It is amazing! This was my upgrade from my gemienhardt 3SB and i love it! I use a Howel Robert Cocobola headjoint. The two combined give you a nice warm, but responsive tone.
Besides the Pearl Quantz Coda series, other relatively inexpensive flutes that offer the C# trill key as options are the Jupiter DiMedici line and Lyric II flutes by Miyazawa.
I have a C# trill on my Sankyo Silver Sonic, and I wouldn't exactly call my flute top of the line, but it's definitely a solid instrument that I love. C# trill keys are amazing, I couldn't live without mine!
Yeah, I love the C# trill key as well. It is definately a top priority when I upgrade to a miyazawa [ maybe a pearl if money doesnt quite work out the way I want it to] in a couple of weeks [ it's almost here!!!].
I have had my Pearl for over ten years now and I have only needed to have it overhauled twice. The second time wasn't even a complete overhaul. Needless to say I am a big fan, then. Whenever I play for people in auditions or any other setting, no matter how well I play the notes (I could be sightreading something nearly impossible to sightread), I always get huge compliments on my tone. I love my Pearl. It was carefully chosen with my teacher when I was in high school. The shop got a new shipment and we played every one until we found the best one. No two flutes are the same, even if they are the same model!
As a Pearl flute owner I had to get in on this conversation. I bought my flute used from Brandon Fields almost two decades ago so my model is obsolete by now. Brandon sold it to me when he got a Haynes flute. I have to admit that I love my Pearl flute quite a bit. As a jazz player I especially love the fact that it has a very wide range of expressive tonal quality to it. In other words, I can contour my tone to the style of music/ emotion I am playing--it can play very sweet as well as very aggressive . My Pearl was a replacement of a Yamaha flute. I personally do not like Yamaha flutes very much. While it is true that they play in tune and have a big beautiful tone, they are not very expressive. I like to describe the Yamaha sound as, "what you see (hear) is what you get." In other words, it sounds great but it always sounds the same no matter what. Therefore, I often recommend it to saxophonists who double on flute but aren't really serious about their flute playing. They can sound great with the least amount of effort. And while I myself play saxophone, I am a flutist who doubles on sax. The Pearl has done me very well over the years. The reason I was reading this post is because I'm now considering switching to a Haynes or Powell. The reason I'm moving away from Pearl isn't because of the quality of instrument but because of the lack of options and the poor customer service I've experienced with Pearl. I'm looking to upgrade to a higher level of and instrument and I noticed that Pearl no longer offers a C foot option which I don't like. I barely ever actually play a low B (although it's nice to have). But the extra note also changes the harmonic overtone response of the whole instrument so on tunes where I won't be playing a low B but will be playing some crazy overtone stuff, I want the low C foot. From what I can tell, Haynes still offers the option. As far as customer service, Pearl never answers my emails/ calls. I am also a professional repairman and I just can't get Pearl to accommodate my need for pads/etc. Last point: while their 'pinless' mechanism holds up very well over time (I've never repadded or serviced my own flute in almost 20 years of playing several hours/ day), I've worked on other Pearl flutes and the mechanism isn't very repairman friendly.
I have played Pearls for 5 years and tho am not a pro by any means I have enjoyed flawless performance a great sound (in tune) and not a hint of malfunction. And as for the poster that said no professionals play pearl then ignorance is not a blessing check out Nestor Torres and Rhonda Larson and there are others! Give them a fair chance and play a bunch I did and Pearl was an easy choice of Muramatsu and Haynes and Yamaha-- it is what you like that matters. I play a Pearl Elegant.
New flutes for most major models are getting so much better than what was available when I and my kids were in school. My wife and I play a Gemeinhardt 3SHB that cost $300 new and added a McKenna custom headjoints that was on sale for $200. You can get better, but not for that price. I'm not sure McKenna is still making custom headjoints though.
McKenna btw sez: Why headjoints? It used to be thought that there was a magical combination between the headjoint and the body of a flute as purchased from one of the major companies. Despite the shortcomings of the particular combination that one received, people learned to play their instrument as is. Most players now realize that the synergy between the flute body, the headjoint and the individual is something to be arrived at with the same attention that ones gives to tone and technique.
McKenna Flutes’ research has made this easier. We've taken practical input from many players that has led to the range of designs and materials used in our line of custom mouthpieces. By concentrating on headjoints it has been possible to develop them with the versatility to suit all makes of flutes as well as the flexibility to accommodate both students and professional. As a new concept of flute sound and flute playing is emerging, many players are realizing that the difference between a good sound and a great sound is in the headjoint.
Hi, I realize I'm showing up late to this party. I also have a Pearl 881 (no longer made, sniff sniff).
I played several models, and had a Yamaha for many of my college years, which I loved. My fingers surpassed it's mechanism. It was time for a new professional flute.
The Pearl has a beautiful rich low register. The vibrato sounds amazing.
The key mechanism is fast and nimble, and I found it really kept up with my fast fingers.
I made the mistake of falling in love the with resonant sound of the gold headjoint. I could shoot myself for falling for it. It is beautiful, but the upper register can be a bit 'thin' and jumping between octaves a challenge. I have trouble for the first time in my life hitting low C & B. I would not recommend the gold headjoint. Stick to the silver. Probably a rookie mistake. I thought I was better than I was, haha.
Overall, Pearl has a very unique and lovely sound. The keys are super responsive and agile. I did test the Haynes, which was out of my price range. But I loved the sound of the Pearl.
Great info in this post! Wish we had teachers and flute dealers like these in northern california!
