pearl flutes?
Moderators: Classitar, pied_piper, Phineas
The Aprenti is indeed an Altus flute, made by, as you might guess, flute makers apprenticing at the Altus shop. It's not a production line, I recall that not many are made and that are only available from one place in the US. Maybe the flute center of New York? Don't quote me on this, it's off the top of my head. I've never seen or played one, but the people that have tend to like them.
Re: pearl flutes?
Just reading some old posts and came across this one. I wondered what flute Nestor plays- he is really great, I love his music. Is that black headjoint really wood or metal? I tho't metal? Nice to see another Nestor fan.ick27 wrote:Nestor Torres plays a Pearl Maesta with a wooden head I
believe.
You might guess that but it isn't true. You are the victim of bad internet gossip.
Aprenti if still in business is not in any way connected with K.H.S. Musical Instrument Co., Ltd the parent company of Altus, Jupiter and deMedici flutes. Call them, email them or check the website, I and others did that when the rumor started going around. They will tell you NO CONNECTION.
If you use a little common sense you would know that Altus just redesigned deMedici line which if anything could be called and priced as a little sister to Altus it would be them.
Best we can tell Aprenti was/is a one man operation in California and it was available only by emailing the gentlemen. IF you find it for sale at any reputable company please post it as I would like to check them out.
My source is Altus and KHS, what is your source that Aprenti is related to Altus or KHS?
Aprenti if still in business is not in any way connected with K.H.S. Musical Instrument Co., Ltd the parent company of Altus, Jupiter and deMedici flutes. Call them, email them or check the website, I and others did that when the rumor started going around. They will tell you NO CONNECTION.
If you use a little common sense you would know that Altus just redesigned deMedici line which if anything could be called and priced as a little sister to Altus it would be them.
Best we can tell Aprenti was/is a one man operation in California and it was available only by emailing the gentlemen. IF you find it for sale at any reputable company please post it as I would like to check them out.
My source is Altus and KHS, what is your source that Aprenti is related to Altus or KHS?
I am a flute teacher and I have several intermediate kids on both Pearl and Aprenti...I love the Aprenti...yes, it's the JR Altus line.
I've found that kids much like one over the other, never had a kid like both...so it's a personal choice..they are both great flutes in that price range.
I am not crazy about the new Yamahas, I think the Allegras sound horrible...the old Yamahas were wonderful.
I do not care for the sound of the Geimnhardt..very airy, no depth.
The problem with the Pearls..they are soft and they require gentle handling...they bend easily (keys), especially the split E key.. some people despise how high the bar is for the split E Key..and they find it very annoying and end up hitting it accidentally.
I have one kid who LOVES the Powell Sonare...can get one in the same price range as the 700 Pearl line...they have the old Powell headjoint attached to a production line body.
Try many before you make your decision...can't say enough about Phil at the Flute Center of NY..he is my favorite dealer to work with....wonderful service and great pricing...and is willing to match other prices if needed..unlike some of the other dealers I have dealt with.
I've found that kids much like one over the other, never had a kid like both...so it's a personal choice..they are both great flutes in that price range.
I am not crazy about the new Yamahas, I think the Allegras sound horrible...the old Yamahas were wonderful.
I do not care for the sound of the Geimnhardt..very airy, no depth.
The problem with the Pearls..they are soft and they require gentle handling...they bend easily (keys), especially the split E key.. some people despise how high the bar is for the split E Key..and they find it very annoying and end up hitting it accidentally.
I have one kid who LOVES the Powell Sonare...can get one in the same price range as the 700 Pearl line...they have the old Powell headjoint attached to a production line body.
Try many before you make your decision...can't say enough about Phil at the Flute Center of NY..he is my favorite dealer to work with....wonderful service and great pricing...and is willing to match other prices if needed..unlike some of the other dealers I have dealt with.
Aprenti
I own an Aprenti flute and I love it. It has a sterling silver, hand finished headjoint with a gold plated lip plate, riser and is gold plated inside the headjoint (from what I know) and has a silver plated body, foot, and mech. I personally think that Aprenti flutes sound much better than Pearl flutes. My friend owns a Pearl flute that cost $2,000 more than my Aprenti flute and I think the tone quality on the Pearl does not compare to the tone quality on my Aprenti. As far as dealers go, Altus told me that the only dealer is Paul Rabinov, located in Southern CA. Contact information on him is avalible though the Altus website under dealers.
Aprenti
I own an Aprenti flute and I love it. It has a sterling silver, hand finished headjoint with a gold plated lip plate, riser and is gold plated inside the headjoint (from what I know) and has a silver plated body, foot, and mech. I personally think that Aprenti flutes sound much better than Pearl flutes. My friend owns a Pearl flute that cost $2,000 more than my Aprenti flute and I think the tone quality on the Pearl does not compare to the tone quality on my Aprenti. As far as dealers go, Altus told me that the only dealer is Paul Rabinov, located in Southern CA. Contact information on him is avalible though the Altus website under dealers.
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fluttiegurl
- Posts: 882
- Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2004 11:05 pm
woof,
Nestor Torres does play on a Pearl with a grenadillla wood head made by Howell Roberts. I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Roberts at the NFA convention last fall, and found him to be a great person. He fit one of his headjoints that he had with him to my Pearl, and I absolutely LOVE it! I never thought I could get such a big sound from a wooden headjoint, until this one.
I have played a few Aprenti flutes, and was somewhat impressed. As for sounding better than Pearl, every flutist will produce a different sound on every flute. The student who I was trying flutes with decided on a Miyizawa, and did not sound that great on either the Aprenti or the Pearl. On the other hand, I sound quite stuffy on a Miyazawa. I agree with boomerang; what works for one player does not work for another.
Nestor Torres does play on a Pearl with a grenadillla wood head made by Howell Roberts. I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Roberts at the NFA convention last fall, and found him to be a great person. He fit one of his headjoints that he had with him to my Pearl, and I absolutely LOVE it! I never thought I could get such a big sound from a wooden headjoint, until this one.
I have played a few Aprenti flutes, and was somewhat impressed. As for sounding better than Pearl, every flutist will produce a different sound on every flute. The student who I was trying flutes with decided on a Miyizawa, and did not sound that great on either the Aprenti or the Pearl. On the other hand, I sound quite stuffy on a Miyazawa. I agree with boomerang; what works for one player does not work for another.
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us_army_flutist
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2005 4:06 pm
I personally don't like the sound of Pearl or the feel of the keys. I went to the NFA convention in San Diego this year and tried out just about every flute there, vintage and new. I was looking to upgrade and decided on a Powell, which is what I've wanted for 18 years (since high school). I've always had to settle for something else. I was however impressed with Altus. I did mainly try their upper-end flutes, but I'm sure their intermediate models are great. I used to play Muramatsu and their new flutes are great, but again, I didn't like the feel of the keys. Mostly what I was looking for was sound, #1, #2 mechanism. If I were to pick on mechanism alone, it would be a Brannen, hands down. But I didn't like the way I sounded on Brannen, so I decided on a Powell. I also used to play Haynes which have a wonderful sound but tend to have a heavy mechanism, not good for me because I have hand problems. The Powell scale is great too, spend some time with a tuner and you'll be in love...
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fluteguy18
- Posts: 2311
- Joined: Sun Jul 16, 2006 3:11 pm
here is my advice. Try them all. I am currently deciding which flute to get for college (flute performance). When I tried instruments the first time, my tutor preferred my sound on Miyazawa (she plays a Brannen). My professor prefers my tone on Pearl. It is all a matter of taste. My opinion on the flutes were this: Powell: great, but not my cup of tea, Miyazawa: my style but not my best tone, Pearl: terrific sound, but I didn't really like the mechanism, it felt odd. I do recommend Pearl however. They are becoming very popular in Tennessee, and among high schoolers in Central/Western Kentucky. My current tutor plays a Brannen now, but used to play a pearl. Pearl is my third choice in flutes (Miyazawa and Muramatsu are 1st and 2nd) because of the mechanism movement.
Another famous flutist who plays a Pearl flute (or used to) is Sheridan Stokes. He recorded many films in Hollywood on a Pearl (E.T. was one of them). Also, dont be afraid to try different makes, and metals. Altus, Yamaha (good sound and mechanism, but bad customer service), Miyazawa, Muramatsu, Nagahara, Sonare, Powell, Brannen, Williams, Sankyo, Pearl, Louis Lot (if you can find one.....), and many others are great makers. I prefer the Japanese made flutes. Others don't. Utulize the trial programs these companies offer, and try a lot of them out. Try Silver. try gold. Combine the two.
Best of Luck!
Fluteguy18
Another famous flutist who plays a Pearl flute (or used to) is Sheridan Stokes. He recorded many films in Hollywood on a Pearl (E.T. was one of them). Also, dont be afraid to try different makes, and metals. Altus, Yamaha (good sound and mechanism, but bad customer service), Miyazawa, Muramatsu, Nagahara, Sonare, Powell, Brannen, Williams, Sankyo, Pearl, Louis Lot (if you can find one.....), and many others are great makers. I prefer the Japanese made flutes. Others don't. Utulize the trial programs these companies offer, and try a lot of them out. Try Silver. try gold. Combine the two.
Best of Luck!
Fluteguy18
First of all, out of all of hte flutes own, My Pearl Quantz 665 is my favorite all around flute. I own many others.
There are a lot of well made flutes with good quality. However each maker has their own personality. Some may also be hard for you to play on than others. Here is an example of my findings based on brand
Altus<Bleck!> This company makes a nice flute, but I really have to work hard to get anything out of it. I found that the tone for me is very thin and light. How Sir Willy Bennett gets as loud as he does with one of these, I will never know!
Yamaha, Miyazawa, Muramatsu - I love Japanese flutes, but they all have the same problem. You have to learn how to play them. I own a Yamaha 514, and love it. Nice fat powerful sound, great mechanism, but not an "out of the box" instrument. It took some practice to get the sound I wanted out of it, but when I did, oh man!!!!! I found this to be true of most Japanese made/designed flutes.
Sonare - Easy playing usually, but nothing special. I can always seem to find something better for the same price.
Powell - Great over all instrument. but I found the headjoints on Powell flutes a little bit limiting. Not an instrument I would do a Jazz gig with!
Sankyo - About the same as the Sonare
Haynes - I own a 1980 Standard model. I love the Headjoint, but the feel is a little heavy. Has a very fat Powerful sound, just not the easiest instrument for me to play on. When I can tolerate performing with it, the sound brings down the house!
Buffet - I own an English made International model. I play this instrment with a wood head joint. The stock head joint is not the easiest to play on, but if you play many different styles of music, this flute is a gem!
Amadeus - Haynes head Joint, Sonare body!
Jupiter - The only one I like is the 711 model! The only reason i dont have one is the Pearl plays a little better for cheaper. Dont really care too much for the other Jupiter models.
I can go on and on, but you get the idea. None of the flute I mention are "BAD" choices, but you have to pick what is right for you. Past quality, never assume that the best instrument is the most expensive one.
Just me .02
Phineas
There are a lot of well made flutes with good quality. However each maker has their own personality. Some may also be hard for you to play on than others. Here is an example of my findings based on brand
Altus<Bleck!> This company makes a nice flute, but I really have to work hard to get anything out of it. I found that the tone for me is very thin and light. How Sir Willy Bennett gets as loud as he does with one of these, I will never know!
Yamaha, Miyazawa, Muramatsu - I love Japanese flutes, but they all have the same problem. You have to learn how to play them. I own a Yamaha 514, and love it. Nice fat powerful sound, great mechanism, but not an "out of the box" instrument. It took some practice to get the sound I wanted out of it, but when I did, oh man!!!!! I found this to be true of most Japanese made/designed flutes.
Sonare - Easy playing usually, but nothing special. I can always seem to find something better for the same price.
Powell - Great over all instrument. but I found the headjoints on Powell flutes a little bit limiting. Not an instrument I would do a Jazz gig with!
Sankyo - About the same as the Sonare
Haynes - I own a 1980 Standard model. I love the Headjoint, but the feel is a little heavy. Has a very fat Powerful sound, just not the easiest instrument for me to play on. When I can tolerate performing with it, the sound brings down the house!
Buffet - I own an English made International model. I play this instrment with a wood head joint. The stock head joint is not the easiest to play on, but if you play many different styles of music, this flute is a gem!
Amadeus - Haynes head Joint, Sonare body!
Jupiter - The only one I like is the 711 model! The only reason i dont have one is the Pearl plays a little better for cheaper. Dont really care too much for the other Jupiter models.
I can go on and on, but you get the idea. None of the flute I mention are "BAD" choices, but you have to pick what is right for you. Past quality, never assume that the best instrument is the most expensive one.
Just me .02
Phineas
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Serpentine
- Posts: 39
- Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2006 9:45 am
- Location: Wiltshire (UK)
I have just bought a Pearl 7818 with a B foot Trevor James Masters II Foot joint and it sound brilliant! I am very happy with it! The extra length gives it a darker sound which i find preferable!
If anyone is thinking about buying a new flute:
1)select a budget
2)search around on the internet for a proffesional flute shop near you
3)select a few flutes that are in your price range and you like the look of (and maybe look on the internet for reviews)
4)Ring the company and ask them to have your selection ready and arrange a time to go there to test the different flutes
5)When you test the different flutes ask someone in the shop for advice (and remember the most expensive is not nessecarily the best for you. all flute players make different sounds on different flutes)
Also, don't feel pressured into buying at the shop if you test them and don't like any of the selection!
If anyone is thinking about buying a new flute:
1)select a budget
2)search around on the internet for a proffesional flute shop near you
3)select a few flutes that are in your price range and you like the look of (and maybe look on the internet for reviews)
4)Ring the company and ask them to have your selection ready and arrange a time to go there to test the different flutes
5)When you test the different flutes ask someone in the shop for advice (and remember the most expensive is not nessecarily the best for you. all flute players make different sounds on different flutes)
Also, don't feel pressured into buying at the shop if you test them and don't like any of the selection!
boomerang wrote:I am a flute teacher and I have several intermediate kids on both Pearl and Aprenti...I love the Aprenti...yes, it's the JR Altus line.
I've found that kids much like one over the other, never had a kid like both...so it's a personal choice..they are both great flutes in that price range.
I am not crazy about the new Yamahas, I think the Allegras sound horrible...the old Yamahas were wonderful.
I do not care for the sound of the Geimnhardt..very airy, no depth.
The problem with the Pearls..they are soft and they require gentle handling...they bend easily (keys), especially the split E key.. some people despise how high the bar is for the split E Key..and they find it very annoying and end up hitting it accidentally.
I have one kid who LOVES the Powell Sonare...can get one in the same price range as the 700 Pearl line...they have the old Powell headjoint attached to a production line body.
Try many before you make your decision...can't say enough about Phil at the Flute Center of NY..he is my favorite dealer to work with....wonderful service and great pricing...and is willing to match other prices if needed..unlike some of the other dealers I have dealt with.
Great info in this post! Wish we had teachers and flute dealers like these in northern california! 
those who hear not the music think the dancers mad