What kind of flute should I look to buy?

[Istamid]

Hello,

In the past year I've been thinking about buying a new flute to replace my Gemeinhardt M2. I would like to find a band to play with, but with the current state of my flute it is nearly impossible.

As far as I know, I probably was at intermediate level when I reduced my playtime a lot. I could probably still play most of the parts I played in high school as a 1st flute if my flute would allow me playing the higher notes (I can hardly get a C6 and up from my flute right now even though it still plays the lower notes really easily and clearly).

I was wondering what kind of flute I should look for if I am planning to join a non-professional band ? In the past I played with Buffet Crampon and Yamaha flutes. I liked the Yamaha a lot, but I never really cared about the model so I have no idea what to look for now.

Thanks in advance for your time and answers !

Istamid

[Phineas]

Hello,

In the past year I've been thinking about buying a new flute to replace my Gemeinhardt M2. I would like to find a band to play with, but with the current state of my flute it is nearly impossible.

As far as I know, I probably was at intermediate level when I reduced my playtime a lot. I could probably still play most of the parts I played in high school as a 1st flute if my flute would allow me playing the higher notes (I can hardly get a C6 and up from my flute right now even though it still plays the lower notes really easily and clearly).

I was wondering what kind of flute I should look for if I am planning to join a non-professional band ? In the past I played with Buffet Crampon and Yamaha flutes. I liked the Yamaha a lot, but I never really cared about the model so I have no idea what to look for now.

Thanks in advance for your time and answers !

Istamid

Hello Istamid,

The flute you have is fine for what you want to do. You may just need to have it worked on by a good flute technician. I have made money playing a lot worse than a Gemeinhardt M2. Since you have not played it in a while, you probably just need a few pads, cleaning, and some adjustment.

That being said, if you are just trying to find an excuse to buy a new flute, then I would suggest you read this...

http://www.fluteland.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5859

Hope this helps.

Phineas

[Istamid]

Thanks for your answer.

I read the FAQ, but I wasn't sure if I should go for a beginner / student flute or an intermediate one.

I guess the first step would be to find a flute technician and have it estimate how much it would cost to repair my flute.. I bought it for a very cheap price (150$ for both flute and piccolo) 7 years ago from the friend of a friend. It seemed in correct shape at the time, but I didn't had time to shop for it as I was in a rush to find a flute to practice as my school needed mine back for the first years.

The plating seems to be gone at some places. I think she used the flute in a marching band. Is that repairable ? Does it influence how the flute sounds ?

I know I sound like a "noob", but I never really took care of those matters while in high school as I was using the school flutes and I moved since then and can't go to the technician my school used to go :/

Ista

[Phineas]

The plating seems to be gone at some places. I think she used the flute in a marching band. Is that repairable ? Does it influence how the flute sounds ?

Nope. Plating does not effect the sound. If the plating is worn on in a couple of spots, it may be repairable. If not, the worse case is the instrument will look well played and loved.

Phineas