YFL-24N

[sinebar]

Just bought a YFL-24N Yamaha flute off ebay for about $50. Looks to be in good shape but won't know until I get it. Anyway just wanted to know what folks here think of this model flute. It's old. About 20 years but I play Yamaha clarinets and Yamaha makes good equipment.

[flutepicc06]

Yamaha does make good equipment. The scales have changed a lot, though. I own a 15 or 20 year old YFL-581 (now the 674), as well as an 8 or 9 year old YFL-221. The scale on the 581 is much more difficult to work with than the newer flute...It's still quite possible to play in tune, but it takes a lot more effort than it should, IMHO. It's an excellent flute otherwise, though I don't particularly care for the cut of the head.

[sinebar]

Yamaha does make good equipment. The scales have changed a lot, though. I own a 15 or 20 year old YFL-581 (now the 674), as well as an 8 or 9 year old YFL-221. The scale on the 581 is much more difficult to work with than the newer flute...It's still quite possible to play in tune, but it takes a lot more effort than it should, IMHO. It's an excellent flute otherwise, though I don't particularly care for the cut of the head.

Wow! so is the key arrangement different to account for the change in scales?

[flutepicc06]

No, it's the size and placement of the toneholes that's different, in conjunction with the tube diameter, placement of the embouchure hole, etc. Which keys exist, and what they do is the same, as they are all Boehm system flutes. Basically what it means is that older Yamahas are less in tune naturally than newer ones. Of course, no flute (or any other ww) is perfectly in tune on every pitch without player compensation, but the older Yamaha scale is particularly bad in comparison to more modern flutes. It's still possible to play it in tune (and easier than a lot of flutes built on "traditional" scales), but in comparison to the Bennett scale on my Tom Green, it's much more difficult, and the energy you spend correcting for intonation could be better spent on other parts of your playing. Just my $0.02.

[fluteguy18]

I agree in all respects to flutepicc's comment. Yamaha makes a quality instrument, but the scale of the flute has changed dramatically over the past few years. However, dont let this make you think badly of the flute you purchased. One of my friends plays a 35 year old Armstrong, and she loves it. She wouldnt trade for any other flute, and she is currently 1st chair at the high school I graduated from. So, just because it is older, dont think that it is of poor quality. It is still a solid instrument, and consider this: the scale is probably quite a bit better than the scale on 100 year old Louis Lot flutes [ Louis Lot was a very famous, and if not the best French flute maker in the late 1800's and early 1900's].

[sinebar]

No, it's the size and placement of the toneholes that's different, in conjunction with the tube diameter, placement of the embouchure hole, etc. Which keys exist, and what they do is the same, as they are all Boehm system flutes. Basically what it means is that older Yamahas are less in tune naturally than newer ones. Of course, no flute (or any other ww) is perfectly in tune on every pitch without player compensation, but the older Yamaha scale is particularly bad in comparison to more modern flutes. It's still possible to play it in tune (and easier than a lot of flutes built on "traditional" scales), but in comparison to the Bennett scale on my Tom Green, it's much more difficult, and the energy you spend correcting for intonation could be better spent on other parts of your playing. Just my $0.02.

Ok so how bad will the intonation be? Hopefully at least tollerable enough for a novice. BTW thanks for your informative replies.

[fluteguy18]

It will definately be tolerable for a novice. If you havent ever played before, chances are, are that you wont notice that the scale is any different than other flutes until you reach a higher skill level [ intermediate probably]. You will just notice that every flute plays differently, and that every flute requires different compensations for tuning.

But, it should be a perfectly fine instrument to start out on [ given that it is in good condition---but if it isnt, a decent tech will most likely be able to solve any problems].

Congrats on your new/retro flute!

[flutepicc06]

No, it's the size and placement of the toneholes that's different, in conjunction with the tube diameter, placement of the embouchure hole, etc. Which keys exist, and what they do is the same, as they are all Boehm system flutes. Basically what it means is that older Yamahas are less in tune naturally than newer ones. Of course, no flute (or any other ww) is perfectly in tune on every pitch without player compensation, but the older Yamaha scale is particularly bad in comparison to more modern flutes. It's still possible to play it in tune (and easier than a lot of flutes built on "traditional" scales), but in comparison to the Bennett scale on my Tom Green, it's much more difficult, and the energy you spend correcting for intonation could be better spent on other parts of your playing. Just my $0.02.

Ok so how bad will the intonation be? Hopefully at least tollerable enough for a novice. BTW thanks for your informative replies.

It's really not possible for me to say, but it shouldn't be too bad. Certainly with some practice you can learn to overcome any intonational difficulties. The more modern scales are great, but before that, generations of players played well in tune on instruments built on "traditional" scales, some of which were REALLY funky. The flute has a huge pitch range that you can work in. Finger an A, and just by manipulating your air you can drop to an Ab or pull it up to nearly a Bb without too much trouble, assuming you know how to use your air. These are much larger changes than you will probably find are necessary, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. Congrats on your new flute!

[Mark]

indeed, while Yamaha is not my favorite, it should do well for you as
long as it is in good repair. So enjoy it.

mark