purchasing new ?intermediate/pre-professional flute

[momcat]

We need to purchase a new flute for my daughter who has been playing flute for 8 years. looking into silver head and body with silver plated mechanism. what is the diffference of the mechanism being silver plated or silver (besides price) should we just go for it and do all silver. will the mechanism last longer?

[JButky]

It's not a question of what will last longer.

Mechanisms wear over time without exception. Silver keywork is found on Pro flutes because it is much easier to "work" and finish. Plated keys take more effort and then you have plating to deal with after working the key when doing mechanical work.

As long as the mechanism is fit well in the first place is what's important.

[Phineas]

We need to purchase a new flute for my daughter who has been playing flute for 8 years. looking into silver head and body with silver plated mechanism. what is the diffference of the mechanism being silver plated or silver (besides price) should we just go for it and do all silver. will the mechanism last longer?

The only thing that really dictates how long something will last is how you take care if it. I have a $100 pot metal flute that I have had for at least 5 years. Not because it is durable, but because of how I take care. of it. The question is durability. How often you have to get work done on your instrument. Generally, this is dictated by the design of the instrument more so than what the flute is made of.

If you get your daughter a flute that is well designed, and she keeps it maintained, it should last her a life time.

Phineas

[Bo]

Yes, it is important to take care of it.
My first flute is only over 2 years old, but it still sounds like new, although I now mostly play my Yamaha.
I think it is also important to clean and put it back in the case EVERY TIME after playing it, apart from oiling it at least once a year. My Yamaha manual by the way says every 2 to 3 months. Is it too much?

[Zevang]

We must also mention that each person sweats differently, so it must be a problem if her sweat is acid. This can affect more a plated flute, because of the chemical reaction with the plating, that would even come off and expose the metal parts it protects (after some time, off course). In a solid silver flute this effect would be the tarnishing, that is not much a problem, except for the fact that the flute becomes dark.
During the last 8 years what kind of flute did she play? If it was a plated one, did you noticed any effects in the plating?
This may be a serious point to consider, because it's an investiment you may have to do now to avoid problems in the future.
I know people that, no matter the flute is cleaned right after each playing session, the flute gets tarnished in just a few months.

[chaos0008]

Yes I can attest to that. I clean my flute after every practice, but just half a year after it's chemical wash by my technician, it already looks vintage. Though it's not all bad, eventually the vintage look seems to look nicer than a shiny one!

However, if you're planning to buy a plated flute, this definitely would cause some problems. The keys on my flute are plated and they are starting to wear off after 2 years already.

[Bo]

Is this good advice about cleaning the flute?
http://www.jennifercluff.com/blog/2008/ ... flute.html

[fluteguy18]

I would say so. Jennifer is widely respected as a teacher. I read it quickly and didn't see anything objectionable.

[Bo]

Yes, she seems to be pretty knowledgeable...

I was only wondering if maybe once a year I could wash the flute? Delicately of course and drying it with a cloth immediately.

[Zevang]

Bo, there are ways to wash a flute. Only technicians do that, and only the tube is washable, with special products.

[Bo]

Thanks, Zevang.

Which special products would you recommend?

Bo

[fluteguy18]

Don't do it yourself unless you KNOW what you are doing. It involves completely removing the mechanism and headjoint cork. Once those are removed you essentially have a metal tube with holes and posts on it. At that point technicians usually "wash" it in a chemical bath used for cleaning silver/silver plate. They don't scrub it (unless with a soft cloth because anything abrasive would scratch the flute). Afterwards, it is dried (some of the chemical baths just allow the flute to air dry because the solution will evaporate).

This is also when they will treat it for any tarnish.

Cleaning the mechanism in this way involves removing all of the pads, shims, washers, pins, steels, corks, felts and screws. Then it gets cleaned piece by piece. But, this is an expensive process because it involves repadding the flute afterward.

If you want to get your flute cleaned by someone who won't destroy it, take it in to the shop and have a COA performed (Clean Oil and Adjustment).

[Bo]

Unfortunately the shop where I bought it is very far from here (they had a much better price than the local shops though), but I suppose I can find someone who knows how to do the job here too. I didn't know it is so complicated.

Bo

[Zevang]

Bo, fluteguy is right. I would do nothing like washing my flute (even if there is only the tube left...).
I could not answer your question about cleaning products because I really don't know. Although it would be easy to research and buy some of if, I prefer to let it to my technician take care of.
But I can deal with small problems that may appear. Small adjustments, basic oiling and cleaning.
I can dismount completely my flutes, and mount them again without big problems (I know that because at the end there are no parts left... ))

But seriously, don't try anything unless you get the proper trainning to do it.

[Bo]

Yeah, I suppose I was lucky that nothing happened to the old flute. which I washed a couple of times in two years.... Basically it had to be done because there was sand in it.... I stay away from the sand when I go to the beach with the flute now.... And I don't go with the new one anyway. I understand now that flutes are very delicate instruments....

Bo