A Miyazawa PA 202 from Europe vs locally purchased

[stever]

Hello folks,

My fabulous daughter, a graduating senior, just won 1st chair at the state competitions and wants a career with the flute. She'll be majoring in music.

Question: I've agreed to spend $2500-$3000 for an appropriate flute and she's interested in a Miyazawa PA 202, which retails for $2995 nationwide, no exceptions.

A distributor in Holland, however, is offering the same flute, same keys, same factory, same everything for $500 less.

Is it worth the extra $500 to purchase it here? The distributor could only provide vague differences and I'm not completely sold on the advantages of buying within the US. (The only tangible distinction is the pads, which are presumably inferior if they aren't Straubinger pads).

Any opinions or ideas? Would she obtain a better flute if we bought a more upscale model used? Is it true that every flute is so distinct that she cannot trust one purchased from eBay?

Thanks for any help!

[flutepicc06]

(The only tangible distinction is the pads, which are presumably inferior if they aren't Straubinger pads).

Any opinions or ideas? Would she obtain a better flute if we bought a more upscale model used? Is it true that every flute is so distinct that she cannot trust one purchased from eBay?

Thanks for any help!

Most people either love their Straubs or really dislike them. The climate in which they're used, and the flute itself, as well as a number of other factors will dictate how well they work. Personally, I opt for either traditional felt pads or JS Gold/Silver pads, as I feel the Straubs require too much work to install, are too easy to unseat/tear/etc., and on the flutes I have played with them, they were excessively noisy. Don't assume non-Straubs are inferior...They're different, but not at all worse than Straubs.

Whether or not to purchase it in Sweden is something you'll need to do some research into. What kinds of costs customs might incur, as well as what recourse you'd have if the item never showed up, or was not to your satisfaction are things you'll need to consider before you decide where to purchase an instrument.

She could almost certainly obtain a a much better flute in that price range if she went used. It's great to be able to show off your nice shiny flute and say "Look! It's brand new!" but what is far more important is how well it plays and how well it suits the player. What makes her want a Miyazawa 202? If she's just going off of things she's read on the internet, she needs to playtest that model, along with many other makes and models before she decides what to purchase. A flute in this range is a substantial investment, and it would be a shame to waste so much money on a flute she'll end up disliking in a few months/years.

Every flute is distinct, particularly as more an more handwork is involved, but to say you cannot trust one from eBay is not accurate. Assuming it's in decent condition, and of reasonable quality, it should play well, but every flute has it's own personality, so it will not be exactly the same as a flute of the same make and model that she may have played elsewhere. In any case, I would not recommend purchasing such an expensive instrument from eBay without extreme care. There are plenty of other ways to get your hands on an instrument that involve far less risk, and will allow her to return the flute if it's not what she's looking for after all.

[fluteguy18]

Ditto to flutepicc's advice.

This dealer from Holland [the netherlands I presume?].... did you find them on ebay? I did business with a dealer from holland over ebay by the name of Matthew's Music. They offered free shipping, and a 1 year warranty in addition to the warranty that came with the piccolo I purchased.

Is this perhaps the same company? The company I am speaking of was also a licensed Miyazawa dealer, and often offered all flutes at a discount. If this is indeed the same company, I will personally recommend them, and state that they are indeed reputable. My transaction with them was quite pleasant, and my Yamaha piccolo arrived safe and sound [and not a crack in sight... which I was worried about because of drastic climate changes].

As for this particular Miyazawa, I must state that this is quite a good model [in my opinion... because I play one as my primary flute]. But, others argue that Miyazawa's higher end models are better [but this is majorly dependant on the player]. I had the money to go higher up in the 'model tree' but I found what I wanted with the 202 model.

But, I must insist that you take every bit of advice you get with a grain of salt. Even though I absolutely love my Miya, I advise that she takes time in investing in an instrument of this caliber. This flute will be quite an investment in not only money, but in her advancement as a flutist. So, try your best to get her to try as many instruments as possible, with as many headjoint combinations as possible. Late this summer, the NFA [National Flute Association] is holding their annual conferance. If she can attend that, then that would be a prime time to do LOADS of testing of flutes, and really find the one that suits her and her playing style within the alotted price range [and it would give her some time to save up money on her own in addition to the money you are willing to spend, and thus it will give her more to work with].

I also advise doing a search on this board for a thread entitled FAQ [1.something]. Read that, and you should learn a lot, and she would probably benefit as well to get an idea of what sort of possible specs she would like.

But, if she is absolutely sure that she wants a miya 202 with an MZ-7 headjoint [I think the MZ-7 headjoint is standard but I am not entirely sure...] and she is willing to take a slight risk that this flute might not initially be the perfect fit... then I would go for it [particularly if it is the company I dealed with... they are really great].

I hope this helped.

[fluteguy18]

Also, if it is the company I worked with, I believe that not only do they pay shipping, but they pay customs as well [ I wasnt ever notified about any customs charges, and only paid the retail price of the instrument I purchased].