I'm a brass player who is learning flute for my own personal enjoyment. I know that I'm serious about it and I have the people to help me learn correctly. I would rather start off with a decent flute then having to upgrade later, but then again I don't need anything extremely fancy. I do like the idea of open holes (I hear they project more and improve tone quality as well as providing tonal nuances). I also think I'd like a b-foot. I just want to have every note and what not available to me so I can ultimately play anything. These are the brands I've come up with:
Gemeinhardt 3B0
open hole, b-foot Jupiter 511RBES
open hole, b-foot, split e Pearl PF-505RE
open hole, c-foot, split e
I was wondering if anyone had any experiences with these brands and could provide me with any information on any of them. I'm going to try them at TMEA, but since I've only been playing for a week I know my judgment alone is not useful. My big thing is tone. I want a flute that sounds nice (I hear there are some complaints about Gemeinhardt's tone, as well as their projection). Thanks for your help and enduring my long explanation
First off, you will have to make the decision for yourself as to which has the best tone. Every player is different and everyone will have different results. Secondly, tome is for most people a gradual thing. It is something you achieve over time, so a better flute right off may or may not produce the sound it will in say a year. As for experiences, my fav of these is the Pearl due to sound, though the Gemeinhardt is probably a more solid built instrument. The Jupiter does not do much for me, though some players like them a lot. From a mechanic standpoint, my tech has told me several times that the plated Pearls are a little difficult to adjust and the keys bend easy, though he may not be talking of the newer ones (which the 505 is). BTW: the Pearl 505 also comes with a B foot. Shop around before buying.
You may also want to consider that as you learn, your playing will change and you may like something else later. That is always a chance you take. You may want to consider buying a basic (name brand good condition) used flute to get you started then invest in a better flute later on when you can actually tell the differences when playing.
I agree with Flutegurl, however if you want a review here it goes.
Gemeinhardt 3B0
open hole, b-foot
This one would be the easiest one out of the 3 to get a solid tone out of, however you will be limited by the headjoint from a dynamic point of view. pp to FF would not be too easy on this instrument with the stock headjoint. Also, if you have never played on an open hole, you almost surely need plugs for this one.
Jupiter 511RBES
open hole, b-foot, split e
The heajoint is cool, but the over all feel of the this flute is not that great to me. It feels cheap, although I use to own the closedhole version, and never had any problems with it. If you go up to a 611, or a 711, the difference is like day and night. If you go with the Jupiter, I would consider spending a few extra dollars and going to the next series up.
Pearl PF-505RE
open hole, c-foot, split e
I have owned several pearl flutes, and out of these choices, overall I like this one best. The headjoint is about the same as the Jupiter, but the mechanism has a great feel to it. However, for the price of a 505 new, for $300 more, you could get the 665 model which is closer to a Pro level instrument. Another thing, the Pearl openhole design makes it easier for a person that is not use to openhole flutes, to play. The holes are slightly smaller, and flat.
Since you are not going to be pursuing flute for any advancement, you could do fine with any of these choices. If it came down to it, I would just get the cheapest one, and leave it at that.
Is there a reason you want an openhole flute in particular? You would get a better deal with a good closedhole Jupiter or Gemmy. For personal enjoyment, a quality closed hole flute would suite you fine. The difference between the feel of a 500 series Jupiter openhole as opposed to a closed hole is quite a bit. Same thing with the other 2 brands.
I mainly want to have everything possible available to me. I love modern music, so that (when I get to that level) includes things like low b's and tonal nuances etc. What makes the 665 pearl better? Is it the foot joint? Thanks for the replies; they're quite helpful.
From the material I have read, when you go up to the 600 level series, you are entering Pearl's "step up" division. These flutes all have the capability to have the "Coda" option added. So, in order for these flutes to be able to have that option, they must be made to a higher quality.
The 500 level series appears to be Pearl's student model line.
But, because I haven't ever owned a Pearl, my information may not be 100% accurate. I am just going off a brochure that Pearl was giving out at a convention.
