Gemeinhardt Brio!

[fluteguy18]

Hey, I was just surfing the net, and decided to browse gemeinhardt.com

Evidently they have just launched a line called "Brio!"

Anyone heard anything?

Is Gemeinhardt finally starting to step up? From the descriptions, they sound like they might be......

[fluttiegurl]

Tried it and . . . . well . . . . it didn't amaze me. I actually had one on trial for my students last week. I asked each of them to play but did not let them see what it was. All that tried it asked "is this a Gemeinhardt?" If you are a Gemeinhardt fan, it may be OK. In my opinion, it really is not that fabulous. The headjoint (designed by Dana Sheridan) may have some value, but I did not care much for it, not like other headjoints I have tried from him. And the price . . . don't get me started! If I am going to spend that much on a flute, or recommend a student to, it sure as heck is not going to be a Gemeinhardt. My past track record with them is a little skakey to say the least.

Well, that's just my opinion. There are much better flutes for the $. As for effort, I give Gemeinhardt an B-. They just have a few things they should consider before trying to sell with the big dogs (like price). Other companies who are going this route are doing well (like Amadeus and Sonare). I just was not amazed by this flute any more than their other models.

By the way, I have heard that these flutes are not made in the US. This may be a rumor, but I found it to be interesting. Not necessarily bad, just interesting.

[flutepicc06]

Well, the headjoint may be designed by Dana Sheridan, but it is not made by him, and that's what's important when it comes to a headjoint. Anyone that has the proper tools and knows how to use them can cut a head, but relatively few people can do the fine work that separates a good head from a great one. The bodies themselves are indeed made by a factory in Beijing (I discussed this point with one of the executives in charge of the Brio line), as are the bodies as Sonare and Amadeus flutes, and I believe the heads are made in the US, but did not specifically ask where.

[fluttiegurl]

Good point.

[flutegeek1992]

I tried these at flute convention and hated them. I thought they were really overpriced and didn't have nice projection (for me at least). I have a germinhardt now and was not at all impressed.

[MeLizzard]

I tried these at the convention, and was pleasantly surprised. For those holdouts who simply MUST play Gemeinhardt, these are ok. They're a vast improvement over previous offerings. And the Brio alto was terrific, but IT has a Sankyo head (list price around $2800, selling price about $2000, they told me). If you like "zippy", lively Japanese flute sounds, these headjoints may not be for you. I could get good tone and response without knocking myself out, but I've played a lot of years, and maybe the cut just clicked for me (in their price range). I was told the headjoints are machine-made, but that, for consistency's sake, Dana Sheridan does play-test every 5th (or so) head that's produced, and then there's a little hand cutting. If you're planning on pusuing a performance degree, unless you're in the seventh or eighth grade, this isn't the right choice for you, but for many players, I can imagine they'll be fine.

[asamd74]

I tried Brio's Alto flute. BAF2CD. I REALLY liked it. It plays really smoothly and has a nice clean sound. I don't know a whole lot about flutes but I really enjoyed playing this flute. However I tried one of the C Flutes and
I didn't like it at all. I can't remember which one it was. But I woudn't recommed this flute to anyone I know.

[aznfluteboy]

I currently own a brio flute and it is really really good, but I think you need a large air support and focus to get a rich sound amd lots of projection, which is how I play