yard sale find: what do I have here and whats missing?

[vintagecarlover]

this is at least a yamaha case but i suspect its a wooden yamaha flute. ive got a 12 yr old musician son (guitar, piano, drums) who might learn the flute if it were presented so i bought this kit while junqueing last weekend so what do i have and whats it worth plus what am i missing and where can i get parts on the cheap if needed? any rebuilders keep parts for these? any info appreciated. regards, mark

[James_Alto]

Hi there,

it might just be a standard Yamaha student flute. Looks like a piccolo (?) or two piece short flute about 30-40cm long?

It will be high pitched if it is. Otherwise, it might be a standard C concert flute with the foot joint missing (hope not!)

You will need to check for damage to the headjoint and barrel; check the keys all have springs and can operate. Check for hermetic sealing of each and every pad when you depress a key. Then, you'll have to adjust the flute so that the seals are perfect (some keys operate more than one sealing of a pad). It could be a vintage flute, and may not be adjusted to modern pitch (A=440Hz or 442Hz) however this is easy enough to check.

Best of luck!

[fluttiegurl]

What you have is a Yamaha (? assuming the case is the original) piccolo that appears to be made of wood. It appears to be in tact, though the pads could be worn/missing. If it is in good condition, it could be worth quite a bit. I would have it checked out by a technician. These are fairly delicate and sometimes crack from temperature and humidity changes. I do not, however, recommend giving it to a beginner. This is not an instrument that a student starts on, even if he is musical. You could sell it to finance a nice beginner flute. Not an instrument to start one by any means, but a great find, as long as it is in good condition. I know I would buy it if I saw it at a yard sale!

[fluteguy18]

It's a Yamaha YPC 62 or 81 piccolo. Probably the 62 (that's the most popular of the two models). I agree with fluttiegurl. This is not a beginner instrument in the slightest. I would sell it to finance a solid beginner flute. Unlike most things in the world a more advanced instrument is not suited for a beginner but is designed for a player that already has solid fundamentals and a certain mastery of the instrument. Student model instruments are designed to help cement the building blocks of their playing.

[pied_piper]

Yes, it appears to be a Yamaha piccolo. From appearances in the photo, the wood looks very dry. It probably has not been played or maintained for several years. I would suggest not trying to play it until the wood has been properly oiled by a flute technician. When the wood is very dry like that, you run the risk of the wood cracking when moist breath is blown into it. A full clean, oil, and adjust will run around $100-$200 if there are no problems with pads or cracks in the wood. In good working order, it might be worth $800, but in it's current condition, maybe $300-$500 if there are no cracks.

As others have suggested, it is not suitable for a beginner to learn on. Trade it in for a good student flute.