need to find a good b foot flute or b foot joint! help!!

[gonewasnothing]

I have a Gemeinhardt 3 right now and really need to find either a b foot joint or a flute with a b foot for $250 or under. I looked on ebay and although I know the basics of buying flutes I cant tell whats good quality or a piece of garbage. I found this one but im not sure if its any good. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Professional-si ... 519e7d2473
I also looked for just the b foot joint but i had no luck, please help!

[Rossweisse]

Call me paranoid, but I have concerns with your ebay find. The price is too low for what the seller is claiming it is, so quality may be dicey. On a more basic level, what is behind your need for a B foot?

[pied_piper]

... although I know the basics of buying flutes I cant tell whats good quality or a piece of garbage. I found this one but im not sure if its any good. ...
I also looked for just the b foot joint but i had no luck, please help!

That's the problem with trying to buy an unknown flute (with no brand name) from an unknown seller in China. Although you might get an OK flute, you might end up with something of poor quality. You would do far better if you saved your money until you can buy a good flute from a respected store or online seller. As far as a B foot is concerned, having one will not improve your playing nor is it needed for 99.9% of flute music. In most cases, a B foot is included with internediate and professional flutes only because they have become a fad and flutists think they are a symbol of a better flute. While my flute does have a B foot, I can count on one hand the number of times it was needed in music that I have played. Regarding buying a B foot only, that's not generally an option unless you have a music store order one for your brand of flute - they are not interchangeable between brands in most cases. For a Gemmie M3, it would probably exceed your $250 budget. Just save your money until you can get a better flute...

[cflutist]

Lots of Low Bs in Mahler's 4th Symphony, even a Low Bb in the 2nd movement (that I skipped).

A couple of Low Bs in the Carmen Fantasy too.

[pied_piper]

Yes, low Bs do occur, but somehow, I don't think the OP is ready for any of those.

[cflutist]

Well I have to admit, when I was in 8th grade (and playing the Mozart Concerto in G), I wanted an open hole flute with a Low B (had an Armstrong closed hole) but my Godfather bought an Open Hole Selmer with a C Foot back from Hong Kong. It was my first introduction to A=442 when everyone else had A=440 at the time.

[gonewasnothing]

To give you the back story, I need one because in band I'm playing an oboe part so it constantly is using the low b and also if I can play the b I'll have a chance at a solo and either way I am fond of the lower octave and have come across b in other music I play. the foot is bend now and needs to be repaired along with the pads being changed so I figured for the amount of money to fix it, it would just be easier to get a better one since I'm majoring in music and flute is my main instrument so its not a wasteful investment, even though I don't have much to invest.. Sorry I probably should have mentioned that in the first place.. Anyways thanks for the advice about the no name ebay flute. I agree that its sketchy and I was skeptical in the first place. Now for a new flute, is it even possible to get something for that price? I just don't want to search all of the internet to find out that request is unreasonable or unobtainable. Thanks again

[Rossweisse]

Thanks for the additional information, gonewasnothing. Your price range is going to be a problem for a new flute. However, if you can scrape together a bit more, I would highly recommend a Pearl 525rb.

Another alternative is to look for used and test thoroughly before committing. I've found absolutely sweet flutes at pawn shops. Music-Go-Round and similar shops are another option. A new instrument shop may have 'trade ins'. For that matter, a flute repair person might have a horn or two on consignment.

Good luck!

[gonewasnothing]

Another alternative is to look for used and test thoroughly before committing. I've found absolutely sweet flutes at pawn shops. Music-Go-Round and similar shops are another option. A new instrument shop may have 'trade ins'.!

Thank you for the tip on pawn shops and such I'm going to start searching there now! so I guess the only question left would be where should I start looking? I know where to find pawn shops but I've been reading up that there are sites that sell used flutes, do you know any?

[cflutist]

Another option is to check out the Used flute listings at Flute World and Carolyn Nussbaum, both of which are specialty Flute Houses who would have thoroughly checked out the flutes beforehand.

[Rossweisse]

Have you checked in with the person who does repair/maintenance on your current flute for leads? After that, pawn or consignment shops. Keep in mind, most dealers that sell new horns sell used as well and might have trade-ins or flutes on consignment.

You do not want to buy on-line. You do not have much money to work with and the cost of shipping (and returning horns that aren't quite right) can be significant.

Other than that, look over each flute carefully with good lighting and play the same pieces with each. Good luck!


Edited to add: Crossposted with cflutist. My recommendation of not buying online is based on the budget given. Fluteworld, from recent experience, charges around $70 for shipping, handling, insurance - a significant reduction of spending power when the limit is $250, even if only one flute is tried and it is just so.