Good news, bad news flute trial

[isoc]

I contacted JLSmith for a flute trial, because I was not altogether happy with my 30 year old Emerson.

The trial flutes: a Yamaha 677, Sankyo 201 and Altus 907.

After trying them for a day, I like all three way better than my Emerson. Much easier to hit the low D&C and even the low B is possible. I thought that I would be able to find one of the three on trial that I really didn't like. but so far, they all seem equally good, although not exactly identical. Every time I pick up one of them, I think "This is the ONE." Until I pick up one of the others!

The only thing I can eliminate now is sending them all back and keeping the Emerson.- Ted

[pied_piper]

Yes, that is often a problem. Get another flutist or another good musician to listen to you play each of them and rate what they hear. If that is not possible, then record yourself playing each and then listen to the recording. Hearing your recorded self is different that how you hear it while playing. You may be surprised when you hear them that way. Whichever way you do this, be sure to pick a variety of music to play. Choose something soft and lyrical, something fast and technically challenging, something high, and something low. Play the same excerpts as identically as you can on each flute and then evaluate the results yourself and with the objective listener. For each excerpt, rate each and then tabulate the results. You may find a clear winner.

[isoc]

It took several days to sort things out. I had some scales, tone exercises, a low piece, a higher mid range piece, and harmonics to compare, alternating each flute.

Eventually for me the Altus just didn't work as well for me, maybe it was the Z cut headjoint.

Both the Yamaha and the Sankyo played equally well. But I preferred the tone of the Yamaha, which had a solid silver body and sounded a bit warmer. The Sankyo sounded as good but was a bit "brighter" possibly because the body was silver plated.

As a bass instead of a soprano, I prefer the not quite as bright sound of the Yamaha.

- Ted

[SylvreKat]

Ted, congrats on the new flute! Sounds like you had fun putting all three through their paces. If your Yami is like mine at all, you'll continue to love playing it.

>'Kat