What is your favourite beginner flute? Has it been ousted?

[wuffeeflaute]

What is your favourite beginner flute? Has it been ousted in recent times?

My favourite beginner flute has to be either the F100ASII first then the 221. Both models sound incredible, easy to play and are capable of tone colours where the former has a slight edge whilst being very economical on the puff. I have a feeling this maybe the flute I return to when I'm 90 y.o.

Pity the F100ASII do not have adjustment screws like the 221. (Has anyone any tips how to adjust them)?

What are your favourite first flutes? And, do you still play them?

[fluteguy18]

What brand are you talking about? (I suspect Yamaha).

My favorite flute(s) to start students on depends on their financial situation. I like the entry level Jupiter, Yamaha, and Pearl flutes.

Do I play them? No. My first flute was actually a really REALLY old Selmer that had definitely seen better days. It was just a rental that my parents picked up and they finally bought an open hole model from the same maker after I proved I'd stick with it (bought it in 7th grade). It wasn't really an upgrade and it sits in my closet right now (along with my old Armstrong 303). I suspect these will be great cadavers to experiment on while I'm in instrument repair school this fall.

[Thunderlily]

Fluteguy18, you'll get a methods flute to experiment on. There's no need to experiment with your own flutes. But! Practicing the order of regulation and lost motion might be fun on those, as they'll improve a lot just by that.

To answer the thread I had a Barrington (can't remember what model, it was the one that was recommended somewhere here) that I got from wwbw.com. It was cheap and played pretty nicely (to my beginner ears at least).

[fluteguy18]

Thunderlily: I know. I'm just hoping to improve some of the really bad ones I have already in my possession.

[wuffeeflaute]

@fluteguy18 - yes, I was referring to the Yamahaws.

Did you say you were enrolled in Red Wing? Repair school sounds like fun and a real worthwhile investment. Be sure to bring us along on the ride via the forum. Would you mind enlightening us on your choice of school. What were your choices and why Red Wing? (shall I start this as a new thread?)

The old Selmers and Armstrongs - you survived your parent's acquisitions! - so many give up after a yr or two - nice to retain in one's possession a personal flute trail and study the technological innovations along the way, just wonder though about the original consumable parts eg pads, springs, whether there are changes there too. Happy carving. Formaldehyde free.

I'm curious, do older Selmers and Armstrongs have adjustment screws for regulation or do you have to play with the pins? 221s have screws whilst F100ASII still have pins and I'm not too sure how these are adjusted.

[wuffeeflaute]

Fluteguy18, you'll get a methods flute to experiment on. There's no need to experiment with your own flutes. But! Practicing the order of regulation and lost motion might be fun on those, as they'll improve a lot just by that.

What is a methods flute?

[fluteguy18]

@fluteguy18 - yes, I was referring to the Yamahaws.

Did you say you were enrolled in Red Wing? Repair school sounds like fun and a real worthwhile investment. Be sure to bring us along on the ride via the forum. Would you mind enlightening us on your choice of school. What were your choices and why Red Wing? (shall I start this as a new thread?)

The old Selmers and Armstrongs - you survived your parent's acquisitions! - so many give up after a yr or two - nice to retain in one's possession a personal flute trail and study the technological innovations along the way, just wonder though about the original consumable parts eg pads, springs, whether there are changes there too. Happy carving. Formaldehyde free.

I'm curious, do older Selmers and Armstrongs have adjustment screws for regulation or do you have to play with the pins? 221s have screws whilst F100ASII still have pins and I'm not too sure how these are adjusted.

I am indeed enrolled at Red Wing. When it came to deciding which school I narrowed it down to two schools based on program structure, cost/financial aid available, accreditation, job placement percentages, and location. I liked the program structure the best (9 months of classes instead of 6 months of classes with an internship), the financial aspects were very reasonable, it was accredited, between the two the job placement rates were the highest, and it was closest to home. So really it was a no brainer. The other choice was Renton (which is a wonderful program that produces great technicians) but it ultimately came down to program structure and location.

[Phineas]

What is your favourite beginner flute? Has it been ousted in recent times?

My all time favorite has been the Armstrong 104. I use to keep one handy for years. Its cheap, plays decent, sturdy, and loud. This was my trusty "Bar Gig" flute for many years. I would still have one, but I just do not need it. Over the years, I have passed at least 12 + of them,to other flute players that need them. These days, my beater flute is a Jupiter Capital Edition (511).

Back in the day, when I first started, there were not all of these cheap imports out there. I do not know I would have picked a different brand if I would have started later.

Phineas

[fluteguy18]

OH! Yes. The armstrong 104 is nice. I always got a very clean sound on them.

[Thunderlily]

Fluteguy18, you'll get a methods flute to experiment on. There's no need to experiment with your own flutes. But! Practicing the order of regulation and lost motion might be fun on those, as they'll improve a lot just by that.

What is a methods flute?

A methods flute is a junk flute they lend us at school to learn anatomy, regulation sequence and removal of lost motion sequence on. It's just for learning purposes.


fluteguy18: It's a great idea then to play around with your own flutes that need it. Lucas is going to nail that sequence in your head so hard too (da!).

[evrmre]

I swapped between the F100 and a gemeinhardt 2esp, finally staying with the 2esp because of the tone. My current flute is also a gemeinhardt, but that is now in danger of being ousted by the EX3 (muramatsu), which I made the mistake of trying. My bad...

[flutego12]

I swapped between the F100 and a gemeinhardt 2esp, finally staying with the 2esp because of the tone. My current flute is also a gemeinhardt, but that is now in danger of being ousted by the EX3 (muramatsu), which I made the mistake of trying. My bad...

haW! Do you mean to tell me that the Gem was better than the F100? Was it an F100AS?
EXIII can hardly be said to be a beginners flute.
It is a superplush intermediate. My sad.

[Silversorcerer]

I like an old 1970 DeFord silver plated beginner model. It plays as easy as my new intermediate KGB special and older Armstrong 80 and much easier than a friend's 2sp.

[evrmre]

I swapped between the F100 and a gemeinhardt 2esp, finally staying with the 2esp because of the tone. My current flute is also a gemeinhardt, but that is now in danger of being ousted by the EX3 (muramatsu), which I made the mistake of trying. My bad...

haW! Do you mean to tell me that the Gem was better than the F100? Was it an F100AS?
EXIII can hardly be said to be a beginners flute.
It is a superplush intermediate. My sad.

Yup... the Gem bet the yam hollow. Perhaps not as strong a sound, but had a really sweet tone the yam couldn't match, and played much easier (And yes... I tried a few F100's. AS's too). I know that current Gem's have slipped in reputation, but the ones from that era were definitely strong competition for the yamaha's. (Of course, my current Gem also made the 471 sound pretty average, imho, so I might just be a little biased.)

And yes... I know the EXIII is a little above that level... but it is the first flute I've found that leaves my current Gem looking like the 'poor man's cousin' in both tone and playability... so I just had to throw it in

[flutego12]

I swapped between the F100 and a gemeinhardt 2esp, finally staying with the 2esp because of the tone. My current flute is also a gemeinhardt, but that is now in danger of being ousted by the EX3 (muramatsu), which I made the mistake of trying. My bad...

haW! Do you mean to tell me that the Gem was better than the F100? Was it an F100AS?
EXIII can hardly be said to be a beginners flute.
It is a superplush intermediate. My sad.

Yup... the Gem bet the yam hollow. Perhaps not as strong a sound, but had a really sweet tone the yam couldn't match, and played much easier (And yes... I tried a few F100's. AS's too). I know that current Gem's have slipped in reputation, but the ones from that era were definitely strong competition for the yamaha's. (Of course, my current Gem also made the 471 sound pretty average, imho, so I might just be a little biased.)

And yes... I know the EXIII is a little above that level... but it is the first flute I've found that leaves my current Gem looking like the 'poor man's cousin' in both tone and playability... so I just had to throw it in

Well, you have to try the F100AS II (Mark II) then or the F100S II,... a real surprise if you ask me for the $. Of course they can't compare in projection but a real tight little package with surprising control, response, colour and dynamics. The only thing is the absence of adj't screws.My bad... there ARE adjustment screws! (found them thanks to Bob!)