What brands of flutes are sizecomparable to the Armstrong 90

[bogebrd]

Trying to decide if I need to practice on the open whole before deciding which one I'd be better suited for.

[fluteguy18]

I'm not sure what you mean by 'size.' Do you mean 'g' key positioning? Open hole diameter? Bore size? Length? There are a lot of variables here. But ultimately, most flutes are very VERY similar in size with only minor differences in the tactile feel to the player. The only Boehm system flutes that are noticeably different are those that are made of wood or synthetic materials because the tubing feels different and is of a different thickness, or perhaps the 'Full Concert' model produced by Nagahara. The Nagahara mentioned has a different bore calibration and the flute is shorter and more stout overall.

[Silversorcerer]

The Armstrong 90 is a closed hole / offset model. Any C flute that is closed hole and offset will have about the same key positions. I have seen some offset open hole flutes, but these are a little on the rare side. I think if a person has shorter fingers and wishes to play open holes, the offset open hole configuration facilitates this. Remember that any open hole flute can be plugged initially so that it plays as a closed hole flute.

If you are looking for a flute that "feels" like the 90, but has open holes, look for one of the rare offset open hole models. I don't know the model numbers but most makers make a flute with that configuration.

If the flute has a B-foot then it will be 1.5 inches longer, but this does not alter the position of the players arms, hands, or fingers. One can simply ignore the extra pinkie roller key. A B-foot can be fitted to about any flute;- except a couple of oddball one-piece body models.

[fluteguy18]

Most new open hole flutes that are on the market are configured with an offset g key, though inline models are still a readily available option. This is a result to increased awareness to performance related injuries to the hands. It's untrue to say that they're a rarity amongst flutes (though S-Sorc's comment is true if you look at vintage instruments only and ignore the manufacturing trends of the past decade). If you purchase through a dealer the dealer should be able to get instruments so you can try both inline and offset options. This is also true across all price points and manufacturing levels. Flute makers have acknowledged various styles and trends in the flute community and open hole with inline or offset configurations are available from student flutes through high end models.

My flute is open hole and offset, as are many of the flutes of the players I know.