Intermediate Flute Buying

[sdfluteguy]

Hello! I'm new to this board, so sorry if this is in the wrong place!


So I am a flutist (have been playing for about 7-8 years) and am looking to upgrade to an open-holed B foot instrument (under $2000). I have been looking at FCNY and Kessler and Sons and am just a bit confused between what each model has to offer (the kind of tone, color, etc). So, I was looking for some help?

Here are a few that I was looking at (feel free to add or take out any!):

Di Zhao 400
Di Zhao 500
Di Zhao 600 ***
Amadeus 580 ***
Amadeus 680 ***
Azumi AZ 2
Azumi AZ3 (used)
Powell Sonare 501
Powell Sonare 505
Trevor James Cantabile

*** = comes with a free Kessler and Sons Custom Piccolo!

So what do these instruments each have to offer? I tried them all out, but cannot really notice too much of a difference so I just wanted to know what might be a better option?

Thanks!

[mareike]

I personally have the Di Zhao 500 and I love it. The mechanism isn't too springy and the cut of the head joint allows me to make my tone rather rich and deep.

I know when I was researching flutes last year when I bought my Di Zhao 500 I looked at videos on youtube that did flute reviews sponsored by the Flute Center of New York. I learned about Di Zhao from this channel called "justanotherflutist" and it was really helpful because she showed every aspect of the case and drew diagrams on the shape your mouth has to form if you want to get a good sound from the instrument (she also played a few things on the flute as well).

If at all possible I **strongly** recommend trying a flute out before you buy it. While some brands may look great on paper and may work for some musicians, they don't work for others (eg. Sir James Galway cannot stand Yamaha flutes although it is a brand that is extremely popular amongst professional flutists). I know I was pretty confident that I was going to buy the Pearl 665 but immediately hated it as soon as I played a note on it (mechanism was extremely springy and the cut of the head joint was just not for me).

In the end, make sure you have done lots of research (as I'm sure you have already done some). I know when I went through this process last year I could/still can look at a flute and tell you about the technical differences between french arms and y arms and about all of the technical components of a flute's mechanism. The more research you do, the more confident you'll be in your final decision and overall musicianship. Good luck!

[sdfluteguy]

ah thanks for the reply! That really does help!