Mendini or Gemeinhardt?

hottiefee · Post by **hottiefee** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 9:38 am

I have been playing flute for 7 years now and have only purchased Gemeinhardt flutes. I have had 2 student, flutes, an intermediate flute, and most recently, a professional flute. I have had wonderful experience with this brand. However, I no longer have any flute and just started college. My question is: What is the difference in a Gemeinhardt flute and a Mendini flute? I don't have the money to purchase a new Gemeinhardt, but found a Mendini within my price range. Are the Mendini flutes put together as well as Gemeinhardt and play as smooth? What is the difference? If Mendini flutes are not of as good of quality as Geminhardt flutes, I will manage to get the extra money for one. Please help me, I don't want to get one that is not right for me, but would love to save a few hundred dollars, if it is worth it. Thank you so much!

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:49 am

What is a Mendini flute? I've never heard of them. And if you are looking for a flute for College level music study, a Gemeinhardt (any model) won't cut it. You'll need something better.

Take a look at the FAQ thread under the General Hangout section.

hottiefee · Post by **hottiefee** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 12:42 pm

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-SILVER-17-KEY-O ... 45ee044808
is where I found the Mendini flute. I would like a flute for College level study. I never heard of Mendini either, but they seem to be cheaply priced. I was just basically wondering if that is a decent brand.

kiwiflute · Post by **kiwiflute** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 2:49 pm

Mendini looks like cheap rubbish. My rule of thumb - don't go anywhere near a flute which is described by counting the number of keys!

What will happen here is you will order a cheap, rubbish flute, which has to be returned to the vendor. You will be responsible for all postage and may receive a refund less a handling fee of an unspecified amount, which will probably be a hefty proportion of the purchase price. End result - you will have no flute and you will have paid postage and a handling fee and will have got a only small amount of your purchase price returned.

The company will have the flute you returned, will have spent no money on postage and will have pocketed the "handling" fee, and be ready to scam again. You lose!

This is a well described scam.

For college level study you will require a reliable quality flute not a cheap pot-metal rip-off.

Gemeinhardts make reasonably sturdy if undistinguished student flutes. There are much better choices out there.

pied_piper · Post by **pied_piper** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 3:30 pm

I agree with the previous posts. Most of the cheap flutes on eBay are a big risk. There are a few that may play OK, but even then, if you need repairs (and you will eventually), some shops will not work on these off-brand instruments - parts are not available and the metal is sometimes so soft that the keys go out of adjustment from simply playing it. They "lovingly"

refer to these atrocities as an ISO - "Instrument Shaped Object". It may look like a flute, but that's about as far as it goes. You'd do about as well to cut off a broom stick to 21 inches long and paint it silver.

Which brand would suit you depends upon how you intend to play it. If you are going to major in flute performance in college, you'll need something better than if you are only going to play in the college marching band or pep band.

See the FAQ for help choosing a flute: http://www.fluteland.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=2411