An Intermediate piccolo...

flute.loops16 · Post by **flute.loops16** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 12:19 am

I play flute and plan on playing piccolo next year when I'm in high school marching band.

I wanted to know which was the best brand to play when outside, but could last me inside as well (for at least a year when I get a better one).

A cheap, but heavy duty piccolo.

Have you any suggestions?

deina-kun · Post by **deina-kun** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 12:24 am

A plastic one would be best for your situation.

I played a silver Gemeinhardt student model (4SP I think) from 8th and throughout high school marching band and it did its time, but after a few seasons and tons of field shows, it got worn out and got beaten up a lot. Its scale kinda messed up now after all of these years, so I'm gonna have to buy a new one (maybe try the new Pearl) when I get some cash. the 4SP was a good marching band piccolo and did well in concert in the first few years I had it.

I've played on Yamaha piccolos as well and they're pretty good.

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 12:25 am

There are plenty of cheap piccolos, but most of them are not worth buying. If you'll be using it both inside and out, you'll need either plastic or metal (or a combination of the two). Wood piccs are inappropriate for marching band, as the wood can sustain serious damage from the elements, and crack, warp, etc. As long as you're careful, any good quality piccolo should be more than heavy duty enough. I would look at anything from these makers:

Yamaha
Emerson
Armstrong
Jupiter
Gemeinhardt
Pearl
Sonare

Avoid junkers from places like eBay, and you should be okay with whatever you end up with.

flute.loops16 · Post by **flute.loops16** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 12:26 am

Junkers from eBay like the Venus'?
Because I was planning on buying one of those. Eek.
Are they really bad?

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 12:30 am

flute.loops16 wrote:Junkers from eBay like the Venus'?
Because I was planning on buying one of those. Eek.
Are they really bad?

Yes, just like the Venus. The scale is pretty much horrendous, the mechanism very poorly built, and many of these junkers are built of pot metal which is very soft. This means more they're more easily damaged, and much more difficult to repair (most techs won't even look at them). Not to mention the poor tone if you can get it to play at all. The Venus in particular are extremely hit and miss. Some people get decent piccolos, and others get piccs that never work. It's best just to steer clear of that whole mess and buy from a reputable maker.

flute.loops16 · Post by **flute.loops16** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 12:32 am

deina-kun wrote:A plastic one would be best for your situation.

I played a silver Gemeinhardt student model (4SP I think) from 8th and throughout high school marching band and it did its time, but after a few seasons and tons of field shows, it got worn out and got beaten up a lot. Its scale kinda messed up now after all of these years, so I'm gonna have to buy a new one (maybe try the new Pearl) when I get some cash. the 4SP was a good marching band piccolo and did well in concert in the first few years I had it.

I've played on Yamaha piccolos as well and they're pretty good.

I was looking at the Gemeinhardt and I'm totally liking what I'm seeing. I will more than likely get a Gemeinhardt because my student flute was a Gemeinhardt. Later I'll get another Yamaha, like my flute now. But I do like the Gemeinhardt you played.

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 12:35 am

flute.loops16 wrote:
deina-kun wrote:A plastic one would be best for your situation.

I played a silver Gemeinhardt student model (4SP I think) from 8th and throughout high school marching band and it did its time, but after a few seasons and tons of field shows, it got worn out and got beaten up a lot. Its scale kinda messed up now after all of these years, so I'm gonna have to buy a new one (maybe try the new Pearl) when I get some cash. the 4SP was a good marching band piccolo and did well in concert in the first few years I had it.

I've played on Yamaha piccolos as well and they're pretty good.
I was looking at the Gemeinhardt and I'm totally liking what I'm seeing. I will more than likely get a Gemeinhardt because my student flute was a Gemeinhardt. Later I'll get another Yamaha, like my flute now. But I do like the Gemeinhardt you played.

You should playtest any potential purchases before money changes hands, hopefully against instruments of other makes and models to determine what suits you best. Instruments may look good on paper, but if they don't match up with your playing, they'll inhibit your progress. This is even more true with piccolos than flutes.

flute.loops16 · Post by **flute.loops16** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 12:37 am

Oh yeah, I believe you. I'm trying to get a ride for Sunday to check it out. I'm so close to buying! But I will check it out before I buy.

deina-kun · Post by **deina-kun** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 12:43 am

flutepicc06 wrote:
flute.loops16 wrote:
deina-kun wrote:A plastic one would be best for your situation.

I played a silver Gemeinhardt student model (4SP I think) from 8th and throughout high school marching band and it did its time, but after a few seasons and tons of field shows, it got worn out and got beaten up a lot. Its scale kinda messed up now after all of these years, so I'm gonna have to buy a new one (maybe try the new Pearl) when I get some cash. the 4SP was a good marching band piccolo and did well in concert in the first few years I had it.

I've played on Yamaha piccolos as well and they're pretty good.
I was looking at the Gemeinhardt and I'm totally liking what I'm seeing. I will more than likely get a Gemeinhardt because my student flute was a Gemeinhardt. Later I'll get another Yamaha, like my flute now. But I do like the Gemeinhardt you played.
You should playtest any potential purchases before money changes hands, hopefully against instruments of other makes and models to determine what suits you best. Instruments may look good on paper, but if they don't match up with your playing, they'll inhibit your progress. This is even more true with piccolos than flutes.

Take flutepicc's advice. Three times I've had instruments given to me as gifts (two Gemeinhardt flutes and a piccolo), none of which I had the chance to play test or choose on my own, so I'm stuck with them, hehe. The 4SP piccolo's nice for the marching band setting, but it didn't last long, and the pads get worn out a lot during marching band season. It was really hard to do dynamics on it, too, but that's not really a focus in the marching band setting (maybe more if it's a parade band). Tuning it was a nightmare, and the upper register was just as bad. ^^; It was good for the marching band/field show standard, but I borrowed the wooden school piccolo for concert.

Gemeinhardts for me have been a very enduring few years with them. I probably would have progressed faster as a flutist had I been able to choose the flute and piccolo I was most comfortable with because it seems that your progress on a Gemeinhardt can increase for so much until it just plateaus because the instrument doesn't seem to handle it. That's how my experience with them has been.

Just a few notes from experience. :]

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 7:36 am

I agree with everything mentioned so far. However, if you are wanting to get a piccolo in the cheaper price range [in the price range of the venus], you might be able to find a used picc in this price range. As for a specific piccolo to recommend, I personally like the Yamaha YPC 32 for both indoor and outdoor events. But, just test, and give everything a chance.

If you do go on ebay and purchase a ' cheap import' piccolo, the company "Symphony" is a pretty safe purchase. The design they use on their piccs, is the exact same design [scale, key design and all] of the Yamaha YPC 32. The only thing that they have trouble with, is the plating on the picc [it wears off after about 1 year]. However, if something does go wrong during the warranty period, the company will send you a new piccolo free of charge [while you get to keep the first one as well]. From the piccs I have played from this company, quality control is fairly decent, and there isnt a whole lot of 'hit and miss' with these piccs. But, they are getting very difficult to find on there.

Overall though, I would recommend going with a mainstream piccolo [for quality reasons]. But if you do go the route of cheap piccs, then Symphony is a pretty safe gamble.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 2:13 pm

I'd really recommend the Pearl PFP-105. It's made of a resin, but the tone quality and design is truly astounding - It has been known for one or two top flautists in the UK to switch to these from professional quality Hammigs and alike.

Give it a go!

flute.loops16 · Post by **flute.loops16** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:59 pm

Thank you guys so much for your suggestions.
But I think I'm going to go with a Yamaha.
I'm going next Monday to get it.
I will definantly let you guys know about it.

MeLizzard · Post by **MeLizzard** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 7:44 pm

Try the new Sonare picc. Well under $1000.

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 8:35 am

I looked up stuff about them, but havent been able to find a webpage either. However, based off of my interactions with them, this is what I have concluded.

They produce cheap budget type flutes and piccolos [so quality can be questionable at times]. As for design, they often copy designs from other makers [ for their piccs, they use the same scale and design as the Yamaha YPC 32]. The only problem I have encountered quality wise is that the plating comes off after about 1.5 years. They offer a 3 month warranty, and if you have any problems, they are quick to send you a new instrument, and let you keep the old one. They are based in New York State [or at least that is where the package came from], and from what I can tell, they only do business through ebay.

I know it sounds like I am a big advocate of this company, but I do recommend going with higher quality companies first. But, if you are going for a cheap "import" type instrument, I [and a few others I know from high school] have all been very satisfied with this company.

This is all I know and have been able to find out.

sarenaerin · Post by **sarenaerin** » Sat May 29, 2010 10:04 pm

Thanks for the tip about Symphony piccs! I need a good picc but don't have a lot of money available. As for where they can be found: ebay.