Used Bass flutes?

[flutegeek1992]

Does anyone know where I can pick up a used bass flute? I'm working with my flute choir and we are fundraising and working on getting grants, the money should be available next spring/fall and I'm trying to explore my options now. Fluteworld doesn't have any on their website and I'm willing to travel up there to try a few different brands. Any help would be appreciated as always!

[john101]

Possibly ebay. Then again I just checked ebay and I never heard of any of the brands for sale there.

I don't think you will find many of these floating around 2nd hand. You might want to just buy a new one from fluteworld. You could also call fluteworld and tell then to give you a call if one becomes available.

John

[flutepicc06]

eBay is indeed a possibility, but most of the basses that get sold there are off-brand instruments, so be careful what you're buying. Most flute dealers have a stock of used instruments for sale, so start checking their website. The Flute Center of New York has a used Jupiter bass that would probably be fine for you purposes, and you might try the Flute Exchange, Flute Specialists, Cincinnati Fluteworks, Carolyn Nussbaum, etc. etc. also.

[fluttiegurl]

Also keep in mind that due to the large mechs, basses are easy to damage. I would not recommend ebay for this one. If you contact Flute World and let them know what you are loooking for, they will contact you if one comes up. Som eof the others may do the same.

[Mark]

Raphael, bass, Serial #12646. silver-plated, Bb lever, trill keys, silver-plated and custom configured, $2,500.

this one is at Naussbaum's place apparantly.

http://www.flute4u.com/Instruments.html

down at the bottom of the page.


mark

[flutepicc06]

Raphael, bass, Serial #12646. silver-plated, Bb lever, trill keys, silver-plated and custom configured, $2,500.

this one is at Naussbaum's place apparantly.

http://www.flute4u.com/Instruments.html

down at the bottom of the page.


mark

I saw that, but Raphael certainly is not a name I'm familiar with, and I would be very wary of this instrument. It may be fine, but it may not. If you're going to consider it, be sure to have a tech check it out for you and comment on it from a quality standpoint...If it's a cheap import, pass it up, but if it seems to be of decent quality, then it's not at all a bad deal for a bass.

[fluttiegurl]

I too would be weary of an unknown brand, but I do not think Naussbaum would have something that was not up to snuff. Maybe contact Carolyn and see what she says ??

[flutepicc06]

I too would be weary of an unknown brand, but I do not think Naussbaum would have something that was not up to snuff. Maybe contact Carolyn and see what she says ??

It's hard to know. I'd like to think she'd weed out the unacceptably low quality instruments, but a certain major flute retailer has recently started selling new flutes that don't come up to snuff in my book. She has a reputation to protect, but she's also a business woman, and thus is there to make a profit. If you consider the Raphael, I would have a third party tech with no financial interest in whether you buy it check the instrument over for quality.

[Peteelew]

I know this is 6 years late, but the Raphael bass flute is actually a very fine hand made flute by Moennig. It was renamed by Fred Merrick to Raphael for his business in Royal Oak Mi, Custom Music. He is now deceased. He was the original American importer of Muramatsu Flutes. The Raphael has soldered tone holes and cork at the tenons. It plays much better in tune than an Altus and has a more even sound throughout the range. You can easily play up to high C. Even using first and second octave fingerlings and using no trill keys. Unfortunately, it is no longer being made.