Muramatsu Ex and GX models

[joolz]

Hello everyone,
Having just tried both of these flutes I would just like a little advice on buying one over the other.

My impression of the Ex was wonderful until I tried the GX which I then loved. We (the salesperson) and I decided that it had just little more of a 'presence" about it when I played it. But, had I not tried the GX I think I would have been more than happy with the EX.

Is there any other advantage to having the silver body over the silver plate?

Finally, I may be ordering my Muramatsu online. Is this a big no-no? It's just that it will be several thousands of $$ cheaper for me to do this (yes really!!) which means I can buy a GX overseas for the same price as it would be for me to buy an EX here. It might see a bit risky but seeing as though this is a handmade flute and I am buying through a reputable agent, I feel mostly comfortable with the idea. Thoughts?

Joolz

[flutepicc06]

My impression of the Ex was wonderful until I tried the GX which I then loved. We (the salesperson) and I decided that it had just little more of a 'presence" about it when I played it. But, had I not tried the GX I think I would have been more than happy with the EX.

Try switching the headjoints around if the store will allow it...If you like the way the GX plays currently, most of that will be because of the head (and they're all handmade silver heads, so each is different), and odds are good that putting that head on the EX body will be satisfactory.

Is there any other advantage to having the silver body over the silver plate?

Not unless you're a repair tech. From a flutist's point of view, it's actually better (though less "prestigious") to have a plated body, as the base alloy is harder, which means it's less susceptible to dents and dings, and it costs less. Some repairs are easier to carry out on a silver instrument, but a good tech can make just as good a job of a plated flute, so if you don't mind making your tech's life a little harder, I'd go with the plate. The body makes very little difference to the sound...It's really only a way to alter the pitch the flute is playing, so material here matters even less than usual (and even when precious metals are in the places that matter, it's a small difference, if any).

Finally, I may be ordering my Muramatsu online. Is this a big no-no?

Well, it's certainly not the best way to go. Each Muramatsu is handmade, and there can be pretty significant differences between them (far greater than that of machine made flutes, which should still be tested against other instruments of the same make and model), so you may end up with a great flute that suits you perfectly, or one that you really have to fight. The quality will be excellent, but how it plays for you is impossible to know. I would suggest doing some more investigation. Odds are you can get some additional flutes to wherever you live and playtest them against one another. Since you'll be spending a relatively large sum of money on these instruments, you want to be sure you get one that you like. If this store you mentioned already has an EX and a GX, surely they can get others? If there's absolutely no other way to get Muras, and you're dead set on this brand, then you have to decide which is more important to you: A lower price, or being able to play the instrument before you buy it. Only you can decide that.

On another note, how did you settle on a Muramatsu? Have you playtested all the other options you could find at a similar level? If not, there's still some more work to be done before you consider buying anything.

[fluttiegurl]

ome companies will ship you more than one flute of the same model to try out. when my students insist on ordering online (which happens a lot), I will arrange for them to try several from the same company for comparrison.

[Phineas]

Every flute/pic i have ever purchased needed to have work done on it. Also I could play on 10 different instruments of the same brand and model, and get totally different results. My rule of thumb is if I pay more than $1500 dollars for a flute, I am going to play on it first. That way whatever work that I think need to be done on it will be done for free, and usually right on the spot.

The problem with buying this level of flute online is even with a good return policy, there is the potiential for spending alot of time shipping flutes back and forth till you find what you want. I would be cheaper in the long run to take day drive, or a short plane ride to a dealer, and deal with them face to face. For example Southwest airlines, you can get round trip tickets for as low as $100, and a decent hotel will cost you $100. You will maybe have $50 dollars in cab fare. I know what you are thinking "That is expensive!" but you are talking about a flute that cost $2000+ dollars. 10% more to travel to get it is priceless! If you are really good, you could cut those travel expenses in half!

Just another .02USD for the kitty!

Phineas

[pied_piper]

Every flute/pic i have ever purchased needed to have work done on it. .... It would be cheaper in the long run to take day drive, or a short plane ride to a dealer, and deal with them face to face. Phineas

I've never had the experience of buying a new instrument that needed work, but I usually deal with flute specialty stores that are not high-volume-turn-the-inventory-as-fast as-possible stores. Used instruments, though are another story.

I sort of agree with Phineas about the day trip. I used the same approach when I bought my pro flute when I stepped up from an intermediate. Later though when I was ready to try out some new headjoints, I combined a vacation trip with a visit to a flute specialty store. I tried about 15 different headjoints and eliminated all but two. For the final decision, I had those two shipped to me for a weeklong trial, because I felt I could not make the decision based upon a short test by playing it in the store. By getting them on trial, I was able to try them in the environments that I normally play in and get a much better idea of what really worked best for me.

[joolz]

Thanks to everyone for your advice.

Part of the problem is that I am Australian so it wouldn't be a day trip for me and the airfare to the US is around $2000.

There is such a HUGE mark up on flutes here in Australia and I really don't know why. What you can buy for $5000 there, we are being charged $9000 here. And that is with the exchange rate and everything. I just can't justify that kind of mark up even though I would like to support my local dealer. All the dealers here in Australia have the same prices.

Here is an example : An EX Muramatsu here is $5190 AUD which equates to $4831 USD. I can buy an EX Muramatsu in the US for $2984 USD so that is almost a $2000 US dollar difference. Even if I need to have a service on my instrument it would never be that much.

The GX model here is $8225 AUD which equates to $7655 USD. I can buy a GX Muramatsu from the US for $4784 USD so there is a difference of almost $3000 USD. Again - a way too big mark up.

I'm not sure why this is and I'm tempted to ask the dealer but don't want to insult them. I understand that there are things like customs etc but it still shouldn't warrent this kind of mark up.

And it's not just Murumatsu or this particular dealer. I was interested in a Sonare 75BEF at one stage. It sells in the US for $2300 USD roughly and here it is $5150 which equates to $4793 USD m- another $2000 + mark up.

So for me, the saving I would make is big enough to warrent me considering buying a flute I can't try.

Thanks again everyone, I'm really wishing I was in the US right now!

Joolz

[Phineas]

Every flute/pic i have ever purchased needed to have work done on it. .... It would be cheaper in the long run to take day drive, or a short plane ride to a dealer, and deal with them face to face. Phineas

I've never had the experience of buying a new instrument that needed work, but I usually deal with flute specialty stores that are not high-volume-turn-the-inventory-as-fast as-possible stores. Used instruments, though are another story.

Maybe I should have use the word "Adjustment". When i purchased my Miyazawa, it played fantastic. When I had my technician adjust it, it played 30% better! This has been true for every flute I have ever purchased no matter what the price.

joolz

Part of the problem is that I am Australian so it wouldn't be a day trip for me and the airfare to the US is around $2000.

Well, you can get a cheap ticket to Taiwan, Korea or Japan. For the money you would save, it would be worth it! There are great dealers in all three places, and most of them speak english. As a matter of fact, Muramatsu has a shop in Tokyo. The prices there are even better than you could get them in the US, with a better selection of models.

http://www.muramatsuflute.com/e-menu.html

Just a thought!

Phineas

[fluteguy18]

You could try going on the American ebay [there are links on the bottom of their page that will take you to the different countries], and buying a flute there. I did that with my picc, and I saved a good $800-1000 USD. But, I warn you to be careful if you do so. The only reason I did it, was because A: it was an actual dealer in Holland who did a lot of business on the side online, B: they had about 1000 reviews, and their rating was 100%, C: they offered a 7 day trial period, and 100% money back guarantee if I didnt like it, D: they did a COA before they sent it to me, and E: I had tried several of the model that I purchased, and liked them all equally, so I felt pretty secure in the fact that I would probably like it [and if I didnt, I would have just sent it back].

When I got it, it was packed very well, and was in great shape. So, I dont regret it one bit. But, I also consider myself somewhat lucky, because it could have easily gone very badly.

So, if you do try the ebay thing, try to find actual dealers that do business on the side. You can sometimes get great prices from dealers who are trying to get rid of their extra stock to make room for other things.