flutepower wrote:Actually, I have a cheep flute - and it sound pretty good for the price
- around $150, I believe. I'm saving for a a $500 yamaha, though.
The only problem with cheep flutes are that the tone in itself lacks
that sweet tune a flute should have, and the screws do very weird
things (good thing my brother is great at mechanical things!).
Now to my question, what is the difference in tone of a - lets
say a $500 yamaha versus a $120 yamaha? Just wondering.
~Melissa
I don't know as I don't have Yamaha in these price range.
The only REAL Yamaha I have and i know well is a hand made professional model.
You can buy the same one at $2000 to $2500 (used, or supposed to be new but you never know, from winds101 and others) or around 5 to 6K, really new.
If you are saving for $500 flute, I would recommend to save more ... at least $1000 and even $2000 range if possible.
At the price range, you can have very very nice flute compared to under $500 range.
Also, the choice of flute under $500 is limited and there are more competition in finding good in in that range, I think.
But over the $1000 and 1500, there are less people willing to pay the price and thus more bargain you may be able to get.
One thing to consider is the relatively higher price of Yamaha.
It's THE brand name many people go after, and it's too expensive to my taste, especially for the instrument under $1000.
If you have to limit yourself in the price range, you may want to consider different brands like Altus.
The price range is a bit (or a lot) blurred in the used market.
Sometime, you can buy a good flute at very low price.
But you've got to be lucky or very patient and skilled in bidding, or both.
So, it's a good idea to check the local store (if you have one, near by), and check the price and test.
Don't be shy about testing, REPEATEDLY, because I found that the first impression isn't always very reliable.
If you have friends who have different flute, ask them if you can play and test them.
Then, narrow down the choice by asking questions like:
What kind of thing are you going to do with your new flute?
Marching band? (Potentially dangerous for expensive flute)
Jazz? (Not so many people are very picky about sound in Jazz).
Classic and serious (but fun) study into conservatory and even more advanced area? (This is where a good instrument might help you a lot)
Do you need/want open hole? B-foot? Inline or offset G?
Oh, there are split E, C# trill and gizmo, among others.
Remember that you can always plug the open hole flute with different methods.
I prefer open hole model because I can feel the air/vibration easier and my fingers sit lower.
I like inline G because G# tent to be to low (for my taste) for the little finger in offset G.
And I don't care much about C or B foot because I'm not a professional and I don't really need B-foot. C-foot is lighter and takes less space, and usually cheaper, too. (But resale value can be cheaper, as well).
In case of used flute, you may want to be careful about the pitch and scale of the flute. But it doesn't matter a lot unless you are good enough because your pitch and scale would be off in any flute, most probably.
Unless you are very picky about the sound you make and you are capable of making good sound, I don't think it's worth spending a lot (over $2, 3,000). But I'm not against the idea that someone who can afford buying even a very expensive flutes as a beginner. I did that (although mine was on sale) and I think it was beneficial in my case, for the learning process and also because the flute has been so reliable.
Finally, again, consult your teacher if you have one.
However, not all teachers are well informed about the market and what is available because there are simply too wide range of flutes available, and nobody can really test everything.
Some teachers love "American" flutes (although some of them are mostly made in China). Some prefer Japanese. Not so many teachers like/recommend Chinese flutes, but some already know that they are getting better and certain brand can be very good or even excellent.
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Have fun, in wondering and choosing your new flute !
, I like it as it is!