What happens with flutes at brick-and-mortar stores

[etc-etc]

Being the most delicate, flutes fare the worst among all wind instruments whilst on the store display. They get beaten out of adjustment by sales clerks, unwitting customers and "repair" techs. A new flute in good shape after a few tryout episodes becomes next to unplayable.

The culprits:
1. Holding the flute by the keywork when assembling.
2. Hitting the flute while taking it in and out of display.
3. Applying too much force to the keys.
4. Spraying the sterilizing solution over the embouchure hole without separating the headjoint from the main body. The pads get a fair share of the sterilizer and distort.
5. Not drying / not swabbing the flute after trial.

It is too bad, as being able to try the instrument out and select the best one is a big advantage of a brick-and-mortar store.

[pied_piper]

It sounds like the the stores you are visiting are general music stores and not a flute specialty store. Try a store like J.L Smith, Carolyn Nussbaum, Flute World, etc. The good flute stores know how to properly handle and treat flutes.

[etc-etc]

That is exactly the case: they are generic stores.

[jmdewey60]

Just sitting, it seems, does not necessarily ruin a flute.
Here's a detail of the case that a flute I recently bought
came in. It shows some rust on the metal handle fixtures.

Also, after carrying it back and forth to the local music shop, the
leather, or leather-like handle broke. I temporarily fixed it with
some zip ties. The point being, that this flute sat unused inside this
obviously (from the looks of it) old case for 47 years without any discernible
ill effect to the flute itself. I asked the flute repair/store owner guy if
they were made out of materials that if you take care of them, will last forever.
He made some sort of affirmative gesture and noise as a response to my question.
(I bought the flute on the internet and took it to him to check it, so he would,
if anything, be motivated more to say the opposite, if he, for example thought
he was not busy enough)
So, theoretically, I suppose a flute could sit in a store for a hundred years and
be fine when someone finally got around to buying it and taking it home.
I think it would be more, as mentioned in posts above, the people messing
around with them that would degrade them.

[fluteguy18]

Get this... I was at a local 'music store' recently and went towards the back of the shop. I went up the flight of stairs to where they had their recording equipment and looked down.

You know what I saw?

A box of instruments. Instruments, not cases. I specifically remember a horrific excuse for a flute, a clarinet and a trombone.

YIKES!

[pied_piper]

Get this... I was at a local 'music store' recently and went towards the back of the shop. I went up the flight of stairs to where they had their recording equipment and looked down.

You know what I saw?

A box of instruments. Instruments, not cases. I specifically remember a horrific excuse for a flute, a clarinet and a trombone.

YIKES!

REALLY?!? I can't imagine anyone doing something like that.



Actually, most repair shops have similar boxes affectionately known as their "Bone Pile". It's used as a parts source for cannibalizing parts. Though, In my case, I guess the name "Bone Pile" is ironic since I don't actually have a trombone in there...

[Kshel]

Sometimes instrument makers do not ship their instruments in cases to avoid smashing keys or throwing the instrument out of adjustment. Flutes are generally good to go in the cases, but even then they should be checked when they arrive in store. Specialty shops like the ones listed above are really good about play testing and checking the instrument out before it ever goes on trial.

I do suspect that if you saw a frightening pile of bodies and keys it is most likely a scrap/junk pile kept handy for the occassional ancient flute that strolls in for repair.

[fluteguy18]

Oh no, these were fully assembled 'window' models that had been stuffed behind a bookcase. If they were in pieces then I would understand, but no. Fully assembled. This store unfortunately has a very bad reputation and sells 'Ebay specials' as quality instruments.

[Kshel]

In that case... Yikes. o_o

[ciuineadas]

In that case... Yikes. o_o

...and double yikes. Possibly with capitals and multiple exclamation points. We've got places like that around here too, unfortunately. Associated Music is the only place within 50 miles of me that I'd trust to sell me something that wasn't treated like that. Hadn't heard about the cannibal flutes before, though I suppose I shouldn't be suprised. Now I'm curious where the springs George put in my baby actually came from...

[pied_piper]

@ciuineadas: Typically, bone pile instruments are used as a parts source for things like lost pivot screws, and broken or lost keys. Most repair shops stock new springs in a variety of sizes and materials. The cost of springs are relatively cheap and it wouldn't make a lot of sense to spend time removing a spring from a junker.

BTW, you mentioned Associated Music as a store you trust. I'm familiar with Associated Music in Virginia Beach. It's also called the Flute Tooter and run by Frank Jones. Are we talking about the same store? Frank is a really great guy as a teacher and a store owner.

[ciuineadas]

@ciuineadas: Typically, bone pile instruments are used as a parts source for things like lost pivot screws, and broken or lost keys. Most repair shops stock new springs in a variety of sizes and materials. The cost of springs are relatively cheap and it wouldn't make a lot of sense to spend time removing a spring from a junker.

BTW, you mentioned Associated Music as a store you trust. I'm familiar with Associated Music in Virginia Beach. It's also called the Flute Tooter and run by Frank Jones. Are we talking about the same store? Frank is a really great guy as a teacher and a store owner.

At least I know the springs are new, then; George was an emergency out-of-town repair, so I had no clue what I was getting into, regardless. And I've got an older-model Armstrong that's proven itself to be night indestructable, so I've had little reason to be aware of where my repair guy gets his parts since I hardly ever need them. Which reminds me, it's that time of year again...

Yes, that store, and that Frank; I've been going to him almost exclusively since I started playing over 20 years ago. I love him to death and don't let anyone else touch my flute if I've got the choice. One of the fine gentlemen that I accompany for, lovely fellow but a total clutz, literally knocked my flute out of my hands about a week before a major concert and the shock completely killed my left-hand key mechanism among several other things. Frank took me in that same day (a Sunday when he's not usually open to the public) to look at it and give me an estimate, and had me playing again in three days.

[pied_piper]

Since you must be in the SE VA area, do you go to the annual Hampton Roads Flute Faire at ODU? I know quite a few of the amateur and pro flutists in the area and wondered if we might have crossed paths or met.