Allora AAPI 996 Piccolo?

[brightstar1776]

Hi all,

I am an undergraduate euphonium student and have ZERO idea about anything woodwind related! Now with that stellar introduction, I have a middle school aged cousin who absolutely adores her flute. She just recently auditioned for a scholarship for a summer camp at Blue Lake. I would like to buy her an entry-level piccolo for Christmas, just so she can begin learning the instrument. That way if she likes it, she can buy a more expensive one later.

As I'm a broke college student, I came across this one at WWBB. It says it retails for $500 and is on sale for $150, but I'm not so sure...anyone with any experience with this model/brand, or thoughts in general, would be greatly appreciated. I know this is probably a really crappy piccolo, but am looking to buy one for her under $200...Thanks!

http://www.wwbw.com/Allora-Model-AAPI-9 ... 13498.wwbw

Shannon Reed

[pied_piper]

Like most things, you get what you pay for. In the last few years there have been a number of these unknown brands springing up. Most likely, it's made in China. That, in and of itself, is not necessarily good or bad, but it seems that the quality of the Chinese-made instruments can vary greatly. Some are pretty good, but others can be quite bad. The main problem is that you really don't know which you are getting with these off brands.

I suggest that you read the Fluteland FAQ which provides a lot of information about buying instruments at different levels: http://www.fluteland.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5859

Also, you mentioned that your cousin is in middle school. That means she has probably been playing flute only one or two years. As a former middle school band director, I usually suggested that my flute students wait until high school to start doubling on the piccolo. The reason is that the piccolo can be a challenge to learn to play and it's best to wait until the student has a really solid foundation on flute before starting piccolo. There are exceptions, especially if she is studying with a private teacher. I'd suggest asking her parents to check with her music teacher(s) to find out if they think she is ready to tackle the piccolo before you plunk down your money.