Piccolo purchase

PatN · Post by **PatN** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 1:39 pm

My daughter is a college sophomore in flute performance. She is in need of a new piccolo. (she is still using the Emerson P-3 she got in the 9th grade) She is going to ask her teacher for suggestions, but I thought I would see what suggestions folks on this board might have. The lower end of the professional quality instruments seems to be in the $1500 to $2000 range. The three that seem to be possibilities are the Yamaha 81, Roy Seaman signature, and the new Burkhart-Phelan "Global" Anyone have good experiences with these?

Is the Global basically the same as the more expensive Burkhart Phelan but with silver-plated keys?

Two others that are some $700 to $800 more are the lower-end Hammig, and the Bulghieri (sp?) Como? Are these worth the extra money, or are they more expensive because they are foreign made?

Lastly is the quality control at a maker like Burkhart such that if you order a flute or piccolo, you can be assured of getting a good one? --or are you better off getting one from a place like Flute World where you can try it out?

Thanks for any info.

fluttiegurl · Post by **fluttiegurl** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 9:27 pm

You are looking at some truly amazing piccolos, but very expensive. From my experiences, though they may vary from others, I would totally leave the Roy Seaman out. The newer piccolos (since Gemeinhardt took over) don't seem to be up to the others. Both the Burkart and the Yamaha are great piccolos. I would strongly suggest trying piccolos out from Fluteworld before purchase. Generally, buying directly from the maker is safe, but takes a great deal of time and usually involves a waiting list. Also, by trying a few out, she can decide which one she likes best, playing each for her teacher and maybe even a short recording, and be able to play several of the same model once she knows what she wants. When I buy an instrument, I try no fewer than 5 of the same model before purchase.
One other suggestion is the Emerson Boston Legacy. This seems to be a wonderful piccolo for the money, and you can also try several headjoint options. Hammings are also great piccolos. It will just depend on what she likes

. Good luck!

PatN · Post by **PatN** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 9:29 am

Thanks for the info fluttiegurl. The Boston Legacy may be another she should try. Someone in my daughter's studio just got a $5000 Keefe (sp?) , so, in comparison, I feel like I'm getting away on the cheap.

One last question. What are the reasons for getting the more expensive "wave" headjoint? ARe they widely used?

fluttiegurl · Post by **fluttiegurl** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 10:09 am

From my experiences, the wave is nothing more than a marketing gimmick. The idea is to focus the airstream, but a good player does not need this. I know several people who have tried them, but no one who uses one, so I would guess that they are not as widely used as many of the players I come in contact are pros who both record and play in top orchestras.
I tried several wave style headjoints myself and was just not impressed. Please realize that this is just my opinion. I am sure there are people who believe strongly in these, but I just can't see what the big deal is. Again, I would suggest having your daughter try them out as well. She may find that she really likes them, but I strongly doubt it.

ick27 · Post by **ick27** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 9:58 pm

I would say the emerson boston legacy and yamaha 62 are similar piccolos. I've played a couple yamaha 62's at my school in band and orchestra, and they are good instruments but the intotation is frustrating. These piccolos are physically shorter than other piccolos and the tone holes are correspodningly closer together. The hammig and burkhart phelan are really a cut above the less expensive piccolos, it's almost like a different instrument. Keefe and Burkhart piccolos are the top of the top as far as piccolos go, both are suberb handmade instruments.

As for the Roy Seaman, I agree that the older ones are much better instruments, but I think the new ones are along the lines of the boston legacy or yamaha. The global piccolos are interesting, and I'm not sure how I feel about them. I'd say they are better than the yamaha/emerson/whatever but not like the hammig or burkhart phelan. The global piccolos are a new model I believe, so they may yet undergo some changes. I've never played a Bulghieri, but I've heard that they are good instruments..

Since you asked about quality.. I think Lillian Burkhart is a genius, and every Burkhart instrument I have played has been amazing, as are the burkhart phelan piccolos. These are handmade instruments, so the quality is another level above that of gemeinhardt/yamaha/emerson.

This post has become very long and rambling! As a college sophomore and a piccolo player of several years, your daughter will be able to tell which instruments are good. I think the differences between piccolos is very substantial, more than between flutes, so I'm sure she will be able to make a good decision if she tests a bunch of them. It is a good idea to play a piccolo with an ensemble before you commit though (on trial or through return policy, etc). Sometimes a piccolo's quirky intotation doesn't become clear until you have to play it with other people!

PatN · Post by **PatN** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 11:24 am

I thought I would let those on this Board know that my daughter and her teacher tried out four piccolos during the past 10 days: the Burkhart-Phelan, the Bulgheroni Como, the Roy Seaman, and the Emerson Ironwood Boston Legacy. (the Burkhart Phelan "Global" is hard to get ahold of so that was not tried).

Surprisingly, it ended up coming down to the Roy Seaman and the Emerson. She found the Seaman to be a little brighter, and had a few lower notes that were sharp, although the high notes were easier. She liked the sound of the Emerson and found the scale to be very good, so she decided to buy that one.

We got he BP, Seaman and Emerson from Flute World. They will send them to you for a 10-day trial, and hold billing your credit card until you choose one. The Bulgheroni came from Woodwind and Brasswind, but we had to actually buy it, subject to it being returned within 45 days.

A thanks to Fluttigirl who recommened the Emerson to us. BTW, I was told that the Boston Legacy was designed by Jan Gippo who is currently playing in the St. Louis Symphony.

fluttiegurl · Post by **fluttiegurl** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:11 am

I am happy to hear that you decided on a piccolo!

I was not award of the hisory of the Boston Legacy. Thanks for the info