High quality alto flute?

Wildlion · Post by **Wildlion** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 1:22 pm

I would be interested to know opinions on high quality alto flutes. The names I've heard most consistently are Altus, Haynes and Miyazawa. I'm looking for consistency in all three octaves, which some of the other models lack.

Hope someone has some advice for me.

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 11:37 pm

The most consistent alto intonation and tonewise that I've ever played was a Yamaha gold brass. Every octave is easy and the pitch and sound throughout the range is extraordinarily consistent (which is amazing taking the way the vast majority of altos play into account). It was truly a stunningly well made instrument, and I suggest you check them out. Of course, just as in searching out a C flute, you must play test them to find what's best for you. Also take into consideration how much you will be playing it, as a $5000+ alto might not be necessary for a casual weekend player.

Wildlion · Post by **Wildlion** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 11:10 am

Hi flutepicc!

Thanks so much for your reply. I have heard a variety of comments on the Yamaha model, but it has actually been quite polarized. People either loved it or they hated it. I beleive you, but I've actually heard the opposite, that the brass made it not warm, but tinny and thin, and unreliable. I'll just have to try one, I suppose. I have confidence in yamaha, though, because I think they're a good maker.

Have you tried any of the others? Thanks again for the reply.

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 12:17 pm

I've played the Miyazawa and the Altus that you mentioned, but haven't gotten my hands on a Haynes yet. I honestly think that Altus does an excellent job with their harmony flutes (I would say they stand out more than their concert flutes), so I would personally choose the Altus. The Miyazawa really did not offer anything special as far as I could feel/hear...I could not justify spending as much as it would cost on a Miyazawa alto when there are (what I feel to be) comparable instruments for far cheaper. Of course, this is all preference. And consider in the brass question, that many old french flutes involved some brass, and they are still highly regarded for the depth and colour of their tone, not their tinnyness or unreliability. Hope some of that helps!

Wildlion · Post by **Wildlion** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 1:36 pm

Do you have thoughts on the Altus vs. the Yamaha? You initially seemed to recommend the Yamaha. Both are several thousand dollars. I play a Yamaha concert flute and I was bequeathed a Jupiter alto, which I play in different contexts frequently. I find that IT is often unreliable in its intonation, and that is why I am looking for something a little more high grade. Good point about the vintage flutes. Louis Lot made some gold models mixed with brass, did he not? Thankfully, I have the resources to make cost less of an issue. I've seen the Altus with both straight and curved (I actually prefer the straight) headjoints for $6,000. That's the highest end dollar amount I've seen for an alto flute. The Yamaha is less, but is there a comparable decline in tone quality compared with the Altus?

Sorry for all the questions FP, but as you can see, this isn't a thread that a lot of people have touched.

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 2:36 pm

Oh, that's alright! I'm glad to offer my help/opinions. Yes, I would absolutely choose the Yamaha over the Altus. I was trying to offer you feedback on the instruments you had mentioned since you didn't seem too interested in the Yammies. In my experience, the Yamaha is my preference, followed by the Altus, and then a Muramatsu. The Altus is a very nice instrument, as is the Yamaha, but the tone gets a bit strained (thin) sounding in the upper octaves on the Altus, just as lower quality altos do, while the Yamaha seems to maintain an excellent tone throughout every register. You, however, may have exactly the opposite experience, so it's up to you to play them and decide for yourself. I can tell you that any of the makers we've mentioned are very well made instruments, so quality is not really an issue. It's simply (hehe) a matter of finding what suits your playing. I personally prefer a straight head myself, as I believe it offers a slightly clearer sound, though for small players the curved heads offer almost the same clarity with less of a stretch.

Wildlion · Post by **Wildlion** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 2:53 pm

You, however, may have exactly the opposite experience, so it's up to you to play them and decide for yourself.

Ain't that the truth?

Unfortunately, I'm not going to make it to Pittsburgh this year. I wanted to go, but other things intruded. I do know that J.L. Smith and Weissmann have traveling roadshows to various parts of the US where they bring their various flutes. Do you happen to know any other places where I might try a trial? I tried the local music store that's a Yamaha dealer, but as I expected, they wanted you to be 90% sure you were buying before they'd be able to pry a $5,000 uncommon instrument out of Yamaha.

I've heard woodwind/brasswind in South Bend allow trials, but their website, at least, looks very hit or miss; not a wide variety of high end stuff there, it seems.

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:41 am

Yeah, I don't like WWBW for high end items. Their servicing is questionable, so you never quite know what condition the instrument might be in when you get it. If you want some reeds, then it's a great place, but I prefer fluteworld for instruments. And Fluteworld will send you instruments on trial. I believe you're responsible for shipping, but they're a great resource. I believe Carolyn Nussbaum will also ship you instruments, so you might want to contact her. Of course, if you're close enough to any of these dealers, you should try to get to them so you can try as many instruments as possible, but having instruments shipped is a good compromise too.

mrc01 · Post by **mrc01** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:40 pm

flutepicc06 wrote: I believe Carolyn Nussbaum will also ship you instruments

Yes she does ship instruments on trial. She has superb service, knows her flutes inside and out and she prices them competitively. She's at http://www.flute4u.com.

I agree with the comments on cheaper alto flutes having inconsistent voicing, becoming thin or squeaky in the top register. The Sonare I played was really bad in this effect - super boomy in the bass and almost clarinet like squeaky in the top register. The Jupiter is the most consistent "budget" alto that I played in terms of voicing. Its top register was at least acceptable. But if you want a really nice top register with consistent voicing throughout the entire range you gotta pay the big bucks.

Regarding intonation, I find it has nothing to do with price. From the flute maker's perspective, it doesn't cost any extra to put the tone holes in the right places

I find the Jupiter alto to have excellent intonation. That should come as no surprise since it uses the same scale as Altus.

nashvilleflute · Post by **nashvilleflute** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:06 am

mrc01 wrote: The Jupiter is the most consistent "budget" alto that I played in terms of voicing. Its top register was at least acceptable.

Has anyone tested the actual difference between a Jupiter alto & diMedici alto - I know the only real difference is solid silver head & a little better mechanism/split E, does the extra couple hundred dollars really make the difference in sound? I'm looking for a good alto that isn't going to kill my bugdet and that I can use in my studio with trustworthy students - one that comes with a straight and curved head - I won't be buying another alto so I'd really like a nice sound (I know it's individual to the instrument)...thoughts?

MeLizzard · Post by **MeLizzard** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 9:27 am

I played a bunch of altos at the flute convention, but was mostly shopping for a new picc, therefore, my lips were not focused on good alto testing, nor do I have specific recollections about each model. Any of the afore-mentioned brands would be good to try, and then match playability with the actual amount of alto playing you'll be doing to decide how much to send. The Lopatin alto was nice, too, but pretty expensive. Just for kicks, also try the new Brio! alto. This is a Gemeinhardt product, but, with the public doing a lot of grumbling about their flutes in recent years, considerable design changes have been implemented. Notably, the Brios feature a head design by Dana Sheridan, but the Brio alto has a Sankyo head. I thought it played very well for not too much money. If there were unlimited dollars, however, I'm not sure which I would choose...probably Altus or Muramatsu.