Poll- What kind of flute do you have?

[Phineas]

Saturncat

There are a lot of good choices for that price range. The first thing I would suggest is go flute shopping, and start play on a few. This is the only true way to learn about what suits you. Frankly, you can learn how to play any instrument. However, the kind of money you are talking about is enough for you to justify getting an instrument that you feel comfortable playing on.

Going out and trying flutes will also be a good learning experience for you. Also do some research about pricing before you buy. There are many people out there selling instruments for way more than market value. For example, when I was looking for an Armstrong 104, the prices on the internet were in the $300 range. However, when I went ot a music shop in this small town in Kansas, they were selling them for twice that. Yes you calculated correctly $600 dollars for an Armstrong 104, and people were paying that! Paying an extra 50 to 100 dollars to support a local shop is ok, but that was extreme!

My Model of choice considering value and playability is the Pearl Quantz 665. There is a version called the 665 Quantz Coda, but I could not justify the extra $500, and the sound is not any better. For the money, this is the best deal out there right now in my opinion. You just have to find someone who sells them! Pearl Quantz 665s run about $900 to $1000

Happy Hunting

Phineas

[flutepicc06]

The only problem with the posts so far, Saturncat, is that they are telling you one specific model to buy. In my opinion, it best serves those looking for a new flute to have all the options laid out in front of them, and then let them go and play as many as possible to find the best fit, rather than being told "The so and so is the instrument for you, in my opinion," as everyone is biased towards their own personal favorites, and an unknowing shopper could spend $2000+ dollars on an instrument that does not suit them well. That said, you should look at Emerson, Yamaha, Pearls, Azumi, Amadeus, Sonare, Muramatsu (I've seen used EX's for less than $2000), Sankyo, or Trevor James. Any one of these should serve you well until you choose to upgrade again (if you choose to upgrade again). I am a fan of buying used instruments, as you can often get far more for your money than you would buying new, and as long as they have been maintained properly, should give you no trouble, so you might look around for used instruments as well as new. Phineas is right up to a certain point about being able to learn to play any instrument, but if the instrument does not suit you, you will have to expend extra effort to get the same result you would on a flute that matched you well, and one major reason for intermediate flutes is that they play easier, and allow you to focus on more than getting a sound, which could be compromised by a poor flute choice. You will certainly be able to get a sound and play the notes, but as you progress and the nuances become more important, you might find yourself extremely limited by the instrument. So while you can play any instrument, to make music, you'll want one that fits you well. As you try flutes, take an experienced player with you to listen and offer their opinion, and remember to try as many flutes of different makes and models as possible. Oh, and remember, a more expensive flute does not necessarily mean a better flute for you! Good luck!

[SaturnCat]

Thank you for all your posts. They will certainly help me very much.

Thanks to all

[Phineas]

flutepicc06

I do not see anywhere in my post where I was leading anyone to "My Brand" I just stated what my favorite brand was.

There are a lot of good choices for that price range. The first thing I would suggest is go flute shopping, and start play on a few. This is the only true way to learn about what suits you. Frankly, you can learn how to play any instrument. However, the kind of money you are talking about is enough for you to justify getting an instrument that you feel comfortable playing on.

I think this is in complete agreement with what you just said. Used Flute are ok to a point depending on the conditions of the purchase. I am a firm believer that a person should buy a used flute from a dealer, or technician that you trust. Everytime I have gotten a used flute from someone directly, it almost always has to be worked on.

Please excuse me if you were under the impression I was being "Leading". as many different flute I own, I know first hand about how even the most expensive flutes can turn out to be all wrong. I have a Haynes Standard, and it is a bear to play because of how it is layed out. Even though this is the most expesive flute I have, it definitely does not pay the best!

My mention of Pearl was meant to be for exposure purposes only.

Phineas

[Phineas]

By the way, here is my updated flute collection

The main ones I play on are.

Buffet/Crampton international model Wood HeadJoint/SP body/Openhole/Bfoot

Pearl Quantz 665 SS Head/Silver Clad body/Openhole/Bfoot

Yamaha YFL514 SS Head/Silver-Nickel body/Openhole/Bfoot

Armstrong 210 Piccolo SS Head/SS Body/ Gold Plate LP and Keys

Shanghai Piccolo Grenadilla wood/Silver keys/Conical(Chinese)

Melody(Chinese Yamaha Copy) SP/Closedhole/C Foot

Barrington 996 Piccolo SP Head/Composite body

Honorable mentions
Haynes Standard(1980)(Great headjoint!)
2Venus Piccolos(Green, Purple)
2Hawk Flutes(Black, Blue)
Armstrong 104(Everyone should have one of these rugged things!)
Jinyin SP/ClosedHole


Phineas

[flutepicc06]

flutepicc06


Please excuse me if you were under the impression I was being "Leading". as many different flute I own, I know first hand about how even the most expensive flutes can turn out to be all wrong.
Phineas

Actually Phineas, I don't think you were trying to be "leading," and I have to apologize if my post came off that way. I just think that in a situation like this, even when people are giving the most well-intended advice, sometimes an unknowing purchaser might say "Well, they told me the so-and-so was good, so that must be the one for me," and even if it was not the advisor's intent to lead the purchaser to a certain decision, it does happen. I was just trying to make sure that Saturncat understood that just because someone suggests a flute doesn't make it the right one for her, so that she did not inadvertently fall into this trap. So, that long, long post I left behind last time was really more to make sure that Saturncat had as much information as possible, and not a knock at you or anyone else sharing wisdom on these boards.

Chris

[flutepicc06]

I think this is in complete agreement with what you just said. Used Flute are ok to a point depending on the conditions of the purchase. I am a firm believer that a person should buy a used flute from a dealer, or technician that you trust. Everytime I have gotten a used flute from someone directly, it almost always has to be worked on.

Phineas

Perhaps I am assuming that everyone does things the way I do. If and when I acquire a used instrument, it is almost always from a reputable dealer. I never would purchase from a garage sale or eBay without the understanding that it could potentially cost several hundred dollars (or more depending on the tech), to get it into playing condition. I suppose I was a bit ambiguous about the used instruments, so thank you for catching that!

Chris

[Phineas]

Chris

No offense taken. Points of view are what message boards like this are here for.

Phineas

[sherbert789]

Sankyo Silver Sonic. I love it.

[Zevang]

Sankyo too!!!
Mine is K14-3 (silver keys).

Zevang

[sherbert789]

Sankyos are great, aren't they?

[fluteguy18]

I play an Armstrong 303bg. Not the best, but it will do for the time being. I just have to be patient while the paperwork is finished on my Miyazawa classic for college.... I WANT IT NOW!

I also play a Yamaha YPC-62 piccolo. I love the wood compared to my plastic and metal ones.

[Zevang]

Sankyos are great, aren't they?

Indeed, Sherbert, I'm pretty happy with mine. Although I've played it for only two months now, having lots to work to adapt to it, I foresee the potential of what this instrument can offer.
BTW, does your flute have the NRS-1 Headjoint?

cheers,
Zevang

[sherbert789]

Yep, I have the NRS-1. I was playing a crappy old Gemeinhardt before this flute, and it took me maybe a good month or two to really adapt to this flute. I really like mine, though . . . C# trill, open-hole, B-foot, off-set G, pointed key arms. I got it used for $2,500 -- not too bad. I've been playing on it for about a year, so it could probably use a servicing, but I don't want to give it up for a week!! My only complaint is that my C# is horribly out of tune on this flute . . . but I can't blame that one entirely on the flute!!

Good luck with your Sankyo!

[Zevang]

Thanks a lot Sherbert!

Take care and mostly have fun!

Zevang