buying a flute...advice please

[mchel210]

Anyone have any suggestions? for my 11 yo. playing in a beginner band. I dont want to buy the top end student ones that are $500+++ but I don't believe a $99 one would be a "great" choice.

 

I saw a few on amazon...but I really dont have a clue. I saw this one that had a great review...

It seems to be a middle of the road flute...but I figured I would ask here and see if anyone has any suggestions. :D:D:D

 

 

I hope so!! :bigear:

[Annie]

I would probably spend a little time trying to see if I could find a used Yamaha or similar before spending over $200 for that one. Do you have any "nicer" pawn stores in your area? I know there's one in my city that has a ton of instruments. When money is tight the band instrument that hasn't been used in two years is pretty easy to let go of.

[Mommyof4ks]

I bought a $100 one off of Amazon, and dd's flute teacher said it would be fine for a few years until she decides if she want to continue.

 

Is there a band store near you that will rent instruments? We have one that is rumored to rent for $10 a month, but I have never rented one, so I am not sure about the price.

[Mrs Mungo]

Ask the band teacher. The problem with intermediate flutes is going to be that they are often too long for kids. Kids usually start with a cheap student flute or a bent-head flute (eta: because the bent head makes it shorter). Just accept that with musical instruments you generally *need* (due to size) to start out on a student instrument and eventually move up to a better instrument.

 

A used student flute (like this Bundy on amazon) is a good choice, but it is going to depend on whether the length is good for your child.

Edited September 7, 2012 by Mrs Mungo

[wonderchica]

Get thee to the local music store! Oftentimes they will rent. Even if you want to look around for better prices, they will be able to tell you exactly what kind your child will need.

[angela in ohio]

I don't know where you are located, but we are selling dd's beginner flute. She upgraded to an open-holed flute when she started high school, but kept this one as a backup in case she ever decided to march. Well, now she wants an alto, and doesn't want to march, so she is selling it.

 

I can ask dd for details. I know it is $599 new, and the flute shop told her to ask $250-275 for it. Her flute teacher is asking some of her new students, but we haven't heard from anyone yet, so it's still up for grabs.

 

Anyway, PM or email me if you are interested.

[LisaKinVA]

I played flute from age 9 through 22...on my same Armstrong Student Flute. There was no difference in size...unless you got a flute with a B-flat key, or you wanted to play the Alto flute, which is a different breed.

 

Generally, younger students would not start with an open-holed or B-flat flute. At 11, any of the student flutes would be a good choice. Buying used *can* be a good deal, however, it depends upon the condition of the flute. It costs almost as much to re-hab an old flute (pads, corks, wires, etc.) as it does to buy a new student flute.

 

FWIW, I have played the Bundy, Yamaha, Gemeindhardt and Armstrong. Each of these flutes have a different weight, headpiece and feel. Your flute will become almost an extension of the musician, I'd have her try the feel of a few before buying one...my personal favorites are the Armstrong and Gemeindhardt.

 

The lower-end flutes are okay for learning, but will not last. If you buy a Gemeindhardt or Armstrong, the quality could take them through high school (unless she is interested in using the open-holed/b-flat key flute for college orchestras...student-flutes are still used in college marching band. No one wants their silver-open-holed flutes flying across the football field when called to attention ;))

[justLisa]

You could go to some music stores and check out the used ones. Often they were just rented a time or two. I found a very nice advanced flute that was used. I am kicking myself to this day for not buying it because I have never found a deal like that, but it wasn't in the budget at the exact time.

[Mrs Mungo]

I played flute from age 9 through 22...on my same Armstrong Student Flute. There was no difference in size...unless you got a flute with a B-flat key, or you wanted to play the Alto flute, which is a different breed.

 

To clarify, most intermediate flutes have a B-flat key. It was too long for my middle dd when she started out (I already owned an intermediate Gemeindhardt from my high school days), so we rented a student flute until she grew into the intermediate.

Edited September 7, 2012 by Mrs Mungo

[PeacefulChaos]

Anyone have any suggestions? for my 11 yo. playing in a beginner band. I dont want to buy the top end student ones that are $500+++ but I don't believe a $99 one would be a "great" choice.

 

I saw a few on amazon...but I really dont have a clue. I saw this one that had a great review...

It seems to be a middle of the road flute...but I figured I would ask here and see if anyone has any suggestions. :D:D:D

 

 

I hope so!! :bigear:

 

I'm not familiar with that brand - I would look for a Yamaha or gemeinhardt (sp?) used and see what I could find... I learned to play on my mom's old gemeinhardt (which was open hole, but they put corks in the holes for the first year or so) and got my own, beautiful gemeinhardt (more advanced one) in 11-12th grade.

Edited September 7, 2012 by PeacefulChaos

[-M-]

Earlier this year, we were also in the market for a flute. The flute linked below was the chief recommendation. I wonder if you could look for a used one?

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002FO5LS/ref=wms_ohs_product

 

I also second the recommendation to check with your local music store. A rental may be the best way to test drive an instrument.

[TrixieB]

Go to a music store and test out the flutes. Different brands can have vastly different sounds. Some you'll like, and others you won't. They might have used flutes at a reasonable price.

 

I wouldn't buy an unknown brand off the internet.

 

Another idea is to talk with the band teacher. She may know of beginner flutes for sale from students who have upgraded. This is the case every year in my kids' band. You can ask her to look over the flute and play it to check for its condition, air leaks, etc. Flutes can be very pricey to re-pad or to fix damaged headjoints.

 

If you belong to a local homeschool group, you could ask if anyone has a flute for sale. Kids change their mind or outgrow their musical instruments and you might find a flute that way. Also ask at your church, etc.

[Jann in TX]

My Dad leads the Central Oklahoma Homeschool Bands.

 

His name is Tom. You can find his contact info in the link above.

 

He has a wonderful supply of instruments for his homeschool band students (and students from other homeschool bands).

 

Even if you are out of state he would gladly visit with you and share his inventory. His prices are awesome-- he loves his homeschool families and is not out to make a profit on the instruments.

 

HTH

Jann

Edited September 8, 2012 by Jann in TX

[mchel210]

wow!! So much information! :001_smile:

 

I am going to research some of these names. I just cant believe how much money they cost. I will also email her teacher and see if he knows any for sale. My husband didnt want to rent them because he figured it would be more economical to buy it. The rentals are $575+ each if you want to rent to own. Yamaha Advantage 200AD this is the one they rent....I didnt think of renting it for a few months only while I see about buying one. My head is spinning.

Edited September 7, 2012 by mchel210

[Sparkle]

My dh owns a couple of flutes, and he actually just bought another one. I believe they are a fairly new brand, called Nuvo. The flute is plastic instead of metal, and the tone is very nice. He took his into the local music store and had the owner play it, and he said it sounded just as good as a metal student flute. The cost is pretty reasonable, I think dh paid $200 + shipping. I'll have dh post more about it when he gets home.

[Amy in KS]

We just bought one. The band director said we wanted a gemeinhart 2sp, an armstrong, an emerson, or a jupiter. He said if we bought one used, that we could request that the seller meet us at the music repair shop so we know if the cost was worth it.

 

I bought a gemeinhart 2sp for $40 on craigslist. It has a couple pads with some wear, but we can wait on that until we see if our daughter will practice.

 

Oh, and stay away from ebay. Apparently, there are many intrument scams there (poorly fixed instruments with many needed repairs).

[Element]

I started on a full sized Emerson flute when I was 10 and then switched over to an Armstrong piccolo when I was a sophomore. Both instruments were sufficient. Of course, I always wanted an open-holed flute, but mostly just because I thought they were "cool." ;) I would feel comfortable recommending either brand for a first flute.

 

ETA: I was wrong. I just went and dug out my old flute, and it is an Artley, not an Emerson. Apparently Artley isn't around any more. I no longer have my lovely little piccolo, but I'd be willing to bet *it* was the Emerson and I was confusing "Artley" with "Armstrong." So I would recommend an Emerson, but I have no experience with Armstrong. Sorry!

Edited September 8, 2012 by Element

[Pippen]

We just bought one. The band director said we wanted a gemeinhart 2sp, an armstrong, an emerson, or a jupiter. He said if we bought one used, that we could request that the seller meet us at the music repair shop so we know if the cost was worth it.

 

I bought a gemeinhart 2sp for $40 on craigslist. It has a couple pads with some wear, but we can wait on that until we see if our daughter will practice.

 

Oh, and stay away from ebay. Apparently, there are many intrument scams there (poorly fixed instruments with many needed repairs).

 

If we were starting out again I'd take a look at a Pearl flute. They use a new mechanism system that is more reliable, unlike my daughter Gemeinhart flutes which wind up in the repair shop fairly often. We have an excellent flute repair technician in our area and he's recommending Pearl.

 

I've had very good luck buying instruments off of ebay but I knew what to look for.

 

I'm glad we didn't sink a lot of money on a first flute. My daughter advanced very rapidly and two months down the road we were looking at a purchasing a solid silver open hole flute.

[Ruby Rose]

I played the flute. Mine was an open hole flute with plugs in the holes. I think open hole is better for longevity.

[Cindy in the NH Woods]

:iagree:

I played flute from age 9 through 22...on my same Armstrong Student Flute. There was no difference in size...unless you got a flute with a B-flat key, or you wanted to play the Alto flute, which is a different breed.

 

Generally, younger students would not start with an open-holed or B-flat flute. At 11, any of the student flutes would be a good choice. Buying used *can* be a good deal, however, it depends upon the condition of the flute. It costs almost as much to re-hab an old flute (pads, corks, wires, etc.) as it does to buy a new student flute.

 

FWIW, I have played the Bundy, Yamaha, Gemeindhardt and Armstrong. Each of these flutes have a different weight, headpiece and feel. Your flute will become almost an extension of the musician, I'd have her try the feel of a few before buying one...my personal favorites are the Armstrong and Gemeindhardt.

 

The lower-end flutes are okay for learning, but will not last. If you buy a Gemeindhardt or Armstrong, the quality could take them through high school (unless she is interested in using the open-holed/b-flat key flute for college orchestras...student-flutes are still used in college marching band. No one wants their silver-open-holed flutes flying across the football field when called to attention ;))

[Pretty in Pink]

I've been playing for twenty years now. I'd recommend Gemeinhardt, Armstrong, and Yamaha. The Gemeinhardt 2sp is a fine choice. She doesn't need open holes but if you find a good deal on an open-hole flute you can always order little plastic stoppers to put in the holes until she's ready to play without them (I started off on an open-hole instrument, FWIW, she may not even need the plugs at all).

 

I always recommend looking for a silver plated insturment, or at least a silver plated head joint. Maybe you'll luck across one. The sound is fuller and richer. She doesn't *need* it to start with but it's nice to have.

 

She doesn't need a B foot right now but again...if you luck across a deal on one it wouldn't hinder her any. The B foot does add an inch or two to the length but I always thought it was on the far end of the instrument past where your fingers went anyway. I don't think it adds any length where your hands and fingers actually sit. Perhaps I'm mistaken though. I never personally owned a B foot though I played on my friend's a few times.

 

The curved head joint turns the instrument into an alto flute. I don't know if it shortens the length any or not but it does change the range of the instrument. You don't want that at this point.

[In The Great White North]

Oh, and stay away from ebay. Apparently, there are many intrument scams there (poorly fixed instruments with many needed repairs).

 

I did luck out on ebay and found dd a Gemeindthart with a silver head for $100. It turned out to be in very good condition and needed no work. I probably watched ebay for a few months and looked at hundreds first though.

[Sparkle]

Sparkle's "dh" chiming in here. (That's "Mr. Sparkle" to you! :001_tt2:)

 

What's most important is to get a good, playable instrument. Used and inexpensive flutes are prone to leaks, which means a note may suddenly stop working. :angry:

 

Flutes can also be expensive to repair! Often a repair shop won't touch a cheap flute, and re-padding a flute can easily run $300 and up.

 

One of the big appeals of the Nuvo flute is that (in theory) it's more robust for kids (and adults) than a traditional metal flute. It's got silicone pads, so it shouldn't suffer from the same sort of wear that felt pads do. Plastic is less prone to bending, so you can drop it and still be able to play it. It's designed so that repair is something that a mere mortal can do. I've disassembled and reassembled a metal flute before (actually, many times before I got it right), and it's not a fun job!

 

When I got my Nuvo flute, everything was great... except one of the keys was "clicking". I emailed the distributor, who put me in contact with the manufacturer. He apologized and explained that one of the keys was probably not seated properly, and sent instructions on how to pry the key off and re-seat it. It took a couple tries before I got it right, but it wasn't difficult. It was certainly much simpler than the metal flute! With that problem out of the way, the flute plays without problems.

 

I was worried that the keys might respond differently than a normal flute, or require more pressure. That's not the case - it's got a pretty light touch. Soundwise... It sounds like a flute, not a recorder. (It's actually got a extra fipple mouthpiece for learning on, and that makes it sound like a recorder).

 

I took the Nuvo flute to my local music store and had a flautist try it out. He played on it for a couple of minutes, and ran it through the registers and checking the overtones. While he didn't think it was a great flute, he thought it was as good as any beginner flute they carried in the store.

 

There are two versions of the Nuvo flute. The first is the jFlute, which comes with a "J" head joint, and is only available in white. It's good for smaller beginners. Since the flute is made from plastic, it's also lighter than a metal flute.

 

The jFlute lacks a keyed foot. However, unlike a traditional flute, only the C#/C keys are on the the Nuvo's flute foot, so those are the only notes you lose. There's an upgrade kit for the jFlute which replaces the curved head joint with a straight one, and adds the C#/C keys to the foot.

 

The "standard" student flute is exactly the same as the jFlute, only it's got a straight head, and includes the C#/C notes on the foot - and it's in black. It's got the same dimensions as a standard flute, but is a bit wider were the head joins with the body.

 

The dealer actually considered the jFlute (with the curved head) as being the better of the two, noting that it had a better tone and consistency, especially in the lower register. In particular, she noted the low D through F were less stable on the student flute relative to the jFlute. She also noted the flute has a more relaxed embouchure than a typical student flute.

 

I ended up getting the black student flute. When I brought it to work to show my co-workers, they were impressed with how nice it looks. From my initial description, they guessed it would look like cheap PVC pipe. Being black, a lot of people think it's a clarinet! :001_huh:

 

All in all, I think it's a excellent beginner's flute.

[mchel210]

Thank you all so much!!! We are going to rent a few months and try and find one like you all suggested online or used...then when I know she is committed I can invest a little more money. I wish I had unlimited funds to buy the best....but I do see why investing the money is necessary!

 

I had no idea how expensive these instruments cost. There is so much that goes into selecting one...but I have received amazing suggestions!!

[I talk to the trees]

I can get pretty long-winded on this topic, so I wasn't going to bore everyone with my answers, but I can't sit on my hands any longer! ;)

 

1) OP- PLEASE don't buy a flute over the internet (Amazon or Ebay) unless you really know what you're getting. The "bargain" flutes on Amazon are no bargain when you're constantly dealing with taking them to the shop for leaks/broken key mechanisms/etc...Likewise with Ebay.

 

2) (pet peave....please bear with me) It's a B-foot, not a B-flat foot. And it's not really necessary, since the one note it adds is rare in orchestral music and even rarer in band music, and it can always be played up an octave. And young students rarely have pinky fingers long enough to use the key in the first place. And the extra length and weight (small though they be) may cause posture problems with young students. SO! Don't let this one (b-foot) key be a selling point for a flute. There are so many other, more important details when buying a flute, yet many music store salespeople like to push this one detail. It's like car salespeople pushing a car for the sunroof.

 

3) No offense at all intended to Sparkle's dh, but I'd steer clear of this type of "flute." While I can see uses for it (jazz playing or marching in the rain without trashing one's instrument come to mind,) if something did go wrong on this instrument, you'd have a really tough time getting repair shops to work on it. And many band directors out there may not even allow something that isn't a traditional flute.

 

4) Pearl, Trevor James, and Jupiter all make great beginner instruments. But the thing that's going to make the biggest difference to the beginner is the headjoint. If at all possible, take the student to a music store where she can blow a little on the headjoints (yes, just the headjoints- she doesn't need the body right now) from different makers and see which one is going to give her the best sound with the least effort. Getting those sounds out is far more important in the early days than worrying about key speed (though I'm partial to Pearl for quick and silent keys) or silly things like low b-keys or split-e mechanisms.

 

If you absolutely must purchase something over the internet (no music stores in the area) go with a respectable dealer like Flute World or Woodwind-Brasswind. Their service departments will work with you if there is a problem, but with Ebay or even Amazon, you're pretty much stuck if the instrument you get is a lemon.

[laughing lioness]

has anyone mentioned pawn shops? We've gotten a great yamaha flute and guitar (with cases) from the pawn shop for less than $125 each.

[BellaMama]

Oh dear, how I wish I had read this thread before ordering one from Amazon last week...

[-M-]

Oh dear, how I wish I had read this thread before ordering one from Amazon last week...

 

I would imagine it depends on what you ordered and from whom. The price for the Gemeinhardt 2SP Silver Plated Flute Outfit that was recommended to us earlier this year (and is recommended in this thread, too) was significantly less when ordered through Amazon. We received a new instrument and a warranty (the latter of which has already been registered and confirmed). It was one of the Misses' music teachers who suggested we look at the Amazon listing, as it was more than $200 less than what she had seen at either of the local music stores.

 

We had a similarly good experience with our recent CodaBow purchase, by the way. Before making the purchase, I ensured that the seller (an actual music store) was an authorized CodaBow dealer. While I didn't save much money this time, I most certainly appreciated the free shipping, to say nothing of the ability to pay from my already established account. (Oh, how I despise putting that information out there again and again.)

 

Oh, my gosh! How could I forget! My husband's Conn 8D CONNstellation Series Double Horn was also purchased through an Amazon third-party seller (which was also an actual music store). Again, it was a brand-new instrument with a warranty. More, the music store itself offered a limited warranty.

 

A PSA: When you make purchases through online stores like Amazon, especially the larger-ticket items. keep excellent records and ensure that you pay the appropriate state sales tax.

Edited September 8, 2012 by Mental multivitamin
To add PSA

[mchel210]

Ive seen a few local on craigslist but I really have no clue besides the name and how to judge if it is worth the money...im going to look some more but I see several that say lightly used.

[I talk to the trees]

Ive seen a few local on craigslist but I really have no clue besides the name and how to judge if it is worth the money...im going to look some more but I see several that say lightly used.

 

Actually.....Craigslist *might* be a good option for you. I have found that a lot of the posts- at least in my area- on Craigslist are people "decluttering" or trying to make a little cash without the trouble of a yard sale. You may find a nice, workable instrument that way. Do you have anyone- even a high school student who has played for a couple of years- that would be willing to go with you to take the Craigslist flutes for a test drive- checking for leaks, old pads, broken springs, etc...?