New Boehm

Irish Flute
1

Question for any Boehm fluters:

I just got a new Boehm flute that I bought online, a Yamaha 421 - silver with closed holes and c foot. The flute was still sealed in the factory box, so nobody gave it a once over. There seems to be something loose as there is a noticeable vibration or buzz when I play low g. Maybe just a loose key or the pad not seating right?

Do I need to play this flute in? Is this something that is easily adjustable or should I send this flute back? I’m afraid I got a defective one.

I would have preferred to buy from a store, but they wouldn’t order this model as it’s not common.

Thanks,

Kim

2

Yamaha’s are typically a fine flute and I doubt that one out of the box would be too defective - probably just needs some adjustment (though it should have been play tested before it shipped).

It shouldn’t need to be played in, though. My quess is a leaky key, probably the G# since your symptoms are on the G but it could also be one of the trill keys. If a quick look at the G# key does not reveal a leak (it is a normally closed key) then you may want to have your local shop give it a tune up. As you mentioned, it could also be that the pads aren’t seated well either; a repair shop would be able to tell you pretty quickly.

Erik

3

If it’s a buzz, it’s likely not the pads. Piccolo pads can buzz, but it’s unusual for a flute pad to do so.

I would suspect something is a bit loose–closely check the crown and cork assembly in particular.

You may want to have a repairman look at it–he could probably find the buzz in minutes.

–James

4

As everyone has said, this isn’t a serious problem. There’s probably something very minor going on in the mechanism, which is causing harmonic vibration when you play a certain note. I’ve had a problem such as this go away on it’s own, but you can also take it to a local shop, as James said. If you know a friendly woodwind repairman, I doubt you’d even be charged.

5

I had a Yamaha 481H (silver head, plated open hole B-foot) that I started on. I thought it played pretty well, but my foot joint got a little loose from improper assembly. I took it to a flute repair person (who normally only works on professional flutes, not student models), and my playing seemed to improve considerably. $50 fixed the foot joint, and the flute was properly adjusted and checked for leaks. Same holds true for guitars, they need to be properly set up before use.

Kevin Krell

6

If a screw that holds a pad in place is loose this may cause buzzing. You can easily remove the two G keys on a offset model and check them. Do not tighten the pads up much just about a third of a turn past the feeling of resistance, otherwise you get wrinkles. If your flute is in-line take it to a flute repair man.