I’m planning on getting a silver flute within the next twelve months. Since the flute is for me, and I know that I will stay with it once I start, would it be worth my while to get a really good ($1200.00 to $2500.00) flute from the start? I’ll be learning on this one. While I know that many people start with a student model, and then move up, I’d like to start with the very best that I can afford. I know from experience in other areas that it’s more satisfying by far to get what you want from the start, rather than to compromise on quality.
I also am aware of the argument that I won’t be able to get the full potential from a high-end flute, but I want to have one anyway, and work up into it. What is the opinion of the group on this?
Always get the best instrument you can afford, if you know you want to play the instrument. That way, when you’re learning, you’re trying to develop technique, rather than overcome the difficulties of a beginner instrument.
For a young player, or for a player not sure of their commitment, I have always recommended against going straight to an intermediate flute.
However, for an adult, especially when they are firmly committed to learning, I think an intermediate flute can make sense.
Be aware that at the price range you quote, you are looking at low-to-middle end intermediate flutes. This includes some very nice instruments, and also includes some that are barely above beginner’s instruments. Having a teacher or experienced player help to pick your flute can go a long way toward insuring your future satisfaction with it.
I would recommend not going straight to a performance-grade flute ($4500 to $14,000 range). You will need a certain degree of facility and experience to pick the flute at this level that has the most to offer you and will respond the best to your individual abilities.
e.f. dean makes REALLY good intermediate level flutes.i got mine from my flute teacher (who probably gave me some discount) for around $700-800? sterling siliver head, silver plated body. it’s not as light as a sterling silver body would be, but it’s still great. the action is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, especially for a flute in this price range. the whole flute is just wonderfully smooth.
and if you can afford it, you could get the all-silver model. i’m sure that would be lovely. as you might have guessed, i would HEARTILY recommend them!
and as far as your question, i think i would skip the student-level flutes. paying a little more for a good quality, handmade flute with AT LEAST a sterling silver head will leave you much more satisfied in the (possibly not so-long) long run.
As one who goes both ways (silver & wood, that is) I do agree that if you are motivated an entry-level instrument can hold you back- there is so much variability in the cheaper instruments that the only way to know if you’ve found a good one would be for an experienced player to try it. Some of the intermediate instruments are more consistent. I swapped for an French model Yamaha with a sterling head for my daughter as a step-up and wow did it make a difference. I think it has a plated body & keys but the body might be sterling too. She had no problem with the open holes. It’s a great player and the techs seem to know how to work on them. When everything is perfectly adjusted on my Kilpatrick, it rivals many of the well-known high end instruments but when it’s off, the Yamaha is better. Yamahas are available used- try for one with the off-set G key and a B footjoint. There are probably other good intermediates out there as well but this is the one I can currently vouch for. I had a great open-hole Gemeinhardt 30 years ago but I don’t know that the quality of those is as consistent now.
Oh, yeah. Some folks advocate starting with closed holes but I disagree- Irish flutists play open holes all the time.
I’m all about getting the best instrument you can afford as well. Better to not develop bad habits from having to overcome certain obstacles like bad action, funky tuning, etc., especially if you’re working mostly alone and don’t have someone to point out pitfalls for you … but I think a custom flute would be unnecessary at this point as you don’t know what you want in terms of wall thickness, headjoint type, riser height, lip plate/blowhole shape, etc. – your playing isn’t that developed yet.
So IMO, a good intermediate or college-level flute would keep you plenty happy. And it can hold its value fairly well, too, especially if you go the solid silver route. I bought my old Armstrong 80B back in 1980 for around $850, played it all through college and at countless weddings, community orchestra, etc. gigs afterward – and guess what. Just got offered $700 for it. It’s served me very well, indeed, and has earned back its purchase price hundreds of times over.
And there’s nothing wrong with secondhand, especially if the flute’s been recently overhauled (which, on the handmade ones, can run into some real money). I’ve seen a few older Matekis and Powells and even a lower-end Brannen floating around in the just-under $3000 range that you could probably play for the rest of your life and be VERY happy with.
If it was me, I’d PM Dana or Hoovorff on this board – both come from a pretty industrial-strength Boehm background, and I think their judgment would be very good, indeed.
I agree with much of the above. Here’s something to think about: what makes professional flutes a bit more difficult to play is 1)the keys are typically inline (although you can find some with offset keys) and 2) they are open hole: the open hole factor, IMHO makes the tone richer and projects more.
One thing to consider is that professional open hole flutes often come with little clear rubber stoppers for the holes–effectively making the professional flute more beginner-like (as beginning flutes are not open hole). (there might be less of a learning curve here if you already play Irish flute.
Silver does make a difference, as does the wall thickness. Thicker wall = “darker” tone (this is what I happen to like), or thinner wall–a “brighter tone” (possibly the more typical sort of flute). Either is ok–more of a preference thing. Also, I think silver-plated isn’t a bad compromise–usually coupled with a thinner wall flute, it produces a bright, projecting sound.
Hope this helps, and you might want to read up in magazines like “Flute Talk” to get a better analysis than I would…
Talasiga, why don’t you take your meanness and hatefulness and go some place else. We all enjoy each other and this forum is pleasent, except for the likes of you.
I don’t know what you mean, Nelson. I thought peeplj gave the perfect advice. I liked his paragraph and I quoted it. Sometimes I like to acknowledge something that someone says in a positive and efficient way. I think there should be more of it.
Nelson, just because something is said a little different doesn’t mean its nasty or bad. I am sorry that my positive feedback to peeplj upset you.
If you would like to see me banned from here please discuss it with the moderator. Perhaps peeplj should be consulted about how he feels.
I didn’t feel that Talasiga’s comment was meant as any kind of insult towards me; I took it for a compliment.
I do think I should add, though, that when it comes to silver flute I have my good one and haven’t been on the market for one for almost 30 years. I am not current when it comes to orchestral flutes!
Though of course I have my ideas of what to look for and what to avoid, when it comes to specific models and brands I can’t help you much these days.
Also, if you’re struggling with French (i.e. open-hole) keys at first, you can get replacement hole “corks” or stoppers from pretty much any music store.
Hi Steve,
As you have probably seen, there are many silver flutes to choose from. It is the opinion of many flute players, that Yamaha makes the best flutes. From what I hear even their student models are wonderful. What do I play? I play a Gemeinhardt 3SB. I have had very good luck with Gemeinhardt, some feel that they produce a stuffy sound, but I have not found that. Some key things to keep in mind :
Stay with brands that are well known (do not buy a chinese made silver flute)
2)Solid Silver or Gold Headjoint produce the best sound (student models are either silverplated or nickle). Silver plated flute is OK as long as you have a solid silver or gold headjoint.
i agree. i have a gemeinhardt millenium standard, something or other. i love my flute, but a lot of people dont recommend gemeinhardt, but rave about yamaha. i think i ended up lucky; i played a lot of more expensive flutes, and none of them had a better sound than mine (and a couple worse). however, the upper octave came out with less effort on the more expensive ones, and the mechanisms responded quicker (but i need to get mine adjusted anyways); but all i care about is the lower octave, which is better on mine.
i thought that the yamahas were very good players, excellent construction. the one i tried was a bit too classical for me, but then again, all silver flutes are very classical.
I have a Gemeinhardt 3SS-B which is actually getting pretty old now. Ironically, I still think of it as my “new” flute. I don’t believe they make this model anymore–it’s handmade of sterling and is a wonderful flute.
I have had a chance to try many kinds of flutes through the years. I think mine fits me quite well and holds its own against most flutes.
So far the very best Boehm-system flute I’ve got to spend some time with was a wonderful old Rittershausen that I got to keep for a weekend. It belongs to Dr. Eugene Steinquest and even compared against Haynes or Powell flutes, it is still in a class by itself.
I am not quite sure why Gemeinhardt has gotten such a bad rap in some flute circles. I have 3 Gemeinhardt flutes a 2SP, 3SHB and a 3SB. Each flute has a different Headjoint. I also have a wooden headjoint that I can attach to either the 3SHB or the 3SB, which gives the flutes a different sound . I have also found that by plugging the holes I get a breathier sound. If you would rather have a clear sound, unplug. I have found the Gemmy’s to be a very versitile instrument. I play my flute in front of 1000 people weekly and always get good comments on the tone of my flute.
