shopping

Irish Flute
1

Hi all:

Saw my sister over the weekend who is a professional/freelance flutist (classical, though she plays the Baroque flute as well). I asked her advice about shopping for a flute and she said something that goes aginast most of what I have seen on this board: never buy a flute you can’t play first. She says every flute is unique and that even reputable makers turn out flutes that can be quite different. So her advice to me was to buy a used one that I could play first.

Any thoughts?

Tim

2

Virtually all the top makers allow you an “Approval Period” (usually 2-4 weeks) and will accept the instrument back for exchange or a refund if you find it doesn’t suit you.

If you only consider used instruments you’re going to have a very tough time getting a hold of some of the better (contemporary) makers instruments, like Olwell, Wilkes, and McGee flutes, and if you do find one used (and in good condition) you’ll likely have to pay a fortune for it. Not to mention that (generally speaking) you’ll have no warranty with a used instrument…

Loren

3

I’d agree with your sister, with the addition of a few things to keep in mind:

  1. Don’t limit yourself to used flutes - you may be able to find new flutes in stock at some stores, festivals, etc.
  2. Your first impression may not be accurate. Spending 5 minutes in a store will not tell you all you need to know about a flute. Spending a couple of weeks getting to know the flute (about the time of most maker’s trial period - funny how that works out :slight_smile: )will tell you a lot more. This is especially true if you’re new to woodenflutes.
  3. Buying a no-name used German flute, because you were able to try it out, doesn’t mean you will end up with a better flute than if you had ordered sight unseen from a reputable maker.
  4. This is easy advice for you sister to give. There is a wealth of silver flutes out there to try, including some high end models. That doesn’t seem to be the case for simple system wooden flutes. Most of us have had to rely on a maker’s reputation and advice from others. Search the archives if you haven’t already.
    Best of luck tou you in your search!

(I do believe this is my longest post yet! :laughing: )