Currently i only have a cheap student flute (Buffet and falling to bits!!!) and i'm (hopefully) doing my Grade 8 this summer, i was in a bit of a dilemma as i'm saving for a really really nice flute (hopefully a Powell or Miyazawa) but .... i've gone and brought one for my Grade 8, maybe a bit longer!

It's a Pearl 665E, with a solid silver headjoint, i played it a few weeks ago really liked it, decided i'd ring the shop up today to ask if they still have it, they do, so i'm picking the flute up tomorrow!

Does anyone else play a Pearl? It will be ok for my Grade 8 i hope, it's not a professional model but it's a big big improvement on my old flute and it sounds really nice!!!!!

I have a peal - a 765RBE but I didnt like the headjoint it came with so I found an Altus head on the net and it works really nicely.

I've hopefully got three flutes arriving tomorrow, I'm very excited, one is an open holed B foot which I got for £12 can you believe!

Wow £12 for an open hole B foot! Ebay bargain? Do enjoy them!

People have got great marks in G8 playing Yammy 211s so I can't see a decent step up model like the 665 being a problem (I've said it before, I'll say it again - it's not the flute you blow, it's how you blow your flute).

I play a 765 with its original headjoint - same flute, solid not plated tube (If I had known what I know now I wouldn't probably have bothered getting one with a solid tube anyway) is the basic difference. It's a good flute, nice headjoint if not anything special, pinless mechanism which is in my experience exceedingly reliable even when it wasn't getting regular services. I'm 100% sure that a good enough player can do grade 8 on it without any problems and quite possibly diploma. Assuming I get lessons and do some more grades at some point I wouldn't expect to upgrade for a long time and probably would upgrade the headjoint before even thinking about worrying about the rest of the flute. You don't need a pro flute or anything like it for G8. (If you had one, (wish I did.... ) then whoopee, obviously, but you don't need it)

I too have heard of people passing Gd. 8 on student flutes, it does quite surprise me though (my clarinet teacher wouldn't let anyone do Gd. 8 with a student clarinet or even a step up clarinet like an E11 / E13!)

The flute is a world away from my flute and i found when i tried it, i didn't have to put a great effort into playing it in tune, i tried the Yamaha 311, a Trevor James (can't remember the model) and preferred the Pearl to both of them.

Now i've decided on the Pearl, i think i'll leave the really, really nice flute for a couple of years until i think i can really make it sound it's best. Thats the stage i've got to with Clarinet, so hopefully Flute should get to that standard with time, i've only been playing flute a year now so plenty of time!

I can't wait now!

I don't know how different it is with clarinets, but on a flute most of what is making the sound is the player: there's an audio clip somewhere online with James Galway playing on gold, platinum, and a silver student flute - you can only just about hear a slight difference. Playing a nicer flute makes life easier, (a good headjoint say, and a faster, lighter mechanism, are obviously good things to have) and you wouldn't choose for example to take grade 8 on a bog standard student flute unless you had to, but a good flute player can still get a better sound out of a not great flute than a not great player can get out of a all-bells-and-whistles flute.

Depends what you're going to "step up" to, but it would be crazy to spend loads of cash on a flute unless you're in a position to 1) get something out of it beyond what you can get out of a more modest flute and 2) know what your weak/strong areas of playing are and what flute is most likely to suit you; you could up spending a lot of money on a headjoint that seems easier now but limits your tonal choices later, for example, or pay extra for a split E mechanism that you eventually don't need and which makes certain trills more difficult. So I think you're sensible to leave that for a while

With Clarinets' Grade 8 is perfectely achievable on a E11 / E13 but my teacher has always been one to insist on professional instruments for the higher grades, not sure why!

Definetely good advice re: stepping up to a professional flute, something i'll do no doubt but only when my flute skills get to a standard which warrants it. I've never actaully seen a flute with no split E!!

There's no real reason you'd ever NEED a professional flute unless you're planning to be a professional - a good body and a decent headjoint would set you up for YEARS. Obviously if you have several thou to spare then it'd be nice to have a really amazing flute, but I would think an actual professional flute would be overkill. (depending also of course on what you mean by professional )

Prehaps i don't mean *actual* professional flute, infact i'm sure i don't.

I mean something probably like a mid-range Miyazawa, Altus or maybe a Powell Signature. Not absolute top of the range!

I passed my grade 8 flute on a yamaha 211, although I have to be honest and say I don't know anyone else who has
One of my friends has a Pearl flute (don't know what model) and it sounds really nice, hope you have fun with yours

I would love to hear that if anyone can find it. I have a video of him at one point playing various flutes, and there is a clear difference on his first student flute (that he said he "would hate to have to play the Ibert Flute Concerto on", but it still sounded good compared to most people on student or step-up flutes. Expensive flutes would clearly help but they are not a panacea. I am trying to get the best sound I think will be possible from my 211 before thinking of spending on anything higher.

I did but I'm now upgrading!

I think it's slightly unfair for your clarinet teacher to insist on almost proffessional models as even at grade 8 some people still only see it as a hobby! And professional instruments and mid range ones are expensive so why spend the money if you won't utilise the purchase effectively?

I saw a pearl 665e on ebay today, looked pretty good actually

Our very own andante in c for one, and people on here have talked about passing grade 8 on one or an even worse flute. Several people have had distinction for grade 8 recorder on plastic instruments as well. Maybe examiners are not supposed to take instrument quality into account in the grade exams.

Still waiting to hear of someone pass dipABRSM on a student instrument though.

I also agree with magicflute on the unfairness of insisting on pro instruments for grade 8 clarinet. I did mine on my R13, but some people do it on plastics as well (maybe with a decent mouthpiece though). The E11 is a very respectable instrument and in the right hands can sound great. If a professional played the same tune on an E11 and R13 I bet you would hardly notice the difference.

My daughter is taking Grade 8 flute in 3 weeks on a Yamaha 211 student flute.

I will let you know how she does, but she passed Grade 7 on it with a high merit a year ago.

I played a student TJ flute for one of the pieces when I did my diploma. and there is a girl in the year below me has a 211 and passed her grade 7 on it and is doing her diploma in June I think. Don't know if she'll pass or not though.

Ok, I'm seriously confused!! £12 is too cheap for a whole opened holed flute with a b foot, so I'm guessing the £12 is just the footjoint. In which case, how can you have an open holed footjoint??



I know that it's very possible. My teacher suggested a 211 to me when I upgraded, and said it would last to grade 8.

Nope, I'm telling you it is the whole flute. I bought the other 2 then phoned him to ask if he had any open holed ones, and he said yes, and it also has a B foot, I asked how much, and he said £12. It needs new pads and headjoint cork I think but still, I'm sure I can make a profit on that! Even if I send it to the local technician instead of doing it myself, but that was the whole point of asking for an open holed one - I want to practice repadding O/H keys.

Congrats on your new flute nicia - have you got it yet ??

My flutes didnt arrive today... maybe monday, I think I've got another flute coming the too, a pearl 505RBE, it arrived in Europe today so that should come this week. So many flutes, so little time. I have an audtition tomorrow so probably just as well they didnt all come other wise I wouldn't practice!

Malone, that Pearl is supposed to be a nice flute


They're not, it's in the regs, skillful control of a less good instrument is mentioned I know.

Yes, you can hear a difference when James Galway plays a less good instrument but it's slight especially if you consider the difference in price between say platinum and silver student flute! - if you didn't know what flute he was playing I doubt many would notice. He would have to work harder though!

Oooh! Have you tried one? I dont like the headjoints on pearl flutes and so I might try and find another solid head to stick on it or something. Its the only all plated student flute with open holes, B foot and french keys that I could find (apart from the cheap ones on ebay) so i'll be interested to find out what its like. I ordered it in December and tehy said it would take 4 weeks to arrive but its taken much longer as it has to be specially made in the factory in Japan or something because of the B foot.

I haven't tried it I'm afraid, well actually I may have done whilst flute shopping but I don't remember - but I did hear from an experienced player that it was a nice student flute. So I hope it is now, having said that!!...

I'll let you know when it arrives!

Cool

I think this might be the recording they were thinking of. Just be careful saying which one you prefer Its labelled "Platinum, Gold, Silver"

Yep i've got it! Played in band today with it (i normally play clarinet!) really enjoying it but it'll take me a little while to get to know it!

Yes! I have a Pearl Flute! I bought it last December it was an upgrade from my old Boosey and Hawkes and i love it to pieces. The tone is lovely and they are so easily to play!

Good choice i hope you enjoy playing it!

I read somewhere (I forget where, sorry!) that Sir James played a blind test (behind a screen) on several varieties of Muramatsu and the listeners preferred him on the cheapest, lol.

That is the link, though don't know if it was my speakers but the sound quality is horrible today - maybe too many people listening??! or maybe they downgraded the file. Have to be honest and say whether it's my speakers or my ears today I couldn't tell a difference, though I'm sure I did first time I heard it.

I could tell which was platinum but the other two sound very close.