I am looking to buy a new flute in the £700 mark does anyone have any suggestions as to what type I could look into getting?

Thanks

Jen
xxx

For an instrument with a solid silver head under £700 you are looking at a Pearl PF661, a Trevor James Cantabile or a Yamaha 311 series (All Flutes Plus offered the cheapest I could find). Alternatively you could go for a hand made silver headjoint to fit your current flute. Do try ALL instruments in your price range as they vary greatly and it is not necessarily the most expensive that is the best for you. Good luck and let us know which one you go for! Bag x

I'd advise a Yamaha 311.So good to play, comfortable, strong, and reliable, solid silver head.10/10!

i'd go for a Pearl with solid tubing. Also you could get a second hand Sankeo for that at 'All Flutes Plus'.
hope this helps,
Alex
xxxx

Are Sankeo flutes good?

my teacher told me to get an open hole Sankeo version or any Japanese brands.

i dont want Yamaha

Yamaha Flutes are absolutley AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah sankeo flutes are great...open holed even better!!!
Yeah most Japanese makes are excellent I have a Miyazowa and I love it to bits!!!

QUOTE (its so rock n roll @ Aug 20 2004, 08:38 PM)

Yamaha Flutes are absolutley AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!!

Why don't you like them?

itssorockandroll,

how much was your Miyazowa flute?


carys, i have a yamaha flute but the tone that it produces sounds terrible...

QUOTE (weejen @ Aug 7 2004, 09:58 AM)

I am looking to buy a new flute in the £700 mark does anyone have any suggestions as to what type I could look into getting?   Thanks Jen xxx

I would strongly recommend that if you have a teacher you ask their advice about buying a flute. If possible go to one of the specialist shops that have knowledgeable staff. I realise that may be difficult, depending on where you live.

I don't know how advanced you are as a player, but it's good to try all the instruments in your price range over their whole range (up to at least D4) and with as wide a range of dynamics as possible because some are more responsive than others. Also you may prefer the tone of a particular instrument.

If you aren't very advanced it's good to get your teacher or another really good advanced player (preferably at least Performing Diploma level) to check the instruments out. They may charge you for their time and expert knowledge. You may be able to borrow an instrument on approval for a short period.

It's always worth trying all the available examples of a particular model because you get "Friday afternoon flutes" just like you get "Friday afternoon cars" or anything else that's mass produced. I was amazed to find how much difference there could be between two nominally identical instruments when I first started choosing bottom of the range ones for my beginner students. On the other hand you sometimes get an instrument where absolutely everything is right, and the whole thing turns out much better than you would expect for the money.

You could well find that you get the best value for your money by buying a quality second-hand instrument, preferably with at least a short guarantee from the shop.

Here are a couple of Web site addresses where you can see prices of new and second-hand instruments:

www.myatt.co.uk
www.allflutesplus.co.uk

Good hunting!

QUOTE (missfabflute @ Aug 21 2004, 10:22 AM)

how much was your Miyazowa flute? carys, i have a yamaha flute but the tone that it produces sounds terrible...

My flute was £1500, but worth £4000 (2nd hand) but that's solid silver and open holed. I had to ge a grant to buy it.
Yamaha flutes are awful they have a really 'tinny sound'

ahhh that price is okay

yeah and agree wih the tinny sound. i compared my flute to my teachers, and hers sounded actually, like a flute ...if u know what i mean lol

lol yeah

It's funny though~ I get a can get a fuller sound out of my yamaha than my older non-silver headed Trevor James, and yet I never had much probelm getting a decent sound out of my first flute.

I don't have a problem with my yamaha... and I've never found it compare unfavourably to any of the other flutes around me.

Then there was the fact that I didn't have much choice when I bought it, it was either yamaha or buffet!

omg you prefer yamaha to trevor James?!?!?! *faints with shock* lol well i suppose it's different for every flautist but I know i would never advise anybody to buy a Yamaha.
Alex
xxxx

QUOTE (its so rock n roll @ Aug 22 2004, 06:35 PM)

omg you prefer yamaha to trevor James?!?!?! *faints with shock* lol well i suppose it's different for every flautist but I know i would never advise anybody to buy a Yamaha. Alex xxxx

There are a lot of different Yamaha models, and the sound you hear from a flute is always a combination of a particular instrument and a particular player.

I LOVE Yamaha flutes! I suppose it depends from player to player but I passed Grade 6 with merit on my faithful 225s and I've just got a 311. Apart from for a professional standard flute I wouldn't swap if it for anything! I mean anything! I love it to bits, and for me, no other make that I've ever had the chance to try would do!

QUOTE

omg you prefer yamaha to trevor James?!?!?!

That wasn't exactly what I meant~ more perhaps I'd rather play a yamaha with a silver head than my old battered trust and rusty Trevor James without one.

I loved my Trevor James~ dents and all!

Although I dont agree tht Yamahas are awful as my very well used 211 has served me well and taken me to grade 8 standard I dont think I would get another Yamaha at the moment I have tried a 311 which I did like but I dont think I would buy it! I dont have a teacher at the moment coz Ive just left school and am about to go to uni but i have spoken to my old teacher but I need to finalise a price coz it looks like I may be able to go over the £700 mark! Im going to speak to her again on wed she if she has any advice! Ill let you no how I get on thankx for the advice guys!

Just a thought to anyone thinking of getting a new flute and considering the open/closed hole question.
You can get "plugs" for the open holes on flutes effectively turning an open holed flute into a closed hole flute. This would give the option of playing closed hole if you couldn't adjust to the open holed flute.

Consider Armstrong. Teachers who have actually tried these are very impressed with them and they are a LOT cheaper than .. ssshh ... you know who!

Liz

QUOTE (JRBailey @ Sep 4 2004, 05:30 PM)

You can get "plugs" for the open holes on flutes effectively turning an open holed flute into a closed hole flute. This would give the option of playing closed hole if you couldn't adjust to the open holed flute.

Plugs?? What do they look like, how do they fit into the holes and would they affect your fingering?!
I've got a nice Trevor James that has a lovely tone but it's dented because someone took it without asking me and dropped it

The "plugs" that I have seen are transparent rubber type cylinder shapes and fit into the hole in the keys.
I suppose most reputable flute shops would have some!

BTW - I haven't come across Armstrong flutes much and I couldn't say how much they cost but I still prefer the Yamaha student flutes at the starter end of the range.

QUOTE (its so rock n roll @ Aug 20 2004, 07:38 PM)

Yamaha Flutes are absolutley AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!!

i hate yamaha flutes too they just don't feel rite i only like mine but
i m biased cos i ve learnt with my Pearl Pf501

a cheaper flute 2 wot ur probably wanting but it has really nice keys

nice with the fingers - well they are neally the most important thing next to your
mouth n breathin

u have to b comfortable otherwise it hurts

lol

luv lucy xxx

QUOTE (fluty tute @ Oct 4 2004, 05:00 PM)

QUOTE (its so rock n roll @ Aug 20 2004, 07:38 PM) Yamaha Flutes are absolutley AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I love my yamaha 311

Think it must depend on the person...whatever's comfy

Yamaha student flutes are definitly NOT awful.
I come across lots of Trevor James student flutes that have problems with the keys very very soon - too much fiddling about with screws and bits of cork!!
Jupiters seem to hold up but Yamaha seeem to be the best bet so far in this price range.

Well guys I got a new flute! Its a Miyazawa 101 E. Its gorgous I know its more expensive than the price I said but I managed to get my dad to ut some money towards it and I got it VAT free coz I managed to buy it through my old school!

Thanks for the advice so you can all stop arguing about wot flute is best! but continue if u wish!

QUOTE (Subatomic_Star @ Oct 4 2004, 05:44 PM)

QUOTE (fluty tute @ Oct 4 2004, 05:00 PM) QUOTE (its so rock n roll @ Aug 20 2004, 07:38 PM) Yamaha Flutes are absolutley AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!! Well I love my yamaha 311

it s only ma opinion