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Trying new flutes

flutinet

flutinet

I'm looking upgrade my beginner Yamaha flute to something with open holes, b foot joint, and split e mechanism. I'm using the Flute Center's trial program. I'm really looking for a rich tone on my new flute. (These are the flutes I currently are trying out: Trevor James - Chanson, Di Zhao - 600, Azumi - AZ-2, Amadeus - 680)
I've heard that gold can give you a really rich tone and I got really excited when I found a professional Weibster rose gold flute on ebay for about $400 with free shipping and returns. There were multiple of these flutes on ebay for about the same price. I really wanted to try a rose gold flute. Would it be worth my time to try this flute out? I'm really curious on trying a verity of different flutes to find the perfect one.
 
The odds are in strong favor of your Yamaha student model being better than anything you have listed.
 
Thanks for letting me know. I also was thinking of trying a intermediate Yamaha flute. My Yamaha right now has close holes, it's a Yamaha YFL-221.
 
I personally think the flute I have now doesn't have as good tone as some flutes I've tried before. Plus I don't own it. It's really common to see more professional flutists playing on an open holed flute.
 
I'll go with my traditional answer: what does your teacher think?

You're talking about this flute.

* Weibster is made in China, not USA.
* Putting it the nicest possible way, you're not going to find many folks that would recommend a Chinese-made flute.
* It's very probable that you're looking at the professional-line Weibster. It's kind of like me saying I drive the high-end version of a Yugo. "Professional model" doesn't always equal professional quality.
 
Flutinet,

I've played flute and piccolo professionally and I do basic repair work on student and mid-level flutes. I've played and owned a wide variety of instruments over the years from $20,000 instruments to some that I acquired for $100. Below are a few things that I recommend.

- Rather than open or closed hole, look for which flutes have the best action (how quickly do the keys respond - how light is the touch).
- There are many older flutes that do not use a spilt E and actually sound nicer than the split E key. I know this idea is foreign to those who haven't been trained on a non-split E. I currently play on a "mid-level" open hole flute that was made in Japan in the mid 1980's which does NOT have a split E key. It was made with the modern flute scale and plays beautifully!
- If you are looking for a specific sound, start with a headjoint upgrade. You will need to try out several different types to see what produces the sound you want. Remember, what works for others will NOT necessarily be good for you.
Headjoints come in different materials: Solid Silver is generally the first upgrade choice. They also come in different wall thicknesses which greatly determine the resonance of the metal (Thick wall is heavier, providing a broader tone. Thin wall is much lighter and carries well in orchestra, band and solo work).

Do your homework online. Shop in person. Go to a music store that will also you to take your time and try out what you like and don't like. Make notes for reference as to what qualities you like and don't like. Do not buy a flute without playing it first unless you plan on starting a collection.

As to to inline or offset G, this is a personal preference. My hands do not move as easily as they once did and I actual find it easier to play the inline open hole flutes. Flutes can be purchased either way.

Enjoy the journey and remember it takes time, patience and intelligent work to do anything well.
 
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