Professional Flutes

Flutist00 · Post by **Flutist00** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 4:29 pm

Hey, I'm going to start saving up to buy a very nice professional flute. I want the best I can find with gold lip plate, gold keys, sterling silver body, open holes, low b foot, etc. All the works pretty much. I'd like a nice professional brand, no gemeinhardt, armstrong, yamaha or anything like that. I'm estimating the price range to be anywhere from $1600 - $2000 but I'm willing to seriously consider prices much higher than that as well.

Thanks for any information you can give me

Laura

Oh, and I don't need websites or anything, If necessary I'll fly anywhere in the United States to visit a local store or whatever.

bildio · Post by **bildio** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 4:36 pm

Laura,

Save for a Brannen Brothers flute. You used to be able to put your name on a waiting list (couple of years to save up) with no obligation to pay until the flute is ready to be made.

Bill

tin tin · Post by **tin tin** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 4:56 pm

Most of the people who frequent this board play wooden simple-system flutes. You may get more responses by posting to the FLUTE email list (sign up at www.larrykrantz.com).
To answer your question, most handmade (professional) instruments start at around $6000 or more. Gold flutes will cost much more, with the headjoint alone costing as much as $6000. I played the metal (Boehm system) flute for about 15 years before switching to the wood flute, and I'd say that in the $2000 range, your best bet will be an Altus. They make beautiful instruments. I've compared the Altus 907 to many other flutes costing much more, and the Altus easily held its own (and was superior to flutes in its price range). Also, don't be fooled into thinking that gold on a flute makes it good. Gold keys, for instance, will only make the flute heavy--they will contribute nothing to the sound. A gold lipplate might look pretty, but again, does nothing for the sound unless the riser is also gold (solid, not plated). You can get headjoints with gold or platinum risers, and these do impact the playing characteristics of the instrument.
The most important considerations are the embouchure cut (you want it to be hand cut), scale (how well in tune the flute plays--Bennett and Cooper scales are excellent), and key action (determined by the type of spring and general quality of the mechanism). Body material becomes a concern only after these considerations are met. Also, try before you buy. Spend some real time with the instruments you are considering, and find what's best for you as a player--an instrument that can meet you where you are and then allow you to grow.
JB Weissman, in Queens, NY is a terrific shop, and if you buy a flute from them, they'll pay $150 of your airfare. Great people, and they have a huge selection of flutes and headjoints.
http://www.jbwflutes.com/

Danner · Post by **Danner** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 4:56 pm

What's the problem with Gemeinhardt? Nothing meant, just wondering, 'cause I have a top of the line student Gemeinhardt. It was supposed to have a solid silver head and silver plated body and foot, but they gave me a totally silver one- no extra charge. It has a low B foot and open holes. Flute World threw in a free soft cover case too. It's not professional, but I was just wondering what you have against Gemeinhardt.

Whistlin'Dixie · Post by **Whistlin'Dixie** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 8:23 pm

My first silver flute was a nice Gemeinhardt, and it looked and sounded great. I had a beautiful Yamaha, too, which I loved. I could easily recommend both.

I do play only timber flutes now.

Mary

KateG · Post by **KateG** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 9:00 am

Ah, Gemeindhart. I have an old Gemeindhart student flute sitting in a drawer. My parents bought it for me when I was in sixth grade, and I played it until I went to college and switched to the recorder. Now the recorders keep the old flute company while I play my wooden flute. Fickle me -- although I do intend to get back to the recorder. The student flute however, should probably be donated to the school system so that another child can become addicted to music.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 10:11 am

I have an old solid-silver Gemeinhardt. It's a wonderful flute, and fits me very well.

I have had the good fortune to try many high-end Boehm-system flutes. It compares quite well to the best of them.

To date, though, the best Boehm-system flute I've tried was a Rittershausen which was quite old. I got to spend a weekend with it many years ago--it had a phenomenal tone and would play easily from a husky whisper all the way up to a ringing, booming "cannon"--this flute had no upper limit on the air it would take, and it was very pitch-stable across a wide variety of air pressures and embouchures.

--James

Doug_Tipple · Post by **Doug_Tipple** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 10:16 am

Quoting from my flute catalogue, "Kurt Gemeinhardt, a fourth generation flute maker, founded the Gemeinhardt Co., Inc. more than 50 years ago. Located in Elkhart, Indiana, today Gemeinhardt has grown to be one of the leading flute manufacturers not only in this country, but around the world. They have expanded their line to include a flute to fit almost every musician's needs. Through the years Gemeinhardt has established a reputation for high quality instruments at a resonable cost. Still today, Gemeinhardt remains one of our most popular student instruments."

I also notice that Gemeinhardt makes professional models, with the list price on Model 33SS at $4500. How this flute compares to others in a similar price range, I will leave to others to offer their opinion. My student Yamaha step-up flute seems to suit my needs. Like, how good of a flute do you need to play, "When It's Peach-Pickin Time in Georgia" at the breakfast table?

cflutist · Post by **cflutist** » Sun Jan 23, 2005 12:31 am

Danner wrote:What's the problem with Gemeinhardt? Nothing meant, just wondering, 'cause I have a top of the line student Gemeinhardt. It was supposed to have a solid silver head and silver plated body and foot, but they gave me a totally silver one- no extra charge. It has a low B foot and open holes. Flute World threw in a free soft cover case too. It's not professional, but I was just wondering what you have against Gemeinhardt.

My camping flute is a Gemeinhardt with a solid silver head, body, plated keys and 14K gold springs. It plays okay, but my other flute is more responsive.

The flute I play on in my community orchestra is an open hole Wm. S. Haynes that I bought back in 1973. I added a C#trill and a Split-E a while back.

My husband asked me the other night why I don't bring my Casey Burns FF to orchestra practice? ... LOL, I told him I haven't learned all the cross fingerings for the chromatics yet

Best bets for professional flutes are:

http://www.brannenflutes.com/

http://www.wmshaynes.com

http://www.powellflutes.com/

http://www.burkart.com/

Dana · Post by **Dana** » Sun Jan 23, 2005 9:09 am

I'd add Muramatsu, Miyazawa and Altus to that list. All three make some wonderfully made flutes in your price range. I'm partial to Miyazawa flutes, myself. I recently bought one, and liked it better than the Powell, Haynes, and Brannen flutes that I played. I sold my Burkart flute to get one.

Dana

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Sun Jan 23, 2005 9:21 am

I play an old Miyazawa student model, and IMHO she holds her own against many of the more expensive fancier flutes. If you have a flute you like, one way to upgrade it is getting a handmade headjoint. You'll probably end up with a much better flute, for the money, then if you bought a whole new flute.

jdevereux · Post by **jdevereux** » Sun Jan 23, 2005 9:25 pm

Chris Abell (www.abellflute.com) worked for the Brannen brothers for many years, and is now producing very high end Bohem futes in African Blackwood. I am not a clasical flautist, but know enough about it to strongly recomend these instruments.

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