I'm thinking about buying a flute and....

Sara · Post by **Sara** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 7:48 pm

I called my local music store, Mars Music, and asked what the least inexpensive whistle they have costs, and he said, "399". Well, I just assumed he meant 3.99, my parents thought a flute would be more in the hundred dollar+ range, and were quite surprised at how cheap they were, so I was all prepared to go tomorrow and buy a flute, I went to Mars' website and he didn't mean 3.99, he meant 399.00! Well, to make a long story short (too late, huh?), I'm wondering if there are any flutes, or anything like flutes for about 3.99 to 10.00. Should I have posted this on the flute forum?

Thanks,
Sara

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 8:18 pm

Hey Sara!

I don't play flute (I want to but was never able to blow the air correctly!) but I know that Tony Dixon of PVC whistle fame also makes PVC flutes. Check out http://www.tonydixonmusic.co.uk/ and don't forget the price conversion. Flutes start at 10 pounds sterling. I can't comment on the quality because I've never played/heard one. Good luck!

Eldarion · Post by **Eldarion** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 9:02 pm

Hey Sara,
From what most people say, the best flute you can buy for under $100 is an Olwell bamboo. Many pros play that too.

Here's a thread on relatively inexpensive flutes:
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php ... 72&forum=2

Do try a search on the flute board for more opinions. Hope that helps!

Mark_J · Post by **Mark_J** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 9:35 pm

Sara, I agree with Eldarion on the Olwell flute. Olwell makes a killer bamboo flute. I have an F and I really like it. It is very loud, very light, very in-tune, and very fun. Most people think very highly of them (including Glenn Schulz).

If you want a Boehm style flute, I hear good things about the Yamaha 225 (or whatever). Not that I have one yet, but I've seen them for $200 or less. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull fame stated that he has one in every room in his house. The reason is that they play darn neer as well as really expensive flutes, and He wants one around when inspiration takes him.

That is a hell of an endorsement to me.

By the way. Ian had Olwell make him a bamboo flute with a silver tuning slide. How is that for an endorsment on the quality of Olwell's bargain product. . .

Cheers.

Oh, Sara, Thanks for asking such intellegent questions. Your questions have kept things lively and non-controversial. I think the community needs a bit of that right now.

Cheers.
MJ

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 9:56 pm

Guys, what about flutes in the under $20 range? You're adding zeros to her original question

Eldarion · Post by **Eldarion** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 10:17 pm

I don't think there is such a thing as a low D flute going for less than $20. There are Yamaha plastic fifes though, and those are blown transversely but it has been said that fifes are even harder for beginner than flute. The Olwell bamboo is possibly the best thing to get under a $100; flutes don't come any cheaper, and many people feel it works very well as a beginner flute. I know Loren and ChrisLaughlin endorse it. Dale has a write up here:

http://www.chiffandfipple.com/olwell.htm

Another alternative for obtaining a really cheap flute is to make one yourself out of some PVC tube or something. There are plans around the internet I believe.

Oh yeah don't be tempted to buy those "cheap" Paskistani wood flutes that are always around on ebay. They look like okay flutes but have a very bad reputation. Many people have gotten their hands burnt by buying those.

JohnPalmer · Post by **JohnPalmer** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 10:44 pm

Hi Sara,

When someone says flute, everyone thinks about the silver kind that marching bands have and that orchestras have. This site is the only place I've ever seen that the word flute means an Irish-made, wood-style flute. I was a flute major in college, and that meant that you had to have a silver flute that could cost into the thousands of dollars. If you backed up a couple years, people who played in high school might have flutes that are into the hundreds of dollars, but you still would find the few players who had flutes in the thousand dollar range. So, when you say flute on this board, you must specify whether you are talking about a flute that has the Boehm style of fingering, which, after consulting my Harvard Dictionary of Music Book, says that Boehm is actually a guy named Theobald Bohm (notice that there is no "e") of Munich, who was the person responsible for the placement of the finger holes on instruments such as the flute, clarinet, oboe, and to a lesser extent, the bassoon. The Irish flute, which is made of a black wood and has a few or no keys is also played transversely, like the Boehm style. Even so, you are going to be paying a few hundred dollars to "get in the door". If you go to a regular music store, you might find a Gemeinhardt, or a Yamaha flute for sale. I have both of these brands of flutes in my band and find that they are the same in quality, price, and playability. Even though Ian Anderson might play a Yamama, he is a very accomplished player, but his tone is nowhere near that of an orchestral flutist.

I can't tell you what kind of flute to get, whether Boehm style, Irish style or bamboo style, but whatever you decide on, it will probably work for you, until you are proficient enough to know exactly what it is you really want in a flute, and that decision might take years. JP

pixyy · Post by **pixyy** » Tue Feb 26, 2002 3:00 am

I can think of only one way to get a flute in that price range: try make one yourself, and make sure you don't need to buy too much tools/material...

Here's a link to a design:
http://www.cwo.com/~ph_kosel/designs.html

I have only been 'playing' the flute for some months now and I think it is an awe inspiring instrument! So I don't have a lot of experience, but I understand with flutes you very much get what you pay for.

My whistle teacher is an experienced irish flute player, so he could check out the flute I have on loan, and nod his small approval that it was OK to practice on.
The Olwell Bamboo flutes are fantastic!

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Tue Feb 26, 2002 4:36 am

I don't think you can get any half decent flute without paying at least 200. There are a good few people turning out keyless flutes in (probably) Delrin and materials like that, they are relatively cheap although I can't comment on the quality of all of them.

Irish style flutes (that used to be referred to in Ireland as German flutes) are also being made with the head of the modern Boehm style flute (the name Bohm has an 'umlaut'on the o in German but its general practice in the eniglish speaking world not to use that and instead write 'Boehm'), that makes it easier to blow. There are a lot of reasonable flutemakers out there, worth looking into those rather than going to shops.

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Tue Feb 26, 2002 5:45 am

Hi Sara,

Did you also post this to the Flute Forum?

Those guys would be a great help, and not all the flautists visit the whistle site.

best of luck, Martin

StevePower · Post by **StevePower** » Tue Feb 26, 2002 5:50 am

Sarah

If you e-mail me, I'll sell you a new plastic Irish keyless flute (similar to the Dixon) for 25 Euro (about 20 dollars) including shipping. The Dixon is slightly more expensive.

(I'd have sent this privately, but sarah doesn't have an e-mail posted).

Steve (trying to be helpful and not commercial)

Mark_J · Post by **Mark_J** » Tue Feb 26, 2002 8:35 am

Oh, yeah. Those Pakistani flutes are total trash. They are often called DD flutes on e-bay. Mostly they are cococcus wood, but some are of blackwood (a waste of good wood like that should be punishable under some IUCN treaty). The chance that they will be in tune with themselves is in line with the pick 4 lottery games. If you win that, you can get a decent flute.

Not that I have loads of experience, but, I don't know of any flute under $500 that compares to the Olwell bamboo.

I know of no flute under $50 that is worth the expense. The embouchure is very good in the Olwell. Other cheap flute embouchres could frustrate you to no end and not really allow you to learn anything good.

On 2002-02-25 23:44, JohnPalmer wrote:
. . .Even though Ian Anderson might play a Yamama, he is a very accomplished player, but his tone is nowhere near that of an orchestral flutist. . .

John, thanks, you just helped me unlearn something. An uncle of mine convinced me that Ian Anderson studied flute at the Juilliard School of Music. I always assumed he played like that because it fit the band's music.

Just doing a google search, I found that Ian Anderson gave up aspirations to be a painter in 1967 and chose his guitar playing as a potential career. He then left the guitar behind for a flute and a microphone because both could fit in his pockets (I'm assuming that would be the long jacket that his father gave him as possibly seen on the cover of the Benefit record).

Slight difference.

So John, do you know if the Yamaha is a good buy for the money?

Thanks, Mark

Sara · Post by **Sara** » Tue Feb 26, 2002 9:41 am

Thanks for the replies! I would reply to each personally, but that would be a reeeaaalllyy looooonnnggg reply!

I guess I didn't know there were so many choices in flutes! Building my own flute would be cool -
I'll have to check out that link. Thanks for the other links you gave me!

On 2002-02-25 22:35, Mark_J wrote
Oh, Sara, Thanks for asking such intellegent questions. Your questions have kept things lively and non-controversial. I think the community needs a bit of that right now.

Cheers.
MJ

Thanks you!

Martin,
No, I didn't go to the Flute Forum - I might though!

Beth -
Just to let you know, I sent you a private message, don't know if you got it!

Peace,
Sara

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Tue Feb 26, 2002 4:30 pm

Yup, got it last night and emailed you.

ErikT · Post by **ErikT** » Wed Feb 27, 2002 1:30 am

Hi Sara,

I don't remember seeing Hammy Hamilton's practice flute listed. I've heard fine things about it.

Well, it's not $20, but it is $40.

<a href="http://homepage.eircom.net/~hammie/prac ... ice.htm</a>

Have fun hunting,
Erik