Do you hear the difference between a $50 and a $5000 flute?

[crookedtune]

My view, is that a flute (and real musical instruments) should be a part of every day consciousness, so much so, that people don't rely on just the radio or cranked out synthetic music.

Hear, hear. For most people now, that music is something ordinary people do, not just something to be consumed, is less and less obvious.

Pshaw! Ya weren't singing that song when ya still looked good in spandex!

But sorry, I'm pretty firmly in the camp of, 'Yes, there are good flutes out there that cost big money for a good reason'. The point of diminishing return will vary based on the player, maker and chemistry of their union.

[Denny]

I can't hear either one of 'em....

Send them to me and I'll let ya know.

[MTGuru]

Pshaw! Ya weren't singing that song when ya still looked good in spandex!

Good grief, CT. With my skeletal physique, you're going to give people nightmares.

[tucson_whistler]

I think if this was tested in strict scientific terms, one might hear the difference.

i saw something somewhere where they did a test like this; the results came back that most people can't tell the difference, even between metal or wood. but my contention was that "most" people think i'm playing a clarinet.

But much of it depends upon the player and how the player interfaces with the flutes being tested. A great player can make almost any tube with holes in it sound great.

i like the Brian Finnigan example. Or, for further proof, check out the videos of Kevin Crawford playing a Forbes (retailing at $425--made of delrin!--whereas his Grinter cost him thousands):
http://forbesflutes.com/files/ScatteryIsland.mov

That being said, as a KC aficionado, he does sound different to me on the Forbes than the Grinter. On the Forbes he sounds great; on a Grinter he inspired me to pick up a tube with holes in it and try to make a noise come out of it.

Like quantum mechanics, much of it also depends upon the observer as well as the observed. Someone who is new to music will be easily impressed.

agreed; see comment above.

Correlating how a flute sounds to its dollar value is a very rough concept. There is also dollar inflation to consider. If the dollar collapses and ends up being like a Weimar currency, then the difference between $50 and $5000 may only be a few teaspoons of bread crumbs.

it's happened in other places/times too. not to get too far off the subject, if China decides to sell dollars we're all in trouble.

Cheers,
eric

[kkrell]

One problem with this poll is it mostly addresses the (I expect) outside listener, although I suppose that can be the player as well. But one aspect of flute-playing is the experience of the player. The question might instead be "Can you FEEL the difference between a $50 and a $5000 flute?"

[MikeS]

Adolph Herseth, the long-time Principal Trumpet of the Chicago Symphony, once addressed this. He said, "If you blindfolded me and blindfolded the audience and then gave me a Bundy and a Bach to play [note: student model vs. professional model], the audience would not notice the difference, but I would."

[Casey Burns]

One thing for certain, I can feel the difference between $50 and $5000 in my wallet.

[jim stone]

By the time we get to a 5000 flute we're talking keys, hopefully, and of course that means there are notes
it's a lot easier to play, so there is an audible difference, odds are.

The real comparison is tween an inexpensive and an expensive keyless flute, between 50 and 1200-1600 hundred,
say. Supposing you haven't been ripped off, etc, sure you can hear the difference. That doesn't mean you
can't sound very good on an inexpensive flute if you know what you're doing, but, well, an Olwell.....
Some of the best flutes are genuinely wonderful instruments.

[Lars Larry Mór Mott]

i like the Brian Finnigan example. Or, for further proof, check out the videos of Kevin Crawford playing a Forbes (retailing at $425--made of delrin!--whereas his Grinter cost him thousands):
http://forbesflutes.com/files/ScatteryIsland.mov

That being said, as a KC aficionado, he does sound different to me on the Forbes than the Grinter. On the Forbes he sounds great; on a Grinter he inspired me to pick up a tube with holes in it and try to make a noise come out of it.



Cheers,
eric

From what i have heard the Rob Forbes flute isn't exactly a crock 'o sh*te though, on the contrary it's supposed to be pretty darn good.
I have ordered one and PM:ed Kevin C. His reply: "That's great, i am sure you will be happy with it"
(I know i might be naive and Kevin might be diplomatic, but still )

[Denny]

At $425 it is a great flute! It's indestructible and fuss free.

assuming that ya want a Pratten

[Lars Larry Mór Mott]

At $425 it is a great flute! It's indestructible and fuss free.

assuming that ya want a Pratten

I'm too inexperienced player to really care. I have heard as many great sounding Pratten/clones as i have R&R clones. I have a unkeyed Sam Murray coming as well, and he, according to himself, have basically evolved into a design of his own.
My thoughts on the delrin flute (besides it's impressive sound and quality/bang for $-factor) is that it might be very handy for outdoor gigs/sessions or those rowdy pub sessions where 250 lbs drunks and pints usually end up all over the table

EDIT: I have played Marcus Hernon Pratten, Grinter keyless and an old Seery and i wouldn't say any of them were noticeably harder to play or sounded vastly better than the other.

[Denny]

oddly I seem to spend a bit of time outdoors... I like Delrin quit a lot.

Style of flute is a personal issue.
Dave Copley's is quite good also, but different.

[Gordon]

The $50-$5000 split is a bit arbitrary - don't know many wooden (or silver) flutes made for $50, let alone what one would sound like; the real bottom should be around $300, since comparing a decent bamboo flute, or even a PVC flute, to a quality wooden flute is apples and oranges. And once you're at $5,000, as Jim says, you're into really top-flight 8 keyed flutes, or antiques, and so are we comparing good keyed flutes to good unkeyed? They really should sound roughly the same, except chromatically...

It also strikes me that we keep considering the difference in sound for the listener, which wasn't actually the question, only the assumed one. The real question on a forum like this should be whether - for us players - there is a notable difference in playing a cheap flute and playing a high quality one?

IMHO, there usually is. If there isn't, something's wrong.

[Cubitt]

Kevin Krell is on the right track. What makes (or should make) an instrument expensive are those details that make it easier to play. The response, intonation, weght, position of keys and tone holes, volume, etc. all allow the player to play the way he or she wants to play. None of this is apparent to the listener - they only know what they hear, not what they could be hearing. Unless an instrument is pure trash, it will sound superb in the hands of a competent player. However, that player will sound better and, more importantly, be capable of a better performance with a better instrument. It may be through the addition of a note only available with a key, the smearing of a note that might not work successfully on a lesser instrument, or the honk of a hard D. The listener cannot miss what was never played, but the player knows the limits of his/her instrument and plays accordingly. It can still sound great, but the better instrument will definitely sound better.

[mutepointe]

I enjoyed reading what everyone had to say.