Boehm Band Beginner Bargains?

[curioso]

My 11 year old son (who has shown no interest in whistles, alas!) wants to try his hand at flute in band next fall. He likes the sound. I have no expertise or knowledge of flutes, but I suspect the local music stores are overpriced with mediocre quality instruments, and I don't want to spend a lot for an instrument that might not hold his interest.

Are there any "bargain" or inexpensive brands that offer reasonable quality at affordable prices (BandNow, Emerson, Gemeinhardt, Jupiter)? There are scores of "cheap" and "bargain" flutes on Ebay, but I don't want my son to end up with a frustrating silver-plated hunk-of-junk that's less musical than a soda bottle...

Advice please!!! I need all the help I can get... :roll:

[fyffer]

My suggestion (from someone who did the Jr. High band thing) is to find a "rent-to-own" program. Many schools have an arrangement like this with a local instrument dealer. Most likely he'll end up with a Yamaha, since these are pretty decent, mass-produced instruments, and from what I hear, they're fine for starting. And, especially if he finds he doesn't want to play anymore, you will not have invested too much in the instrument (hopefully you'll find out before you've invested too much), and you can probably return it. That's the beauty of these programs, and that's pretty much why they're designed the way they are.

*disclaimer: The above is my hazy recollection of the process, as I started playing sax in 5th grade and was in a similar program. Note this was 25 years ago as well, so times may have changed (ya think?).

[monkey587]

My suggestion (from someone who did the Jr. High band thing) is to find a "rent-to-own" program. Many schools have an arrangement like this with a local instrument dealer. Most likely he'll end up with a Yamaha, since these are pretty decent, mass-produced instruments, and from what I hear, they're fine for starting. And, especially if he finds he doesn't want to play anymore, you will not have invested too much in the instrument (hopefully you'll find out before you've invested too much), and you can probably return it. That's the beauty of these programs, and that's pretty much why they're designed the way they are.

*disclaimer: The above is my hazy recollection of the process, as I started playing sax in 5th grade and was in a similar program. Note this was 25 years ago as well, so times may have changed (ya think?).

I'm so glad for those programs. Otherwise I'd probably have a trumpet in my closet, from my days when I thought I wanted to be Miles Davis.

[Henke]

I have a good Yamaha YFL 211 for sale. Asking about $450 (would consider dropping a bit). It's a European model, great stuff, one of the best student models according to my old teacher. Used less than a year. PM if interested.

[fluti31415]

My 11 year old son (who has shown no interest in whistles, alas!) wants to try his hand at flute in band next fall. He likes the sound. I have no expertise or knowledge of flutes, but I suspect the local music stores are overpriced with mediocre quality instruments, and I don't want to spend a lot for an instrument that might not hold his interest.

Are there any "bargain" or inexpensive brands that offer reasonable quality at affordable prices (BandNow, Emerson, Gemeinhardt, Jupiter)? There are scores of "cheap" and "bargain" flutes on Ebay, but I don't want my son to end up with a frustrating silver-plated hunk-of-junk that's less musical than a soda bottle...

Advice please!!! I need all the help I can get... :roll:

The professional players I know use Flute World (http://www.fluteworld.com/Merchant/), but I would guess that it would be good to know what to purchase first, so that you don't buy an elephant gun.

My best advice is to go to a local college (if you have one) and speak to either the flute professor there or one of the graduate students in flute performance. If that's not possible, then asking the band director at your son's elementary school or at a local high school is also a good way to go.

I have known some very skilled players (college, grad school and professional) who play on Gemeindhardts, and I know that this make also has a reasonably priced student model, but I don't know how the quality compares down through their lines.


Shannon (who would probably buy an actual elephant gun, thinking it was a flute... !)

[michael_coleman]

My suggestion (from someone who did the Jr. High band thing) is to find a "rent-to-own" program. Many schools have an arrangement like this with a local instrument dealer. Most likely he'll end up with a Yamaha, since these are pretty decent, mass-produced instruments, and from what I hear, they're fine for starting. And, especially if he finds he doesn't want to play anymore, you will not have invested too much in the instrument (hopefully you'll find out before you've invested too much), and you can probably return it. That's the beauty of these programs, and that's pretty much why they're designed the way they are.

*disclaimer: The above is my hazy recollection of the process, as I started playing sax in 5th grade and was in a similar program. Note this was 25 years ago as well, so times may have changed (ya think?).

I did a similar thing with my saxophone when I was in grade school...I ended up buying it in the end as I played through high school and a little bit in college. Then my brother, being a music teacher, asked if a kid could borrow it for a little while. I said sure and didn't see it for about 2-3 years. I asked for it back about 6 months ago and there was more oxidation build up than I had ever seen (some in places I didn't think you could get that nasty green-white oxidation). So I spent about 2-3 hours breaking down the saxophone, keys and all, and then cleaned everything off. It was a bear putting back together, but when I did, my brother asked if he could buy it off me...after I had cleaned it and only seen the saxophone for those 2-3 hours . But, I figured some other kid would play it more than I, so he bought it off me. I figure if I ever need a sax my brother has several Mark VI's that I could borrow.

Long story short, get the rent-to-own option.

[Danner]

I think there are a couple of ways to go, but whatever you do, you should talk to the band director and at least one very experienced flute player. The rent-to-own option seems to me like it would be your best bet, but be sure that you would actually get a good instrument from it. I have known many people who have quit or almost quit band because they couldn't play their instruments. Most of the time the problem centered around an unplayable instrument. I play a Gemeinhardt from Flute World, and I do think they could help you find a good flute too. (They're also a very good company to work with.) When you get the flute, make sure to have a pro inspect it for tuning, mechanics, etc. to make sure nothing went wrong. (I got a bad Gemeinhardt piccolo the first time, and Flute World let me return it and get a different one, no problem.) Whatever you decide, good luck, and hopefully your son will enjoy it.

[happyturkeyman]

Ebay is the best thing to ever come from the internet if you're looking to buy a beginner band instrument.
After a couple years, if they love to play and you're looking for an upgrade, go to a nice respectable music shop, though.

[soprani]

On the other hand, a nice used instrument tends to hold its value (barring serious damage). If you purchased a used instrument you could always resell it without taking too huge a hit.

Just be sure the darn thing is a quality instrument and that it's in good shape or recently overhauled. Years later, I still remember the frustration of classmates who had cheap, leaky flutes.

I started playing bazillions of years ago with the rent-to-own option. We ended up with a so-so Selmer flute. However I outgrew it in a couple of years and traded it for a Gemeinhart (which I have to this day). So I'm not sure it's the most economical way to go.

Another option is an old (William) Haynes student flute -- closed hole, offset G, commercial model. A *really* nice instrument, very repairable, and they hold their value. Just be sure it's recent enough to play in A440. They aren't cheap, but again, you could later resell it for what you paid for it. They are frequently offered on eBay. I am in the process of buying one myself.

And I've also heard great things about the Yamaha student flutes. You see them used on various silver flute boards.

Good luck!
-S

[springrobin]

When my daughter started band, I couldn't afford even the cost of a used flute so went with the rent-to-own. The advantage of that arrangement is that she could have quit altogether if she changed her mind about what she wanted to do and I could have turned the flute in and stopped making payments. If she just wanted to change instruments or upgrade, we could have done that also. The disadvantage is we paid more than the instrument is now worth- kinda the same thing as buying a new car on payments instead of buying a used on outright. She's using my flute now but saved hers for playing out-of-doors.

If you can afford to buy an instrument outright, as long as you buy a reputable brand that can be repadded and adjusted, a good repair person can refurbish a used flute for you. Unless you're able to play it beforehand, there's not going to be any guarantees as to playability anyway. If you're worried about the quality of what's out on e-bay, try a pawn shop. I've tried out some decent instruments for students at such places. Might not have gotten the same "deal" as on e-bay, but they knew what they were getting.

By the way, some teachers are starting beginners on open-hole flutes as it eliminates adjustment time if and when the kids move up. The holes can be plugged if the student really can't handle them and there is a decent market for used ones if they decide flute isn't for them. They do cost more to repair, though. With either open or closed-hole flute's, it's important to look for one with an offset G key. That's the hardest one for smaller hands to reach and even adults find the offset more comfortable. Wish my flute had it- when I acquired it, most open-hole flutes were in-line and my aging hands would now appreciate the offset.

[curioso]

Thank you all, I appreciate your words of wisdom! It's a whole new world...