Who would buy a $20.00 flute and why?

[KODOAN]

New here and after reading some posts, I got the impression that cheap, entry-level flutes with mediocre tuning are not acceptable to the majority. I realize that high-level, professional musicians demand high performance musical instruments, but I've found great pleasure in making and playing OK flutes and playing simple songs on them. I know quite a few people who feel the same way. They are not professional musicians; heck, I don't think they'd even consider themselves amateur musicians! Yet, they (like me) have a grand old time with a $20 knock-about flute.

So, am I in the minority in enjoying cheap $20.00 flutes just for the fun of it? Who else would buy and enjoy a $20.00 flute? Do the hard-core professionals ever take a break and play the "cheapies" just for fun?

[Aanvil]

What kind for flute are you talking about?

PVC?

I can make one for about a buck sans the cost of the bottle of wine for a cork.

I'll sell you one for 20 + SH.

How many you want?

[pipersgrip]

The cheaper ones are more for practice. They really have a limited sound. There is nothing like the sound of a wood flute, especially from an artisan.

[Aanvil]

The cheaper ones are more for practice.

I'm sorry but I respectfully do not agree with this.

Cheap flutes not made well... well what is the point?

Practice on a poor flute only make a difficult job even more so.

You buy the best flute you can afford.

If you only have 20 bucks well you look for the best 20 buck flute you can get.

And if you only have twenty buck you be wise get a whistle...or if its not really that important a kazoo.

[MTGuru]

Welcome to the Chiffboard, KODOAN.

I think you need to think very carefully what you mean when tossing terms like "amateur" and "professional" in the context of folk music. The same for equating price and whatever concept of quality or suitability, and for talk of "majorities" and "minorities". Please think about who it is that plays this music, and where it comes from.

Here you have a $20 instrument with great intonation and sound, and there you have a $2000 instrument with bad intonation and poor playing characteristics. And all gradations and permutations in between. Which instrument is supposed to be for whom, and why?

[Cork]

Hi, and welcome!

Sure, a high grade flute could be a great thing, but perhaps there could be another way to look at "cheap", low quality, flutes.

For instance, perhaps the worst aspect of a cheap flute could be in the sometimes outrageous and completely unnecessary challenges such a flute could present to a beginner, and that's not to say that a beginner should equip themselves with the best that money could buy, but that a beginner could do well to simply get a flute that's "known" to play well.

After that, they're on their own, to play any way they could wish.

[Doug_Tipple]

I remember trying to sell flutes on the street in Tucson, circa 1992. I had a bucket of simple, one-piece pvc flutes in different keys. There was a hand-written sign on the side of the bucket that read, " Flutes, $10". Actually, they were not bad flutes, but they centainly weren't fancy, by any means. I didn't sell many at that inflated price.

Sometime later at the farmer's market in downtown Lafayette, Indiana, circa 2000, I did the same stick, only this time I played my flutes and had revised my sign, which read, "Flutes, $20". I sold quite a few, but, frankly, the produce at the nearby stands was selling better. It's hard to compete with home-grown Indiana tomatoes.

Presently, I am still trying to sell pvc flutes on the world marketplace via an ebay ad. I've had to raise my price to keep up with modern times. I am sure thankful that I don't have to stand on the street in the hot sun in Tucson and try to peddle flutes anymore. No one from Iceland would ever find me there, but they do find me on ebay.

[peeplj]

I think you'll find a Tipple flute is one of your best and least expensive ways to get a real simple-system flute into your hands.

Doug does good work.

--James

[Aanvil]

10 bucks?!?!?!?!?

Man Doug, talk about under pricing. Oh btw if you feel bad about it you can send me 75 buck and you'll sleep better.

I know I will.



Oh KODOAN, I meant to welcome you to this crazy place so Welcome!

[Kirk B]

I started out on a Bb Generation tin whistle that I bought for about 10 bucks. I had no clue about key and that most ITM was played in D. It just looked like it fit my hands and it played fairly well so I bought it. Then I picked up a wooden fipple flute in a gift shop one day for a buck. I figured what the hell... it's a buck. It was probably horribly out of tune but I didn't care because I liked the tone compared to the metal whistle and the tone holes were easier to reach (probably because it was horribly out to tune, lol). The point is that because I enjoyed playing these things, and I had taken an interested in ITM, it got me playing music again. Once I knew I was serious about going further I bought something more refined at that point.

Cheers,

Kirk

[pipersgrip]

The cheaper ones are more for practice.

I'm sorry but I respectfully do not agree with this.

Cheap flutes not made well... well what is the point?

Practice on a poor flute only make a difficult job even more so.

You buy the best flute you can afford.

If you only have 20 bucks well you look for the best 20 buck flute you can get.

And if you only have twenty buck you be wise get a whistle...or if its not really that important a kazoo.

I am just saying that my FF plays 1000 times better than the pvc one I have. If you bring one to the session, you might not be heard that well, which is probably a good thing for me.

[LorenzoFlute]

Do the hard-core professionals ever take a break and play the "cheapies" just for fun?

take a break? from what? what's the point in playing a 20 dollars flute if you have a much better flute with a much better sound?
KODOAN, have you ever tried a professionally made flute?
welcome btw...

[ImNotIrish]

Do the hard-core professionals ever take a break and play the "cheapies" just for fun?

take a break? from what? what's the point in playing a 20 dollars flute if you have a much better flute with a much better sound?
KODOAN, have you ever tried a professionally made flute?
welcome btw...

It's not fun... in fact, it is often a lot more work.
arbo

[mutepointe]

A PVC flute is a great thing to leave in a car, take on a canoe/camping trip, give to a friend, play while floating in the backyard pool, let the baby play with and teeth on. You wouldn't want to do those things with an expensive flute.

Welcome.

[LorenzoFlute]

Do the hard-core professionals ever take a break and play the "cheapies" just for fun?

take a break? from what? what's the point in playing a 20 dollars flute if you have a much better flute with a much better sound?
KODOAN, have you ever tried a professionally made flute?
welcome btw...

It's not fun... in fact, it is often a lot more work.
arbo

sorry for my english, but i don't understand what you're saying and refering to...