Review of Guo Tocco Flute

[Gordon]

To answer Gordon based on the marketing of this flute, the reason to go with the Guo is for the tone quality being more "wood" like rather than metal. I've never played the flute, but I think the OP said this was a main reason to choose it.

Got that, but not sold on the concept that a softer sound is more 'wooden'. Also, since other comments were that it required more tonguing for articulation and could not be pushed, it seems it has far less advantages than disadvantages against a good student silver or, say, a similarly priced keyed conical (decent German antique or keyed M&E, say.) I can think of some advantages for this flute, mind, particularly with young student players, but not enough for serious learners; it seems created to inspire an almost immediate upgrade to a better flute.

[khal]

I'm the person who originally posted the review.

I would just like to point out that my evaluation of the playing capabilities of this flute should be taken as coming from someone who is not a great flutist. Any inadequacies are probably mine. For example, I originally posted that I could not push the flute too hard, but I have adjusted my embouchure and now that is not so true. Yes, it is not as loud as my silver flute, not yet anyway.

For me, the main advantages of this flute are comfort and the convenience of polymer. That means I play more. The more I play the better I'll get. Will I want to upgrade? Probably, when I get to a level that deserves it. If I get to that level faster with this flute since I play it more, so much the better!

Kim

[tin tin]

Here's a nice clip to give a sense of what the Guo Tocco sounds like and is capable of: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym73vdVoNBU

[onewheeldave]

There's another plastic orchestral flute- the 'Nuvo flute', which I believe is from the same person who who the clarineo (plastic clarinet)?

http://www.kurtjacob.com.au/NuvoFlutes.html

Here's a clip of it being played quite well-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFwhLEMglYk

It's much cheaper than the Guo plastic flute, being around £120 in the UK.

One of the main points of these flutes isn't necessarily to be a high-end flute: it's more about producing a flute that's suitable for beginners that doesn't need the sometimes inconvenient care that goes with a standard silver flute (e.g. you can leave it permanently assembled, pick it up and play whenever you want, not have to replace aged pads etc).

Reminiscient of what's happened with Irish flute now there are good delrin/plastic options, which, similarly, don't need the constant care and attention of wooden flutes, and, make a good, well-tuned flute more financially available to beginners.

Of course, the good delrin flutes, as well as being ideal for beginners, are also good for any level, e.g. the Copley/Forbes etc.

Plastic orchestral flutes are much newer technology, but, I'm guessing that in the near future, there are going to be more and more plastic versions of all instruments.

[kkrell]

There's another plastic orchestral flute- the 'Nuvo flute', which I believe is from the same person who who the clarineo (plastic clarinet)?

http://www.kurtjacob.com.au/NuvoFlutes.html

It's much cheaper than the Guo plastic flute, being around £120 in the UK.

Nice. Approx. $200 in the U.S.

[Raggle Taggle]

A question for the original poster:

In my limited experience, a main concern about concert flutes is the delicacy of the mechanism - keeping it dust free, properly cleaned oiled and adjusted, etc. You mention that the Tucco can be left on a shelf, exposed and ready to play. Is there something about the mechanism that gives you less concern about dust contamination or maintenance than a silver flute?

[kkrell]

Deleted - responded in error regarding the wrong flute.

[khal]

Most of the key mechanism on the Guo Tocco is plastic or stainless steel covered in plastic. I cannot say for sure that it won't gunk up or go bad in some other way by leaving it out and assembled. I'm taking a chance with it. Right now I'm happy that it's been on my shelf for a few weeks and not tarnished.

Also, after hearing the Nuvo flute sound samples, I'm not sorry I spent more for the Guo. Maybe it was bad recording or bad playing, but I didn't like the tone at all.

Kim

[onewheeldave]

Most of the key mechanism on the Guo Tocco is plastic or stainless steel covered in plastic. I cannot say for sure that it won't gunk up or go bad in some other way by leaving it out and assembled. I'm taking a chance with it. Right now I'm happy that it's been on my shelf for a few weeks and not tarnished.

Also, after hearing the Nuvo flute sound samples, I'm not sorry I spent more for the Guo. Maybe it was bad recording or bad playing, but I didn't like the tone at all.

Kim

I did speak on the phone to a UK stockist who has both the Nuvo and the Guo, and, he said the Guo was considerably superior to the Nuvo.

Then again, the Nuvo is £120, while the Guo was more like £600- so, clearly, that's going to be reflected in the quality.

The Nuvo, I think, is designed to be a good basic instrument for beginners that can be left assembled (there's even a wall mounted holder so it can be left fully assembled on the wall) and will require virtually no maintenance.

A more fair comparison would be between the Nuvo and a typical metal orchestral beginners flute that costs around £120, rather than the much more expensive Guo.

Having said that, I've no idea if the Nuvos worth the price- the only thing I have to go on are online videos; at the price I was tempted to buy one, but I think I'll wait a few months to see if anyone puts any decent reviews up.

[Feadoggie]

I did speak on the phone to a UK stockist who has both the Nuvo and the Guo, and, he said the Guo was considerably superior to the Nuvo.

Then again, the Nuvo is £120, while the Guo was more like £600- so, clearly, that's going to be reflected in the quality.

Interesting! I was just talking to a used car salesman the other day. He said the same thing.

I have no ax to grind against either of these flutes. I'd like to try them both and see what they are like. Had the Nuvo been around when my daughter started flute, I would have bought one instead of handing her one of my old silver flutes. I just wish someone would do a detailed analysis of the Nuvo vs the Tocco so we could understand where the "quality" is between them.

They both sound good in the videos. But we know how that works, right?

At least the Nuvo is meant to play Irish music - play the video. They even got Ringo as a spokesman.

Any chance someone here can try them both at a dealer? There are no dealers near me that carry both flutes as yet.

Feadoggie

[jim stone]

One problem I have with beginner Bohm flutes is that the embouchure hole makes it very easy to produce
a tone but has little 'depth' or interest. My impression is that for the price of the Guo one can buy an intermediate
level Bohm flute, if only used. So myquestion is: how does the embouchure play? If this really is at a
beginner's level, I can't really see paying 700 for it, nor would I want it for less.

[Sillydill]

The NUVO was more within my price range.

So I went ahead and ordered one!

The little white jFlute, only plays down to D, comes with a curved headjoint, but also comes with a cheater! This will allow my youngest daughter to start playing it immediately.

I ordered from here (U.S.): http://www.blockiflute.com/Nuvo-Flutes_c_69.html

Only $150 for the jFlute and $195 for the Student Flute (Free Shipping).

[I.D.10-t]

The NUVO was more within my price range.

So I went ahead and ordered one!
...

Looking forward to a review.

[Feadoggie]

So I went ahead and ordered one!

Good on you, Sillydill. Had I not just bought another Copley flute myself, I might have tried one of the Nuvo flutes myself. So It will be interesting to hear what you think about the jFlute. I saw that Blocki sells them. They are like 325 miles west of here, a bit too far to pop in and try a polymer flute I'm afraid. Blocki seems to specialize in "getting 'em while they're young". The Zhao Mini-D flute looks wild too. I guess the jFLute is a polymer flute sprung from the same idea.

Feadoggie

[Tonehole]

One problem I have with beginner Bohm flutes is that the embouchure hole makes it very easy to produce
a tone but has little 'depth' or interest. My impression is that for the price of the Guo one can buy an intermediate
level Bohm flute, if only used. So myquestion is: how does the embouchure play? If this really is at a
beginner's level, I can't really see paying 700 for it, nor would I want it for less.

Hi Jim,

Tone control with the beginner Boehm flutes is actually very good, except perhaps for the third octave and above. Many teachers no longer bother teaching articulation at beginner levels. I never learnt articulation until I started the baroque traverso.

The Guo composite flute is very surprising actually. It does feel light; and its embouchure is not only free-blowing but also adept at variegated tone colour. It is much better than the cheaper metal student Boehms and should take a player up to intermediate playing. You can get the composite headjoint alone - these are fantastic value and really transform a sterile cylinder of Boehm metal from boring into interesting!

The comment about the tone of such beginner Boehm flutes having little depth or interest, probably applies to most Boehm flutes in my view. I don't enjoy it anywhere as much as a baroque traverso or a simple system conical flute. The exception is probably the historical wooden Boehm flutes. I find these have really interesting sound signatures and character. But they aren't easy to come by and are definitely not beginners' flutes.