Bah! It`s brass plated!

Those just kinda SCARE me.

More posted for humor though...perhaps a bad play off of the Jupiter brand?

Kinda like the "real" designer purses you get on the street for 50 bucks. If it looks to good to be true, it usually is.

Though the colors are kind of fun...I`m more into function/practicality than looks though when it comes to my instrument.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10183&item=7337778329&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Never seen these flutes before! Any ideas on quality? I want a open hole flute with low B to practise using open holes.

As has been said so many times in this and other forums, if something seems too good to be true, then it probably is. It actually costs quite a bit of money to make a reliable, good-sounding flute.

Pay peanuts, and you run a very high risk of buying total rubbish.

You will note that no country of manufacture is stated. It could well be India, where the worst junk now comes from.

You will notice the container of cork grease in the case. Cork grease for a metal flute!!!!!!
A definite sign manufacturer just does not have a clue about flutes.

I`ve read a lot of your posts. THANK YOU for posting here.

Truly, other than the B foot and better craftsmanship/metals/head joint on a reliable/good model, there is NOT much difference between a plateau model flute and an "open hole" flute. It took me not even a month to get all my pegs out and be very comfortable with my first open hole flute. I went with a used flute from a "friend"...it was not worth the "savings". I was lucky and my teacher approached my parents about two years later and we upgraded to my current flute, a Gemeinhardt 3SB. It`s an older Gemeinhardt, so I cannot speak for their quality right now...it was under $1000 on sale, new.

Your best bet if upgrading is to look into a well looked after conservatory model and saving up for it. It is under $1000 for a good quality Yamaha or Gemeinhardt student/conservatory open hole model if you look for sales on wwbw.com or other similar sites. Make sure you get a solid silver headjoint. Another bonus is solid silver body and foot. Plated keys don`t make much difference to me, but if you have the money, solid silver keys usually mean you get the "more experienced" assemblers/makers. (At least that is how Jeff my tech explained it to me...but he said I was dead on about sound quality, solid silver keys don`t make a difference in your sound quality, they merely mean you have a better mechanism.)

Those flutes are hideous! A girl brought one to school that I volunteer at, and I tried it out. Utter junk!!! It was awful! It sounded like it was made out of an old Coke can. Worst yet, the springs were so weak and poor quality that the keys would not sometimes spring back the way they were supposed to.
The embouchure hole looked like someone just took a drill to it. The tone holes were not level, so none of the pads seated properly. Don`t waste your money, they are only good for decoration, in my opinion.

Has any one heard of Maestro flutes? I`m from the U.K. and have never heard of them.

They are one of those junk ebay brands. You are best to stick with the good name brand flutes.

Dude Dustin you don`t know what you`re talking about. Emerson,Jupiter,Blessing, and Armstrong are all excellent reliable flutes.

Pearl flutes are the best!! With Yamaha flutes you just pay for the name!! And here`s another thought-Pearl specialise just in instruments whereas Yamaha do everything from flutes to motorbike crash helmets!

But presumably they have different staff for different areas...

But what other company can sell you a flute with a motorcycle?

I really don`t agree with some of what was on your list, Dustin. I played a pearl flute for 5 years; I loved how it sounded and played, and it didn`t break once - I had no problems with it at all. Have you actually played flutes form all of these brands???

Shouldn`t this forum be dead? lol. I am getting sick of seeing that o so famous, "BAD BRANDS" topic.

HG, I think that we have all established that. Look back at all the posts. You really don`t have to wonder why Dustin either doesn`t post anymore, or is using another name. Lol!