Hi everyone. Sorry for posting another `which piccolo?` topic. I know there are loads, and I have read them, but I`m still undecided, so I thought I`d post a new topic and see if there`s anyone out there who can help me decide. Right...

Basically, I took my piccolo to the repairers lately and they said there`s not really any point in repairing it, because it`s quite old and needs all new pads. I`ve also had tuning problems with it for quite a while, which is partly due to the pad problems (they`re letting air out all over the place), but it just doesn`t sound as good as it used to. It was a bit old, but hardly used and in perfect condition when I bought it second hand about five or six years ago but has had a lot of use. It`s a Boosey & Hawkes silver piccolo.

Now the problem outlined:
- I need a piccolo which I can use for the band I play in, which is a concert and marching band. We do concert events far more often than we march. Therefore, I need a piccolo that sounds good in concert, but will withstand the occasional march.
- Also, I am going to university in September and will be joining the Wind band (concert style) and possibly the orchestra. I am not studying music, but the university has a good music department.
- I have been playing for 12 years and have passed grade 8, so I want to get a fairly good piccolo, preferably not a really basic beginner one.
- As I have not purchased a piccolo for a long time (and my parents got me the last one, and know nothing about piccolos) I don`t have much of an idea of which brands are better value for money, or last longer, are better quality etc.
- I tried my sister`s piccolo, which has a plastic body and gold plated head, and I didn`t like the tone of it or the way it played. However, it is quite a cheap own-brand one from an Internet company which may partly account for that. I much preferred the sound of my own piccolo, and the way it plays generally, even when it needs re-padding and is out of tune.
- There are no good music shops nearby where I can go and try out different piccolos.
- I prefer in-line keys, as my flute and current piccolo both have them. I don`t like the feel of an offset G flute or piccolo, but I can cope with that on a piccolo if it`s worth it to get a good one.

Yeah, so I need a bit of advice! I`m not sure how much to spend yet. I don`t want to spend a fortune, but I would if it`d be worth it long term... or I`d go for a good second hand decent piccolo! I don`t want to buy anything dodgy that won`t last long and will sound nasty.

Help!

If you are not heading for the expensive big names such as Hammig, Powell, Haynes, Yamaha professional, Burkart, etc (no special order) then I can see no reason at all not to head for Yamaha.

My second choice, not for flutes but for cheaper piccolos, would be to consider Gemeinhardt.

But there are new brands coming on the market, possibly from the same few factories in Asia, every few months. SOME may be good, but you run a very high risk of wasting your money.

Yamaha, as in YPC 32? I`ve never played one of those, but I`m sure they`re good.

I`m also considering a Gemeinhardt 4S or 4PSH, but I`m not sure which I`d like better. If anyone has any opinions on these instruments it`d be a great help!

mine is a yamaha YPC-30 and i love it! i havent` had any problems with it. i use it marching band, but i had a friend use it for concert band and she said it was excellent for her. hopefully this is helpful, happy buying!

I would recommend the Armstrong 308. They are wonderful. I personally like them better than the Yamaha 32.

Definately Yamaha YPC32. Still have mine after 20 years. reliable good in wind bands rather than orch. playing, just the right sound. Many places do try before you buy. Do that.

Yeah I`ll defnitely make sure I buy from a place where I can send it back if I don`t like it. It`s a lot of money to waste otherwise!

I was thinking about the YPC 32, and I know it`d be good, but I tried my sister`s piccolo again (with an offset G) and for some reason I think it`d just really annoy me - my flute playing hand position just doesn`t go, if you know what I mean - not comfortable. Maybe I`m a bit weird.

If anyone has an opinion on a Gemeinhardt 4PSH I`d like to know. They seem to be reasonably priced, and I also thought it might be good to have the solid silver head joint rather than a silver plated head joint on a YPC 32. Maybe that`s irrelevant though, when comparing the 2 brands for overall quiality. I don`t know!

Armstrong piccolo`s all have an in line G.
My first piccolo was a Gemeinhardt plasic with a silver head. I lasted many years and I never had any problems with it. I always had more of a problem being able to produce the upper register on it though.
I swiched to an Armstrong all plastic picc after that, and loved it.

I just play tested a bunch of piccolo`s when I was shopping for one for a student. The jupiter was really nice. That is what she ended up buying. I and my student had problems with the upper register on all the Gemeinhardts that we had tried.

Hope that helps some.

Yes, the newer Jupiter piccolos are nice.