I read this in an auction on ebay and thought to myself..what a crock!

"Silverplated Instruments such as this one produce a rich mello tone. This is because the Silverplate bonds to the brass, expanding and contracting at the same ration and produces a richer and more full sound."

Salesmen will say anything to sell their product. Some people believe everything. Some don`t. All they need is one sucker to make a sale.

I displayed to a student this morning that an appropriately lengthed extension to the flute foot joint can make the flute play the next semi-tone down. I ripped a piece of paper about 2" by 8" and wrapped it around the end of the foot joint a few times overlapping the end by about 1/4". Had the student hold it in place and then played a low Bb. The tone was just fine with the tube extension being of loosely wrapped paper.
~Bilbo

There is a guy on ebay that is selling a vintage Powell. He gold plated the thing! Me not happy...
It was for a good price and I would have seriously thought about buying it, but not after seeing it yellow!

young people on this forum, beware and caveat emptor, especially when buying a flute from a large store. just as running shoes won`t make you a better runner, a modern scale flute wont give you better intonation

Modern flutes have come a long way and have made the scale much better than the old vintage flutes. If you have a good ear, you can just about play any flute in tune. But why struggle with a flute with an old scale? Why make the flute any harder to play than it has to be? If a flutist has problems with intonation to begin with, I would NEVER recommend an old scale flute for them to play on.

are we going to start this debate again? haha
Rampal insisted on french scale

"Rampal insisted on french scale"

Well that is explains it then. That is why he had such horrid intonation! Listen to some of his recordings.

I am loathe to recount this... but I read Rampal came across a student Yamaha flute and was so taken by its ease to play in tune that he bought it.

Lol! Piko. He must have loved the flutes with bad scales. Maybe that just worked for him....or maybe not.

he never played any thing but Haynes, and I just did a recording with a top NYC freelancer who has a Haynes from 1927, but he knows how to play in tune

I am sure he does. I didn`t say you COULD NOT play an old scale flute in tune, it is just harder.