hi I`m a flute player of 4 years and I`m currently looking for a new flute becuase I`m advancing.

When I first started, I had a rented yamaha student model flute and frankly I can`t remember what it sounded like anymore. I now own a student model pearl and it has gotten me a distinction in Grade 5 ABRSM. However, it looks very old and looks like it`s tarnishing hence the need for me to get a new one.

I am also trying to decide whether to get another Pearl which will prob be a 765RBE or 795RBE, a Yamaha 471 or a Gemeinhardt 3SB. I`ve tried a Yamaha 471 just a few days ago and I love its sound. I`m just waiting to try a Pearl and a Gemeinhardt before i make my decision.

Can anyone recommend a good music shop that sells the above flutes at good prices in the major cities of america? If so, could you please email me or reply to this post. Your help will be greatly appreciated..

My email is urban_roxygurl@hotmail.com
Thanks!!

I would go for the Yamaha because I know that their flutes are good don`t really know about Pearl. BUt Gemeinhr\ardt I wouldn`t go to good for.

I wouldn`t really go on what other people say try them all and pick which ever you feel most comfortable with.

Leprachaun

I would TRY before you BUY.

However the Pearl 765/795 series should be compared to Yamaha`s 600 series or Gemeinhardt`s KGM series.

If you have the opportunity you may want to check out Jupiter`s DiMedici 1311 series or Emerson`s EF 88 Series.

I would never compare the Pearl 765/795 series or the Gemeinhardt`s KGM series to the Yamaha`s 600 series. The quality is not even comparable. I would compare them more to a STUDENT Yamaha flute.

They may have the same features, but no where near the same quality. Don`t get caught up in features, that is a common mistake the less experienced seem to make.

Try all flutes you can get a hold of regardless of brand. Quality of manufacture is apparent when you are comparing multiple flutes.

Some repair people don`t like the effort to adjust Pearls "pin-less" mechanism. Do be aware that it may incurr additional cost and that some repair people may even entirely dissuade people of Pearl flutes for that sole reason alone. (like "some poster" p)

Here on 8notes you are only limited to a view opinions on flutes, but there are other places with many of hundreds of flutists who`ll share their personal playing experiences:

Flute List - #1 Flute e-mail discussion group, Amazing archive. I recommend searching brand names in their archive... or any flute subject for that matter.
http://www.larrykrantz.com/fluteweb/fluteweb.htm

FluteNet - Yahoo group for the FluteList challenged . Many MANY people subscribe to both and actively use both, it is easier to manage and can be viewed like a message board as well as e-mail group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flutenet/

Whoops. That "some poster" reference with the look of shock should have been a smiley with a tongue sticking out. ;op

I don`t pay a lot of attention to the smileys, but....

"Do be aware that it may incurr additional cost and that some repair people may even entirely dissuade people of Pearl flutes for that sole reason alone. (like "some poster"

That is not true and you know it!

I object to your unfair misrepresention in the words "for that sole reason alone".

Unless you have the excuse of an apalling memory, you know as well as I do, that I have always listed off quite a range of problems that many Pearl models have, that affect the reliability and time spent servicing. By far the most significant ones are NOT what you mention, but the sloppiness in the pivots, the non-level tone holes, and the qute high quality pads which are firm enough to require a high degree of accuracy in the other two items.

Hey everyone,

Thanks a lot for your help. I`m gonna be leaving for the States soon so I would appreciate if anyone knows of any music shops that sell flutes in the states.

Thanks heaps!!

Mich, in this particular forum, on a topic such as this, it seems you have 3 or 5 vocal respondents with varying degrees of expertise in different areas.

The rest of the replies are likely to be from people who have so little experience of the pros and cons of the wide range of instruments available, that their writings should be largely ignored.

Unfortunately, for somebody relatively new to the forum, it may be difficult to tell which respondents are in each group.

The end effect of this, is that this forum does not include a sufficient range of respondents with relevant experience, to get a really worthwhile pattern of agreeing advice.

What I suppose we CAN all agree on is that if you are an experienced player, you should try the instruments yourself to find what you like, but have due regard for each manufacturers reputation with respect to the issues you cannot determine for yourself by playing for few minutes, i.e. standard of mechanical manufacture.

For these issues you need to consider the advise from people with expertise and experience in this area, excluding salespeople, who are largely trying to sell whatever provides them with most profit.

For expertise and experience from a wide range of people qualified to give it, this forum is probably not such a good place.

Jerema, maybe you should lighten up a bit on Piko. I agree with you on everything you did say about Pearl flutes, but like Piko said, I have also talked to some repair techs that don`t like to deal with the whole pinless mechanism too. The whole thing is a pain.

I object to your unfair misrepresention in the words "for that sole reason alone".

Unless you have the excuse of an appalling memory, you know as well as I do, that I have always listed off quite a range of problems that many Pearl models have, that affect the reliability and time spent servicing. By far the most significant ones are NOT what you mention, but the sloppiness in the pivots, the non-level tone holes, and the quite high quality pads which are firm enough to require a high degree of accuracy in the other two items.p

I do indeed remember you speaking about those problems, but... assuming Pearl lacked "pin-less" mechanism I would then think that those problems are what you experience from just about any non-Yamaha flute, except for the high-quality pads of course.

I didn`t realize you found such problems be even more apparent on a Pearl than other non-Yamaha flutes.

And... so I figured it was the "pin-less" but that really gets you riled up about Pearls (you do realize you really go on against them almost as much as I against Yamahas).

I`ll definitely remember that now though.

I hope that I`m not really being that offensive lately and you just take instrument repair really seriously.

Hey Jerema

Yes I do agree that any experienced flute player will have to try out the flute for themself before deciding on the one which they are comfortable with.

As I had mentioned earlier, I recently tried out a YFL 471 and found it to be very likeable. However, I am just asking for people`s opinion on which flute they prefer. I am asking because I realise that trying out a yamaha 471 in NZ and trying another similar model in US may feel different and might not represent what a typical 471 would sound like.

So jerema, i assume you`re pretty experienced yourself. So out of the yamaha 471H, pearl 765RBE, pearl 795RBE and gemeinhardt 3SB, which one would you personally choose to buy if given the choice?

Thanks Pico, for now understanding. Yes, I do think the sloppy pivot issue is more pronounced in a Pearl than other student flutes in general. However it may just be typical of most Taiwanese/Chinese flutes. Most of my comparison has been with American-name flutes and Yamahas.

I think the non-level tone hole problem is common for all student brands I see.

Mich, I do have a lot of experinece, but only in specific areas, the limits of which I am happy to acknowledge.

I do not comment on 3SB because I cannot recall the last time I worked on and played one here. As I think I have said, few Gemeinhardts are now imported here because, with their tone issue, they became poor sellers once Yamaha upped the benchmark for tone and Gemeinhardt did not match it. So I don`t know much about new models of Gemneinhardt since the ESP.

Serious players here never really considered higher models of Gemeinhardt, when Pearl, Altus, Yamaha, Miyazawa and Muramatsu (in no particular order!) have been readily available.

So personally, with my limited information, I would indeed buy a Yamaha 400 series, but I think that if the Yamaha 600 series was in my price range I would aim for that, becasue it has the reputedly excellent "EC" (or one of many other options) head. The 400 series is still basically the student flute with silver tubing, which proably makes little difference, judging from my experience comparing the 200 and 300 series. I have not played many 400 series flutes, but found them little different form the 300. In all probability though, more attention has been given to level tone holes on a 400.

Personally, I would prefer a 411 (no open holes, and no low B) to a 471H