Shane, is there a reason you want to spend more money on a professional flute for your 12 year old daughter? Please forgive me, but isn`t 12 a bit young for a professional flute?

I really just want to get her a high quality, durable flute that is the best for the money that I am prepare to spend. She is a great kid who is on the high honor roll, voted #1 student in town, and has been playing flute since 2nd grade. If the Jupiter is better for less money then that would be great. I can get the Dimedici without the extra`s that is compareable to the Yamaha for $1695.00. My only reservation is that I have read post that state the Jupiter is made in Taiwan and is of lower quality. My daughters teacher also siad that Jupiter has quality issues.

Ok but I would still go for the Jupiter I mean all flutes are going to have some problems.As they say "no flutes perfect"LOL
People just think Yamaha are better because they are paying so much more that they feel its a better quality. Ok fair enough its better than a lot of flutes but there are some that are of the same quality for less and people feel there must be something wrong with them because they dont cost like $2000. I feel that Jupiter are just as good if not better than Yamaha.

Leprachaun

You should let your daughter and her instructor review the flutes side by side if you have the opportunity. That way your daughter can play them both and decide which she likes best. You will also be able to compare the build quality... are there keys that move (grab a key and move it side to side), are the embouchure holes perfectly symmetrical, is there any visible cutting in the embouchure hole (good thing), take a tuner and have your daughter play some appregios and see which flutes have a more accurate scale, are the the adjustment screws accessible or hidden (if not accessible you must take it to a shop to re-adjust, which is a pain if the flute has adjustment issues).

The shop should hopefully let you trade around the headjoints. Have your daughter try out the heads of the Jupiter/Yamaha on her own flute or have her use her own head on those two flutes. That way she can more easily tell which body/head is better. Take along some Teflon tape to allow a loose head to fit better.

Have your daughter try out the below Trills with and without the C# keys. It`s absolutely amazing to some:

B-C (first and second octaves): Finger B and trill the C# key.
C-C# (first and second octaves): Finger C and trill the C# key.
High F#-G#: Finger high F# and trill the C# key.
High G-Ab: Finger high G and trill the C# key.
High G-A: Finger high G and trill the C# trill key and D trill key in unison.
High Ab-Bb: Finger high Ab and trill the C# trill key, the D trill key and the D# trill key in unison.

Oh... on Yamaha...

Yamaha manufactures musical instruments throughout the world.

The below site lists the countries Yamaha operates in and what type of manufacturing is done there.

http://www.global.yamaha.com/countries/

Yamaha may not manufacture in Taiwan, but they do make wind instruments anywhere from the USA to Indonesia... and then some. Country of manufacture really doesn`t matter so long as the maker has sufficient quality control measures in place.

Some counries such as the U.S.A. allow the import and assembly of a musical instruments parts and still retain "made in Japan" as that is where the parts originated.

I think the word "professional" is the issue. This is a word commonly used by sellers of flutes when describing their flutes.

However, experienced players get concerned when this term is applied to the flutes that are actually more of an "intermediate level" (and sometimes even to high end student models!).

I think Shane is trying to provide his daughter with an upgraded, well-made, good quality flute for his young daughter. He has perhaps had this level of flute described to him as a "professional" model.

We, on this forum, have many opinions, some of which are backed by sufficient experience, but others are offered by young people who are attached to their particular brand of flute, but who have less experience in a variety of flutes.

I would suggest that the proper thing to do for a new poster is to let him/her know where you are coming from. For example:
1. "I am also 12, and I have had my (insert flute brand here) for 2 years, and it has been great! My band director says I sound very good."

OR

2. "I have been playing/teaching/repairing flutes professionally for several years, and would recommend the following flutes as good choices for your particular situation (insert list here)."

I`m sure we could be of much beter help to people if we took this approach.

Shane, I hope you can muddle through our ongoing debates about different brands/models/features/materials etc. and glean some useful information!! Your daughter is very lucky to have you striving for an informed decision rather than just buying what the music store salesman is hawking. Good luck!

I am a 27 year old male. I have played the flute for the past 14 years. I studied privately seriously considering pursuing a flute performance major, but quit after the 1st year. I was on scholarship. This was back in `99.

I grew entirely weary of the flute and put it down for a couple years pursuing choral alternatives until I joined a private group dubbed the "Singsations" that went around singing from parties, retirement homes, weddings, and our own concert in which I began to play the flute again with and making a little pocket money to boot.

Now the flute is entirely a hobby instrument for me. Though I occasionally will get calls from friends to do a studio recording or event of some sort that they want flute on.

Other than that I just play community shtick.

My flute is a Gemeinhardt 3SB (and I`ve always used it`s original head in professional work).

What I do for a living now? Shopping! ... well purchasing to be exact. I buy the materials that get worked into parts for aircraft.

As far as quality goes... the high quality parts that must have exact dimensions and metal content for use in planes is largely developed by minorities. They just feed metal into the machines and the machines turn metal tubes into all sorts of interesting objects. Every piece exactly the same as the one before.

That reminds me Burkhart-Phelan is still looking for a $12/hour metal worker to make their professional flutes (Job involves filing, polishing, silver soldering, and precision assembly). I suspect their flutes are largely designed by machine except for the stringing.

At 11 years old (wow...that was only a couple years ago) I hated the flute. And I mean HATED The flute. I had a rough start when I started in fifth grade, and just hated it all the way until the end of sixth grade.
Then, towards the end of sixth grade, my band teacher told us about an overnight band camp. I sounded interested, so I went. I decided afterwards the flute wasn`t that bad and worked on my flute a lot more.
I only decided I was going to do something with music at the end of my eighth grade year which was a few months ago.
I would love a professional flute, but not yet. I might upgrade at the end of this year...

My daughter received her Yamaha YFL-674H today from Fluteworld and she loves it. It sounds great and is easy to play.

All`s well that ends well. Out of curiousity what is FW`s "real" price at the moment?

$2375

Lucky kid, let`s hope it survives band and all the rest of the dents. Lol!

Shane: Congrats to your daughter!! I wish my mom was that nice to let me upgrade

Kara,
I have read this board for quite a awhile now and you have repeatedly made comments about younger kids getting expensive flutes.

While I understand why you might feel that way. It is terribly stereotypical to say things like.... I hope it makes it through band class.

My daughter started on a student Gemmy when she was in 5th grade, when she was in 7th grade I bought her a Yamaha 561. In 8th grade we added a Drelinger headjoint.

Not one dent or scratch. She won`t let me or her band directors touch her flute much less any other kids in band. The only one that can handle her flute is her private teacher LOL and the repair tech when it goes in for its annual COA.

Some kids like my daughter take very good care of their instruments. To assum that just because they are in High School they don`t deserve it or they must be spoiled sounds just like plain jealousy.

Guess what....we are now going to be looking at new headjoints because her teacher feels the Drelinger is holding her back....GASP she is not 15 yet !!

Kim

Well good for you Kim. If you have the money then go for it. Why would I be jealous when I have my own professional flute? I just feel that it is a bit premature and I am entitled to my opinion. If it makes you feel any better to throw money at your daughters feet, then whom am I to stop you. Have fun! Why don`t you just buy your daughter a platinum flute....or maybe that we be holding her back too. Lol!

Kara,
Why would you be jealous ? I really don`t know why you are but it is VERY apparent that you are.

Yes, you are entitled to your opinion but to base your opinion with absolutely no personal knowledge of the young students ability, aspirations,level of responsiblity is a bit premature!

To assume that I or any other parent is throwing money at our kids or spoiling them without any personal insight is rather immature.

Maybe your parents didn`t spend money on a flute for you like I or Shane have..maybe that is where your resentment comes in ?


Kim



<<Well good for you Kim. If you have the money then go for it. Why would I be jealous when I have my own professional flute? I just feel that it is a bit premature and I am entitled to my opinion. If it makes you feel any better to throw money at your daughters feet, then whom am I to stop you. Have fun! Why don`t you just buy your daughter a platinum flute....or maybe that we be holding her back too. Lol!>>