Hey you guys. I've been looking for a nice piccolo to buy. I know that gemienhardt piccolos are nice...what do you guys think of Armstrong? I always find used armstrong piccolos and they look really nice. And it's really cheap too! Do you recommend Armstrong piccolos? I just want it to play around with and use it for my HS band. I found a really nice one for $150..hmm..maybe that's too cheap for a pic. i have no clue!

Armstrong, along with Gemeinhardt, Emerson, Yamaha, and several others made and continue to make solid entry level piccolos. They will certainly allow you to give piccolo a shot without too many difficulties, as long as they are decent condition. $150 is probably about right for a used Armstrong (particularly if it might need some work). You can find them cheaper, but there are also disadvantages to buying off eBay or other sites. If you can, be sure to play test it to make sure it is in working order. If not, you should figure in the cost of a complete repad and adjustment as well, so that you'll know if it is an acceptable price for you. Once it's in playing condition, it may well serve you through high school (and depending on your level of play, could go beyond HS), though if you're in a particularly talented group or plan to go into music as a career, eventually you'll need to invest in something nicer.

OH! cool, the used armstrong piccolo is in good playing condition. Kara is selling it..and she also added gemstones and all that^_^ I trust her.
OH! i'm SOO excited..i hope it will serve me well through highschool. I've only played a gemienhardt piccolo ONCE in middle school. I couldn't blow through it..it was really embrassing. I guess i need to get used to it. I've heard good things about Armstrongs so i hope piccolos whould be just find.
what kind of difficulties can i have with a used pic? Repairing?

Well if it's coming from Kara, you should have no difficulties then. And yes, repairs can be costly as many old intruments have not had the maintainence necessary to keep them up. There are also many piccolos out there now that will literally fall apart on you. This is the type of thing I was talking about. Just make sure to take the picc to be looked at every so often (at least once a year is about average), and it should continue to work well for years.

OOH! Thanks flutist06. I'm really excited now:D...i always have to ask ppl like you if a certain piccolo is good to buy. heehee,..i guess $150 is a excellent price^_^ i wouldn't now because i'm easily convinced into buying anything.
OKay, thanks again...i'll tell you all about it..

Your welcome! Good luck, and let us know how the picc comes turns out!

I know that i can trust this buyer (of course!)..but i'm not sure if this piccolo would be the right one for me. I know piccolo shoping isn't intense as a pro flute shoping, Well, at least for me. Anyways, can anyone tell me more about Armstrongs? What the BENEFITS of a Armstrong piccolo is? Heard any good things about armstrong picc.?

Honestly, schoolgirl, until you start paying bigger money, the differences between piccolos are going to be minimal. The Armstrongs are solidly built student instruments. They will allow you to play the notes, get an embouchure for piccolo going, and are great for marching band type situations, but there is not anything magnificent that makes them better than a Gemeinhardt or an Emerson, and nothing magnificent about those that make them better than the Armstrong. Any name brand picc can last you several years (I have a 10+ year old Yamaha YPC-32 that I played all through marching band and it's still going). Also, parts are easily available and repair should not be a problem should you need work done to it, unlike some of the cheaper Chinese piccs that are out there right now. I've played Armstrongs before, and personally preferred them to most other student piccs, but of course this is up to you. What exactly is making you have reservations about Armstrong?

I thought i would like to know more about armstrongs since i've never heard of that brand that much. That's all... thanks for the post though..

Armstrong is a branch of the Conn-Selmer company, based in Elkhart , Indiana. For most of the last 100 years, the various branches of the corporation have been among the most well known and widely used instruments in the US. If you want more info, try checking the Conn-Selmer website.

I have a question, i have played flute for like 4 years and im way ahead of everyone else in my school. My band teacher recomened playing piccolo so i looked into it, has anyone heard of schill piccolo? i found one for a reasonable price. i was going to buy a pink venus one but i read on a different colum that they weren't so good. Before i buy the Schill one is it good or not? Thaknks a whole bunch, as you can tell im clueless

Another variation on the Chinese junk theme. Probably made in the same factory as the Venus you turned down. A good rule of thumb: if they are advertising on eBay as brand new and selling it for $79.95, it's likely junk and a repairperson's nightmare.

Your best bet if you are on a budget is to find a decent used student picc (Armstrong, Yamaha, Gemeinhardt, Emerson, etc.) and have your repairperson look it over.

if they are advertising on eBay as brand new and selling it for $79.95, it's likely junk and a repairperson's nightmare.

In the UK, it is increasingly common that competent repair shops will repair chinese instruments at regular rates. However, in my (limited)experience based on one Venus piccolo and an unbranded solid silver head high specification flute, they are well built and play very well.

In contrast, most older piccolos (which I repair as a hobby) usually require new pads, various adjustments, have worn plating etc. Most music shops over charge for such repairs in the hope that you will buy a new one instead.

One benefit from buying a chinese instrument from a reputable music shop is that you get the advantage of being able to try it out, get a meaningful warranty and still pay less than the over-priced branded student instruments.

None of the reputable music shops in my area carry the Chinese flutes and pics. Wal-Mart does however. That says plenty right there, methinks.

Your probably not old enough to remember what the trade said about Yamaha flutes when they first became available ...

If you have a local stockist then why not check them out. I doubt if all the Chinese instruments are made in the same factory so standards will vary - I often wonder which parts of Asia make the well known branded student instruments. On those occasions when I've been in the US and shopped at Walmart, I dont recall ever buying anything which looked, tasted or was junk. Perhaps Walmart's has changed ...

On a more serious note, if you want an instrument with prestige or high resell value then it needs to be branded - in the same way as when throwing a posh dinner party you dont buy your meat at ASDA - the Walmart food subsidiary in the UK!