I just cut and paste my answers from previous threads

Flutist06 I mean one that has rubber keys in at first and you can pop them out anytime one by one like kara said but i guess geminheardt(sp? sorry im not good at spelling !!!!) is pretty advanced for someone who just wants a small upgrade..... i guess i got to far....
my mistake don't pay attention to my last message!!!!

This year i really noticed that i had moved on from the basic model(beginner yamaha, borrowed from school). it just didnt suit me anymore. I really wanted another flute, and i stuck with a Yamaha(wow, thats a fun word to type!!). After going and browsing i ended up buying the top of the range flute. it is all pure silver and it has open holes. it says on the box that its a YFL-471...dont know if that means nething to you, its the advanced one anyway.

Its a great flute, id recommend a yamaha, if you were thinking of swaying that way!

>> but i guess geminheardt(sp? sorry im not good at spelling !!!!) is pretty advanced for someone who just wants a small upgrade..... i guess i got to far....
<<

No, Gemeinhardt isn't too advanced--they make a full range of flutes, student through professional, just like the other manufacturers. A brand is generally not "advanced" in and of itself (unless you're getting into brands that only make handmade flutes). However, a brand has a reputation, either good or bad, and just because you or your friend have a decent flute in that brand doesn't mean that, overall, that brand is the best. While Gemeinhardt's students flutes probably aren't any better or worse than any other (or, at least weren't 30 years ago, I have to admit), from what I've read, their intermediate and professional level flutes don't have the same quality control and workmanship as other company's manufactured (i.e. factory-made) flutes.

Buying a flute is like buying a car. Just because I like my Beetle and don't mind the occasional electrical problem because it gets great fuel mileage and is cute as a button , doesn't mean that it suits your needs or that you'd want to put up with the occasional trip to the repair shop.

I started on a Gemeinhardt student flute. I always loved it. But, I can't let the flute I got in 1974 effect my recommendations for what type/model to buy now, in 2006. Companies go up and down.

And, replying to the person recommending Yamaha, the same goes for that. There is no "best." There is what works for you.

Again, too bad there isn't a Consumer Reports for musical instruments, eh?

Hi!Can anyone tell me what's the difference between open hole and closed hole flutes? (I hope you understand what I mean...)

Flutie-tootie, Yamaha makes a few other series beyond the flute that you have. They go all the way up to gold. You do have a very nice flute. Congrats on that.

Deep_in_a Dream, the open hole flutes are those thaty have perforations in 5 of the key cups (A,G, F, E, D), and are also known as "French" flutes because they were first adopted at the Paris Conservatory to allow students there to learn contemporary literature. They offer the ability of pitch shading, extended effects, and some notes into the fourth octave, but other than that have very little use. Most people will never need them, but they are a bit of a fashion statement in the flute world. Closed hole (plateau flutes) are those without holes through some of the keys, such as student models and some pro/intermediate flutes.

Ive heard of people getting gold plated flutes...but hey, i dont need that! id be tooooooo scared of hurting it...knocking it, playing it!! nobody else would touch it. haha, ill stick with mine

deep in a dream, a closed holed flute baisically means that all of the keys a solid...no holes in the actual key, at all. but with an opened holed flute, most of the keys that your fingers are on have holes in them...you have to play it sort of like a...recorder. If the hole isnt covered properly, then the note wont work. closed holed..you dont have to worry, you just play!most opened holed flutes do actually come with 'plugs' in them, to cover up the holes that your fingers cant quite cover properly. when you think you can cover 'a' hole, you can remove the plug...if it gets to hard, put it back in. im just jibbering on here, hope this makes sense, somehow.

Cya!

Flutie-tootie, they make actual solid gold flutes, not plated.

Yes sirree. They even make some out of platinum.

I dont know squat about flute i just like writing!!! but my friend playes flute!!