hi fellows,
i study flute for a year. and i want to buy one. in my country i found stores that sells only yamaha, pearl and gimmenherdt (dixon, jupiter), I try them all. yamaha pearl 665/525 or the gemeinhardt 30shse. i have yamaha 100 seria. the gim' felt too big, in some way, perhaps the plastic?? but i played it better than the pearl...
1. do you have any recomandation?
2. what do you think about buyin a flute from the internet? without checking it first? do you recomend it?

thanks,
eynat

A flute from the Internet is fine. I'd recommend FlutWorld or Woodwind and Brasswind.

A flute from the Internet is fine. I'd recommend FlutWorld or Woodwind and Brasswind.

1. As always, my primary recommendation is to play as many flutes as you can get your hands on. There's nothing wrong with buying an instrument from the internet so long as you go through a reputable dealer, but simply picking an instrument without having played it first is not a good way to go. So far you've only managed to play a few of the options that exist at the level you're looking at, so try to get your hands on other makes of flute if at all possible. Depending on what country you're in, this may be more or less possible.

2. I do not recommend buying a flute from the internet unless you've playtested the particular make and model you'll be buying (and even then, this is a last resort). Optimally, you want to buy from a brick and mortar store, or a live person so that you can playtest the exact instrument you'll be getting, as even within flutes of the same make and model, there can be noticeable differences. If you simply select a flute without having played it, there's no way to know how it will suit your playing, and the odds are good that it will be a poor match for you. If you have to go through the internet to get what you want, be sure to buy from a reputable dealer (ask teachers and professionals in your area for recommendations).

On a side note, even if Woodwind and Brasswind serves your part of the world, I would not recommend purchasing an instrument from them. In my experience, they do a pretty poor job of setting up their instruments, and their customer service is lacking. They're great for accessories like reeds or mouthpieces, but for instruments there are better options.

I agree with Chris about wwbw and about being able to play test a flute before buying it.