Ummmm, HI , i currently own a flute and a piccolo, so in reply, i think the only way forward is a yamaha piccolo, they hv great tone and easily get up to the high notes. Hence them being a better make, they r more expensive.

I don't recall reading a thread which discusses what to look for when trying piccolos. To some extent the choice of piccolo is governed by the ensemble you intend to play it in. For instance, it is usually preferrable to have a shrill/loud piccolo in a wind band but this is less common in an orchestra. In most cases, intonation issues are best addressed by the player rather than changing the instrument.

Probably the most important aspect is whether you can play it well and like the tone. This usually comes down to the cut of the head and the material the body is made of (wood/metal). Although if the instrument has a leaky pad it wont play well!

I have a personal preference for piccolos with a good lower octave. Too often even named brand piccolos (notably Yamaha) have a weak lower octave in terms of volume and a different tone. Many piccolos play best using various alternative fingerings in the top octave.

In practice budget is likely to be a constraint. I would strongly disagree with one of Patrick's comments in another thread "you get what you pay for" - especially in the UK you pay what the seller believes is the highest price the market will pay. In many cases you can pay half as much again for a piccolo which is only marginally better when played by some-one and in an ensemble which can benefit from some subtle difference. However, it is also true the expensive known brand good condition second hand instruments have the best resale price.

Jazzysaxophone, Yamahas are certainly not the only way forward. Yamaha produces some good instruments, but their piccolos are too bright for my taste, and recent changes to the scale on some of their models make them very difficult to work with from a pitch point of view.

EKDavies, I have quite the opposite experience with the low range of Yamaha piccs. I found the YPC-32 that I had up through last year to be very well balanced throughout the range, producing a strong, rich low register, and an easy to produce third. As for tone, material has only a very slight impact on it (if any), just as with flutes. There are plenty of marvelously dark metal piccs and very bright wooden piccs available. Intonation issues are not always best addressed by the player. If they have a poorly scaled instrument, or it matches them poorly, switching instruments may make much more sense than struggling against the instrument. As for your description of what to look for in a piccolo destined for wind bands, I disagree strongly. A nice, dark, focused sound is far preferable to a shrill one. It will allow for better blending, and is generally just nicer to listen to. In any case, volume level is determined by the player, not the instrument, so to describe a piccolo as loud does not make much sense.

Intonation issues are not always best addressed by the player. If they have a poorly scaled instrument, or it matches them poorly, switching instruments may make much more sense than struggling against the instrument.

I couldn't agree anymore! I owned a Yamaha 32 piccolo and had the worst time with the scale on that thing, I hate it! The picc itself was very nice and I really liked the sound, but the scale...eeek!! Since swiching a few years ago to another brand and have not had anymore trouble. No matter how accomplished of a player someone is, there are still brands that we choose not to battle with constantly like I did with that piccolo. It takes away the enjoyment of playing it. I have trouble with the older Yamaha flutes like the 581's also. The scale does not work for me and that is another one I battled with for years before finding the flute that I have now.

Sorry, that should read that I owned a Yamaha 62, not 32.