which of these flutes would you rate as a better option?,I realize It´s lal very relative,but I read carefully every comment.

Based solely on reading the specs for each flute, I'd rate the Sankyo higher, because it has a silver body, & the Altus has a plated body.

What are the prices for these flutes?

Because one is silver and the other is not, does not necessarily mean that one is "better," the value of it will just be more.

I don't prefer either one for my style of playing, so I could not rate one better then the other. That is up to you, like you did say, anyway.

Prices do vary for these flutes,but I found the altus for $2500,while the sankyo is more pricey $4000 or even more.
I guess the word ´better´ is relative to many aspects.,For me, what´s most important is the sound of the flute.
Thanks.

Agree. Got to try the flutes to make a wise choice.

put on a blindfold and try both of them...

i cant say ive tried each of the models youve specified, but ive tested out both brands, the sankyo 950 (its the 701 on their website) and the altus 1307. i thought both were decent instruments, but i was more impressed with the muramatsu. i currently own one as my backup. but if i were you, id try both instruments out, and possibly even more. and make sure to try out different flutes of the same model because with handmade flutes, each one is slightly different and one could respond better over another, especially with headjoints.

good luck!

As others have said solic silver everything is not always better. I playtested about 8 flutes a couple weeks ago and all but one were entirely silver and I sounded the best on the one that only had a silver head.

no, all silver isnt always better, but it seems to have that trend in my experiences. different metals have potential to produce different sounds and plating usually doesnt have much to do with the tone of an instrument. whatever suits your purposes and pocketbook, i guess.

I favor solid silver for surface durability, i.e., its ability to withstand repeated cleanings/polishings to remove tarnish & stains. Having said this, I have a very old plated Sankyo Etude, that's a great flute, and its silver plating is remarkable. Basically, what I'm saying is that if silver plating is well done, it's okay too. However, given two flutes equal in every way, except for this factor, I'd go with the solid silver.

An interesting link I found.
http://www.angelfire.com/music3/funkyflautista/faq.html

That's the strangest review of a sankyo flutes I ever saw.. The scale on Sankyo's is fine and quite nice. The harmonic tests are nicely in line as they should be.

Some flutes, even though they are sterling or britannia silver are "plated over" the tube for uniform color matching.

When you compare flutes, you should compare things of equivalent specs however (usually that puts them in a similar price range too) Compare silver head with plated bodies together and then all silver tubes together.

Any of the flutes mentioned are fine instruments. Just play them and pick the one you like for the best price you can get...There is no "magic" in a flute. But the more comfortable you are with it, the better you'll end up playing.

Joe B

when buying my muramatsu i did a blind test with the ex (sliver plated model) and the ds (solid silver model) and i liked the ds better as i could project more and i had a better sound on the two. mechanically, both were very sound but the solid silver was a better fit for me. i think that arguing over which material is better is a bit futile because everyone has an opinion on what is better and certain things tend to work better for other people. and when youre trying out flutes that just have a difference of a silver tube vs. a silver plated tube there wont be much of a difference.

i dont think you could go wrong with either the sankyo or the altus. if youre in the $4000 price range, i'd also consider looking at both other flutes such as the muramatsu ex ($3000), a powell signature ($4000), the miyazawa 202 ($3000) and etc. i think youd be happy with any of the ones listed as all of them are very nice instruments. good luck with your flute search!

Hey Joe B.,

I have ordered my flute! I am getting a Jack Moore in January! He is delivering it to me in Sarasota when I go down there. I can't wait! I just wanted to let you know as I asked you about the craftsmanship a while back. Sorry for putting it in the wrong thread, but I didn't feel like starting a new thread, and this was about buying a flute...a stretch I know! =-)

-Dennis

congrats Dennis, he is a good flute maker, I use one of his headjoints on my Haynes..