I think that generally you get what you pay for. That being said, I must remark that I believe the prices for entry level flutes have been too high for some time now. Some, but certainly not all, of the low price flutes I've seen peform in an acceptable manner, given their price. Very importantly, they make music affordable. Many students are simply being priced out of the market.

I think that generally you get what you pay for. That being said, I must remark that I believe the prices for entry level flutes have been too high for some time now.

I agree completely! Yamaha is just one of them that really makes my blood boil. They know that they are in high demand so they jack the prices up. Come on... $800 for a student flute?! That is insane! I choose not to buy any new instruments at that price from the Yamaha company. Instead I buy used ones and sell them for very fair AFFORDABLE prices in which they should be to begin with.

when i decided i wanted to play the flute last july my mum siad we would have a look around and see what we could get as she didn't want to spend £200 for me to give up in a couple mounths time so she got me an unknown brand flute (x.g) and said that once i prove i am into my flute playing and i have done a grade or two she would get me a nice new yamaha or something similar but my flute has exceded or expectations and the only thing that has had to be done is a little screw screwed back in a little but my dad did that and it still plays fine so unbranded cheap flute can be good to start off playing with and to do a grade or too but as with other things you get what you pay for i have been extremely lucky so far but others with x.g flute may have had them break several times or something but i would say your unbranded low priced flute are great if you are just starting not sure if your going to real gert into it because if you give up after month because you don't like it you can chuck it away and you haven't lost £200 you've only lost about £30

Ah but leighthesim, if you give up after a couple of months BECAUSE the flute isn't playing well, then you maybe have made a poor mistake. Beginners don't know which to blame, The flute or themselves and generally they will take the blame and quit or move to another instrument.

In our area we have rental programs where it is a "rent to own" setup. What you pay monthly eventually goes towards your owernship of the instrument. This gives the option of getting into a decent flute which can be new or used with a relatively cheap initial cost.

One thing about the flute is that it basically isn't expensive to play a beginner flute if you compare the beginner instrument cost to some of the other instruments like Oboe or Saxophone.

It also looks to me like your family has bought a cheap flute for your sister and it already needs to be fixed. I'm sorry that the repair time will interfere with your sister's practicing. This could have happend with a reputable flute brand as well but these issues do seem to happen less often with them.

Leigh, once again, out of courtesy to the other posters in this group, could you please put some kind of punctuations in your posts or capitalize? Your posts are really hard to read.

Kate,

idontseeanissuewithpunctiationsoleaveusalone

;-P

I know you hate me now...I just know it...

hahaitissohardtoreadbutithinkweshouldstartrespondingtoallofherpoststhiswaythenmaybeshewouldgethtehint

the grammar nazi in me is about to start World War Comma!

Here is the previous discussion about the First Act flutes.