http://cgi.ebay.com/Yamaha-265-261-Open-Hole-Flute-w-Case-Ready-To-Play_W0QQitemZ330191069729QQihZ014QQcategoryZ85874QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I am getting ready to try and get my daughter a flute for school. She is a junior and her flute she has now is just junk. She would be thrilled with an open hole flute, but I am clueless. Money is a factor also.

Any help would be great!!! Happy Thanksgiving. Would there be something less expensive and more worth it?

My humble opinion?
Money is always a factor :-(
Yamaha makes a good flute & a good flute usually costs a bit of money.
If this YFL-265 flute plays well, she may be happy. No telling how good playing it is from Ebay pics though and it is used.
I checked Flutworld and it is true that Yamaha lists the 261 at $977 but they also lsell the 321 (With solid silver head) at $844.00 -go figure.

Of course you aren't really getting into a major step up until the 4-5-or 600 series.

What brand is she on now?

"Would there be something less expensive and more worth it?"
Well, maybe but I don't think that finding a great deal that is better would be that easy for what you are getting.

To be completely honest, I am not sure what she is playing on now. It has been through quite a few people, the first being the age of 40 now...so it has had it. She is constantly saying it needs to be fixed and her teacher already put it out there, that she needs a better flute and probably open hole. I also found an Armstrong flute online and once again am clueless

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200176409370&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=010

ARGH...so frustrating.

I, personally, would pay extra for the Yamaha. The majority of people here will tell you that Yamaha student flutes are the best in their category.

The seller has nothing but positive feedback for all of the flutes sold. However, this isn't really a guarantee that the flute will be perfectly playable. Purchasing an instrument, especially used, from Ebay is always a gamble. But I know many people who've come across awesome deals on Ebay.

Some people here might try to challenge you about the necessity of open holes, but if that's what will make your daughter happy, get open holes.

Hi there!! How's it going?
Talk to your daughter to see if she plans to play through college, etc. If she's only going to play the flute until she graduates from high school, you may not need open holes.
I would suggest getting something with a solid silver headjoint, before you spring for open holes.

I would not be particularly concerned with having either a solid silver head nor open holes. Getting a high quality instrument that's in good condition is far more important than having either of these features (which won't affect how the flute performs, and will probably be useless to your daughter, but nonetheless can amp up the price tag significantly). Yamaha makes good quality flutes, but if she's already a flutist, you should get her involved in the selection process if at all possible. She'll need an instrument that fits her and her playing if she's going to avoid having to fight against the instrument. Even a fantastically good quality flute can be a bad choice if it doesn't suit the player in question. That means that ideally you could take her to local music stores to try out the possibilities, and then go back later in the day to actually purchase the flute she picks out, but I would not recommend just picking a flute for her if it's at all avoidable.

With all due respect, if Goofichic is admittedly clueless about flutes - and her daughter's only request in a new flute is open holes - I don't think she'd want to disappoint her daughter with a closed hole flute.

That's a consideration, but it's far more important that she get a good quality flute than merely find one with openholes. If she can find a good quality flute WITH open holes, that's great, but I wanted to make clear that they are not the primary concern here....She should not sacrifice quality or playability for the French keys. A closed hole Emerson would be a much better choice than an openhole Selman with a silver head.

Exactly, and that's why she's here - to inquire about brands. We should assist her with knowing which brands are reputable instead of veering off into features.

I completely agree with the idea of open hole versus non. But the teacher I guess I made a suggestion towards that...unsure of why. My daughter is debating going to school in two years for music education. She plays the piccolo, saxaphone and cello as well. She loves music. Flute is her primary instrument and she has been taking since 4th grade. I did not want to have to get her involved in the flute choice because this is supposed to be from Santa...ha ha. She is 16 this year and feeling like growing up is hard to do, so I thought this would be the perfect way to cheer her up. Anything at this point is going to be an improvement from what she is playing now. I know that the end falls off all the time and she has issues with the keys and to top it off she is playing for the Christmas program and church with this flute I understand if I have to get her involved, but would really, really like to surprise her.

I hardly think I veered off brands into features. I made one passing comment that openholes and a silver head were not the greatest concern in this situation. At this point, the thread has veered.

Surprising her is a noble gesture, but she really would be better off in the long run if you involved her. Besides, if you really want to surprise her, you can have her pick it out (without making it clear why), and then go back to the music store later to buy the flute she chose. This way she's still surprised...You just lose the "Santa factor."

I'm not looking for an argument, and my comment was not intended solely toward Flutist06.

Back on topic, you could always ask the seller about a return policy. You could still surprise your daughter with the flute, but have the option to return it if she's not completely satisfied.

id say definitely no on the armstrong since it says it was used for marching band (which involves rain and constantly changing weather and all sorts of damagin factors) plus that looks like a stock picture and thats not what you usually see when people are trying to sell their old flutes. Definitely get your daughter involved on the choosing process...If flute is going to be her major in college, then the instrument she plays on is the most personal and important thing...and not just what it looks like...what it sounds like and plays like are most important. You might have more trouble finding used flutes at that inexpenssive a price in person, but honestly, if that is what she will be doing in college then it's worth it to spend a bit more money as long as she is the one asking for it.

<Added>

i meant to say what it sounds like and and plays like AND feels like

Hi and welcome to the forum

I sell used flutes and I do get a majority of them off of ebay. That being said, I would not recommend doing this unless you plain on taking the flute in to a GOOD flute flute repair tech after buying it. After the many years that I have been purchasing them off of ebay, I have yet to get a flute that didn't need some kind of adjustments, or needed to be cleaned.

What I would do, is contact a reputable flute sales person that deals in used flutes that can guarantee the flute to be in full working order and clean. I would highly recommend you contact Liz and take a look at her site.
http://www.winds101.com/

You are always welcome to contact me also as I may be able to find one for you and get it ready or also find out through Liz what she has available for you.

With Yamaha flutes, the solid silver head will not make much if any difference on anything from the 400 series and below as they all have the basic CY cut and it is more in the cut then the metal that will make the difference there. I do see an improvement when I take a solid silver EC cut and put it on a silver body Yamaha though.

I hope this helps and that you are able to get your daughter a nice flute. Please don't hesitate to contact me or the rest of the board if you need anymore help. Best of luck!

<Added>

I didn't take a look at the link until after I posted. I know the seller of this flute. He is a pro flutist and I would highly recommend him as a seller. I have bought a couple of things from him. I know he wouldn't sell a flute that needed repairs.