After about 30 years, I'm playing flute again. I have a rotten, beat-up student Artley (bought in the early 70s), so I'm looking for a new flute. I've been reading and lurking on lots of forums. Yamaha seems to be the flute of choice, but I found a Gemeinhardt 3SB that plays really well for me. I shot my flute embouchure with an 8-year affair with the French horn, but am surprised that it is coming back. The gemmie is home on approval, but I think I should really play a Yamaha just for comparison sake. Unfortunately, with 2 teenagers in braces and one starting college next year, the budget doesn't really allow much for mom. So, who else is starting flute after a long hiatus?

I am picking it back up after about 25 years of not playing. It is comming back real fast. I only wish that I could find a teacher to take a few lessons. I have a death grip on the poor flute and my fingers get cramped. I stop every few minutes to make myself relax so I hope that I stop crushing the poor flute.

I went to a music store and tried all of the different models that they had for sale. You should try and do the same.

I think that the Yamaha played the best as far as student models.

I didn't want to shell out the big bucks for a flute either because I am not sure if I am going to be able to practice enough to get good again. My job requires a lot of travel.

I decided on the flutes that I liked and then I bought one on ebay.

Ebay can be hit or miss. I figured the worse case senario is that I would get one that needed an overhaul. Which would cost me almost as much as a new student flute in the end.

If you decide to try this route. Get lots of pictures of the flute from all angles. Especially notice the keys from a side angle and see if they are all open the same amount. Look for any major dents. Small dings are nothing. If any of the rods look bent or damaged, walk away.

I ended up with an Armstrong 103 with a low B foot. It needed very minor work and ended up costing me 40 bucks in repairs. I paid $100 for the flute. So I was out only about $140 for a nice flute.

Read some of the post in the forums about buying flutes.

A lot of the older members are very knowledgeable.

Stick to the good name brands. Don't buy any of the cheap new crap on Ebay.

Hope this helps.

Lana

Definitely try the Yamaha.

Budget wise- you might be able to get a rent-to-buy flute- you rent for a number of months and then pay the rest of the value of the instrument in order to keep it once the rental period is up. That could spread the cost.

Well, I took the Gemeinhardt back after playing it a lot. I didn't like the upper register. I found a Yamaha 311 which should arrive sometime this week. I'm really excited. Meanwhile, I'm playing the beat-up 70s Artley 18-0.

I'm also fortysomething and NEW to the flute. I started lessons just under 12 months ago on an Artley. I don't think my tutor knew what to make of the flute! Any how, I've progressed onto a Trevor James 311 flute and it's great.

Sounds like your budget is a lot bigger than mine.

Good for you.

I loved the Yamahas that I tried in the store. I just couldn't find a good used one cheap.

Enjoy.

I found a used Yamaha 311 for a very reasonable price (much lower than the used Gemeinhardt 3sb I was trying). It is in wonderful condition. It arrived today and I'm thrilled! It has everything I need for where I'm at right now in my playing, plus room to grow. Also, with 3 teens, the budget is just not there for a newer or fancier flute.