I was playing in lessons in band. And my teacher lets us practice with the other flute members or he instructs us, we do both. But I was playing some basic notes, and stuff. And he asked me what kind of flute I have, and I was like a Gemeinhardt... and he was like that has to be one of the best sounding flutes I have heard. I know he wasn't just saying it, since I am very good at flute, and also we have incredible flute players in my school, but do you think it was also my sound that sounds good? Hope i'm not being cocky

O wow it never fails me I always make mistakes.....I meant to ask do you think it was how I produce a sound, and not just the way my flute sounds?

Yes, I think that it is the way you play. Any flute can sound horrible, no matter even if its a powell or haynes. It takes someone who knows what they are doing to be able to make a great sound out of the flute.

I agree with Tony. If a flutist has a very good embouchure, they can make a tin can sound good.

so i guess you are saying I have a very good embouchure? if so that makes my day i guess thanks

Gemeinhardts aren't bad flutes. They just are very 1970s technology old school flutes. As most of the rest of the industry has moved forward and benefited from computer modeling and analysis, they seem to have stood still in time.

That said, they are a lot like the Kung-Fu training course of flutes - you can make a good sound on them but it takes a lot of work compared to the better alternatives. A bit crude, rough around the edges, and hard to get a good tone on. But it is possible.

Go play a nice professional flute sometime - I bet your suffering with the Gemeinhardt will have made you have a very good tone on it.

well i got my flute october of 2006 and it always played like this, i dont think my flute made me work to get my embouchure.

Have you ever had the chance to try out a professional flute? What other brands have you tried out? Just curious

Well I haven't tried like a custom hand-made flute(although I would LOVE! to) but I have tried. Gemeinhardt, Yamaha, Pearl, Emerson, and Armstrong.
OK my first flute a long time ago was a student-model Gemeinhardt, which was great(to me) sounded great, and never had mechanical problems, Then after many years I got my new Gemeinhardt open-hole solid silver, B-foot you know. And I love it, it has alway sounded great to me.(im not saying Gemeinhardt are the best, im just speaking from experience)
Yamaha, I have played, an intermediate model, when I was looking for my new flute sounding nice, but I did not like the feel, of it im my hands. which is a big plus for me.
Now the Pearl, Ok everyone in my H.S plays a gemeinhardt(we have great sounds they are all good, once again I hope I am not saying Gemeinhardts are The best.) but my friends plays Pearl Quantz Coda, and I like it, but she plays it airy, when I played it it was ok, slightly airy, and it feels a little wierd in my hand, but it was nice,
and the same with emerson, but armstrong was horrible, and hated it. so where I am getting at is I basically have the same sound on all flutes(which is a good sound (: lol so I could of simply said no I have not tried a Professional flute, but I got into this, so theres that...

OK my first flute a long time ago was a student-model Gemeinhardt, which was great(to me) sounded great, and never had mechanical problems
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That was sort of what I was meaning. You managed to survive an older Gemeinhardt and got better because of it(or at least able to make a good tone on it).

I find Yamaha to be precise, easy to play in tune, and a bit sterile sounding at the student and intermediate end. Older Gemeinhardts can sound better but aren't as precise by a long shot. The same thing is also true for Clarinets. Selmer makes better sounding ones than Yamaha, though the Yamaha are much easier to play.

Of course, Gemeinhardt kind of stays at the beginner and intermediate level. I think that's the real reason they get such a bad reputation. They don't offer a professional model.(well, okay, ONE, but it's not better than the competition, merely about the same as their basic entry level pro models)

Oh - on the sound, yes, that light, airy sound is what most players today desire. Go figure. I'm to opposite - I like a very dark sound.

If you get a chance to try a professional Powell, Muramatsu, Brannen, etc... then I can almost guarantee you would not think so highly of your Gemeinahardt and you would sound better. I used to own a Gemeinahardt back in HS and I always got a great sound on it, but when I tried a handmade flute next to it, I found out what I had been missing all those years. I am glad it works well for you and you are happy. That is all that counts. Just a word of advice, DON'T try a handmade flute until you can afford one!! lol!!!

You do have to consider that most people that post on these chat forums that say they do not like Gemeinhardt flutes have tried top of the line flutes and have had a lot of experience with other brands.

Actually Plekto, Gemeinhardt makes three profession models according to their website. They have the KGM Standard, KGM Limited and the 33SB.

They are ecentially all a 3SB with pointed key arms The KGM limited rund about $3,500. They also have one at flute world which is a KGB Limited Gold. It is 24K gold and they want $1,2000.00 for one??????????

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Sorry, forgot to spell check.
ecentially = essentially
My sincere apologies to the grammar police.

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"Oh - on the sound, yes, that light, airy sound is what most players today desire. Go figure. I'm to opposite - I like a very dark sound."

They do? I would have to disagree. I know that I don't like that sound. Pleko where do you get your information?

Humm... maybe it has turned around a bit then since I was in college. By "dark" I meant more like an old wooden flute sound - very pronounced lower registers as opposed to a emphasizing the top end. This is the way the headjoint is cut of course - I just don't like most headjoints these days. For instance I just don't like the Yamaha EC at all - like I said, it's me - lol.



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P.S. Yes, Liz is right - a handmade flute will spoil you exactly like test driving a Porsche will. Its a dangerous thing unless you have good willpower.

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My bad - Kara. Lol. It's late - my mind is gone from processing data all day long.

lol!! I wish at times I were Liz. She has some awesome handmade fltutes!

Yeah.. I go for the sweeter clearer sound. I hate the new trend of headjoints that make the flute sound more like a trumpet then a flute. You know.. those really loud HUGE buzzy sounding ones. Yuck!

I like this, it interests me, talking about this Kara your most likely right, the day I put a Powell, Brannen, even a nice professional flute, I'll love it, I will always have that little bit of curiousity in Gemeinhardt. I am very interested in Altus flutes, I have never seen a bad opnion on them, they are out there I know that.
when I do look for a professional flute for college(since I kind of interested in majoring in it, but I want a culinary career) but I am planning on looking for these characteristics
~Dark sound
~Nice in my hands
~Footjoint, I like the keys smaller, and the Gizmo, closer to the body of the flute.
~Feel/Shape of the Embouchure plate, I dont like Pearls, its ovular and smaller, it bothers me.
~And look lol thats always a good thing, not a big issue though,
...but The Altus's flutes, and Gemeinhardts KGM, and Brio's really catch my eye haha.
but I like my gemeinhardt far all these reasons, so right now, I am beyond pleased, but I will get my dream flute one day.
Haha piccolo though I did try the Pearls, Boston Legacy, and The Gemeinhardt 4W, i loved the pearls, and gemeinhardt, I cant wait to get it, but Im playing for them/it. Thanks guys for responding with these replies I enjoy reading them, and None of you bashed my gemeinhardt, I like that, I did not start this topic, just so I can say Gemeinhardts the best, you guys respected that, so I figured I would throw that in there also.