My parents have given up on buying me a flute ( due to price) and are getting me a piccolo. They said they are all about the price. I tried the jupiter all plastic and I loved it. Then I tried a ARmstrong 308 from a friend and i loved those too. Then I tried the sonare and the pearl and the pearl blew all the rest out the water but my parents said it was too much. *tear drops*
So now I have to decided between those three. Which is the most mechanically stable. ALso do the new armstrongs have bubble headjoints.

PS. one last thing. Can some explain the diffreernce between plastic, composite and polymer.

Why not get a like new condition used flute if that's what you really really want?

Have them set a firm dollar limit and ask Liz over at winds101.com to find you a solution.

I have several used and new flutes for much lower prices than a new one would cost you. What are you looking for? I only have C foot flutes right now and don't deal with B foot flutes much.

Liz does have more of a selection than I and deals with higher end flutes more than me. She is currently out right now, but if you call and leave her a message I know she will get back to you.

I honestly don't like to deal with the so called intermediate advanced flutes because IMHO, most are still really student flutes but with holes and some silver content. It is in the design not the solid silver head and such that makes the difference and when you are talking about student to intermediate flutes they are going to pretty much have the same design over all. They just are not worth it to me and I feel that they are more of a gimick than anything to be honest with you.

I have to say that I always recommend the Armstrong 308 piccolo. It is my favorite out of the plastic piccolo choices. The new Armstrongs do come with a bubble style headjoint. I would not recommend the Sonares.

I know the Armstrong piccolos had a mimicked bubble style headjoint where it flares toward the bottom. But do the newest Armstrongs still have a "male" headjoint where the headjoint has a metal tenon that slides into the body? Or is it a true bubble style headjoint where it slides over a corked tenon on the body?

Kara,
If you don't believe the gimmicks of the intermediate line then what do recommend.

Also, i also wanted a piccolo and my parents said I could get a flute later because a piccolo would be more in the price range right now just to clear things up. Also could some expalin the diffrence between composite,plastic and polymer because the guy selling me the Armstrong said there was a diffrence but I don't belive him.

P.S does anyone know why the altus flute page won't load. It doens't work for me.

We really need to know a budget, though. There are a lot of flutes and pics that are available for a good price.

Of course if you want to play flute more, then get a flute. A used Yamaha 500 series can often be had, for instance, for hardly any more than a new student model.

I know its low but my parents said about 1000 to 1500

Kara, If you don't believe the gimmicks of the intermediate line then what do recommend.

If money is a big factor than I would recommend a Yamaha 221 with an nice handmade headjoint.
Azumi is another more inexpensive model if you want or feel like you need open holes and B foot.
Then there is a Yamaha 500 series, Muramatsu EX and the Miyazawa 102 that will run you a bit more.

Those to me are actual up grades without breaking the bank and going for a Brannen, Powell ect...

But do the newest Armstrongs still have a "male" headjoint where the headjoint has a metal tenon that slides into the body?

Yes, they still do use the male style headjoint on the new ones.

You posted in another thread that you already have a Yamaha 200 series flute, that is your marching flute and needs repairs.

If it is repairable to very good condition, get the Yamaha 200 repaired and spend $500 or so on a good, used handmade pro headjoint. You can start by trying a Yamaha EC, which should fit with very little problem and is 'findable' used. Ebay or Usedflutes.com will usually have other pro headjoints listed. A headjoint is a bit less of a risk to find used because they don't have so many moving parts to go wrong like the flute body does. So the issues would usually be sizing issues, rather than pads, adjustments and overhauls like so many used ebay flutes need.

Then if you have $ left after the repairs, find a good used piccolo like the Armstrong or a Yamaha 32. You might find a used one in good condition for $500 or less.

Usually polymer, composite and plastic all mean 'plastic'. The exception would be the Pearl composite, which I believe is made out of grenadilla wood fiber mixed and bound with plastic, which makes it playable outside and in humid or changing conditions like a 'plain' plastic piccolo.

if you look around, you could get a nice piccolo and beginner flute for 1000

Also consider a used Muramatsu or Sankyo - their most basic models run about that price, used, yet are professional flutes. (step up from the Yamahas)

Then again, I have an older Yamaha 500 series with a handmade Yamaha headjoint(came with it - older model similar to the new 600 series).

Yamaha handmade headjoints run about $650 last I checked for their best headjoints - a quite affordable upgrade. About $450 or so used last I checked.

Cheapest would be a new 400 series with the options you'd want and the handmade headjoint added. $1000 or so would be my guess. (of course the Yamaha isn't a pro level flute, not really - if the will go to $1500...

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Make that a *used* 300 with a *used* handmade EC headjoint. Instant 500/600 series sound for very little money.

They make a "Professional" (machine made)line and a handmade one that is available on the better models.(for instance there is the standard CY and the handmade CY - two different animals entirely) The smart money is on the handmade one, of course.

You know guys, I bet the original poster has gotten a new flute by now. This was posted back in February.

Wow - my bad, then. I don't usually look at the dates of the original posts(probably should more often...)

Have you thought about renting?