Hi, I'm new and still looking around here.. I played flute for 9 years and then stopped when my life became too hectic. Now I need something to help ground me because I've been feeling a bit out of control so I'm starting up again.

I'm not sure whether I should try to repair my old flute or to buy an entirely new one. Money is not exactly my friend right now, however I have found some flutes on Amazon for half their usual price. I have an old (thinking about 5-7 year old) Alpine student flute. I don't remember it having a particularly fantastic tone (my first flute did but its beyond repair), and at the moment its heavily tarnished, most of the keys stick (I can't play b flat, f, f sharp and possibly more I'm still trying to scope it out) and it has a VERY airy tone.

What do you think I should do? I'm going to get a quote on tuesday to see what repairs would run me. The thing is, the tone on my first flute was so beautiful, I'm wondering whether this one will sound better repairs and a serious cleaning...Advice?

always try to repair an instrument you love before buying something new, most of my students are happier with refurbished good instruments anyway..

Thanls for responding!!!

The thing is I don't love this flute. I remember not being particularly in love with it. I truthfully adored my first flute (ironically a considerably cheap crappy beginner model) but I know that its repair (if possible) would probably run me the same cost of a new flute.

If your old flute is a good brand then it might be repairable.

I really wouldn't buy a cheap student flute. They tend to break rather quickly and they are not repairable.

If you do a search in this forum you can find a list of good flutes.

If you have an Armstrong, Artley, Bundy, Gemeindhardt, Selmer, Deford, Olds, Emerson or Yamaha you might be able to get it repaired for cheaper than you can get a good used flute.

I would take the flute to a repair shop and have them give you an estimate to put it back into playing condition. A good shop should give you a free estimate.

Some of the memebers here have used flutes for sale.

I have a couple for sale.

Good luck

Agreed. I also have a customized like new Yamaha for $295.00 which comes with extras. I would stick to a good brand flute, none of the cheap ones. Yamaha is always a safe bet. Suzie has some good flutes too.

I agree with the advice to look at used flutes, as you can get something of greater quality that has been taken care of

My current flute body is pre-loved. I couldn't have afforded it new. But it's much better to have a flute you don't have to work too hard on to get a great sound.

I was in your position too - I hadn't played for 12 years when I took it back up. That was never intentional - it just sort of happened when I went travelling and forgot to go home!

I'm going to SamAsh tomorrow to find out how much the repairs will run me. If they're in the 200 range, then I think I'll take one of you up on your offers for used flutes.

P.S.- Its an Alpine flute... is that any good?

Alieannie,

SKram1113 had written:
"........I have an old (thinking about 5-7 year old) Alpine student flute........."

My response is that playing on a cheap quality flute can be unrewarding and a constant struggle as one isn't sure if the airy, bad tone is the flute or the player. Some repairmen may very well enjoy cheaper flutes because they can provide a source of income. A repair may not hold up as long on a cheap quality flute as it would on a better quality flute.


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I should also add that whether a person is paying the money for repairing or paying the money for the purchase of certain brands of cheap flutes it does not matter. The price would be about the same either way and the functional quality of the instrument would be also about the same.

Perhaps maybe here's a way of looking at musical instruments.
Not all flutes are the same. Some flutes are very cheap, some are of a more average cost and some are very expensive. I happen to love music. I also happen to love making music and I enjoy the experience of trying to do it well and of progressing. Progress can be done more easily if I have a good instrument where I know for sure that anything that doesn't sound good to me isn't the fault of the instrument. So, the better or even average quality and average cost instrument may be easier to use and to learn on. This makes my experience more rewarding and I appreciate the instrument more as it works in my favor.
Another idea:
If I were going to plan a wilderness trip, I'd want to take a compass. I would not necessarily buy the fancy compass that is encased in a solid gold mount with the diamond-studded zebra wood frame. That's the sort of compass that I'd take to the Smithsonian Society cotillions and show it off. Conversely, I would also not go to the dollar bargain store to buy junk that can't point north to save my life-literally in this case. I just want one that functions correctly when I need it most.

Another view:
Cheap musical instruments are there for parents who don't want their kids to spend a lot of the parent's had-earned money learning the art of music because after a time of frustration the kid will ultimately quit. If a person has survived this experience while maintaining their love of music, they deserve something better.

you mentioned Sam Ash, send me a message if you are in the New York area or email me through my website, http://www.patrickandfriends.com as I know good techs in the new york area

Wise words.

Being held back by a bad or mediocre instrument, when you have reached a certain level, is really a pity and very frustrating. This happened to me and when I upgraded, I quickly made a jump ahead. Now I have a good Yamaha that can give much more that I can get from it right now and this is for me a challenge and an incentive for harder working and further improvement.

You say you do not particularly like that Alpine flute. Sure you have many reasons.

My suggestion is not to repair it, except it was a very cheap repair and you could keep it as a second or emergency flute.

if you are serious about taking it back up then you may benfit from a new one like the yamaha kara is offering, remeber that in the long run it may be cheaper getting a like new or new instrument as it will not need alot of the repairs, just its normal yearly service.

who ever wrote that cheap insruments are for perants who think their child will quit, you sound like my mum, she bought me the cheapest flute she could find as mine, as she did not know i wouls stick with it bu y flute teacher thinks its a loverly flute for my current level of playing so we found a bargain.

"who ever wrote that cheap insruments are for perants who think their child will quit, you sound like my mum, she bought me the cheapest flute she could find as mine, as she did not know i wouls stick with it bu y flute teacher thinks its a loverly flute for my current level of playing so we found a bargain."

T'was I child. I'd bet that your mum's voice is a tad higher in pitch and more than likely she's young enough to be my daughter. ;-)

If your flute is a "Cheap" flute and it's playing well then your are probably in a minority. (Of course it depends upon the brand that you have and your definition of what you consider to be cheap.) As an example, one could argue that Ian Anderson started out on a "cheap" flute when he taught himself to play flute but that isn't the sort of cheap quality that I was referring.

The other issues in what has been said are:
1)That some flute teachers compromise their standards when it comes to teaching. I'm not neessarily speaking about anyone's flute teacher because I don't know them or their teacher.

2)Level of playing skill can't be determined on the internet very well. Here one can only determine how well an individual can put words together and not tones. Much can be determined if one listens to a live performance.

3)Some musicians are able to play on a wire music stand leg and perform great music.

4)I really don't want to explain some of these things in detail because we all do what we have to in life. We all learn things in time according to what we need. When one mentions some things in honesty, they aren't good for promoting a positive learning envoirnment.

5)There is always the possibility of exceptions.-always.

6)So, what I'm actually talking about is the type of flute that can't stay in adjustment. The kind of flute that when it's taken in to the repair tech. he suggests buying something else because he isn't willing to fix the thing or he won't guarantee his work. The kind of flute where while the repair tech works on the flute, more things fall off as he progresses in trying to fix the initial issue. The kind of flute that isn't easy to get the low notes, many of the notes are of bad tone quality or impossibly out of tune.

7)It is sadly honest for me to say that I have seen some parents who actually only tolerate their child's art interests and may actually do things that undermine their interest or go to lengths to cut out a quality artistic education as they decide what's important for their children or their finances. -sad, but true. Now the problem is that many younger flutists would think that I'm referring to them or their parents but if they think so, this isn't the case.