I could really use a new flute, I currently have a 30+ year old Gemeinhardt and it's just not working out anymore. I played consistently for 2 years, dropped it for one, and now I'm picking up playing hte flute again and I'm really determined! Are there any decent brands that can be found for around $200? Or if there's none that cheap what's the lowest price that I could save up for?

"I could really use a new flute, I currently have a 30+ year old Gemeinhardt and it's just not working out anymore. I played consistently for 2 years, dropped it for one, and now I'm picking up playing the flute again and I'm really determined! Are there any decent brands that can be found for around $200? Or if there's none that cheap what's the lowest price that I could save up for?"

Hi,
The thing is that your 30+ Year old Gemeinhardt was probably about $150-$200 new. (Assuming that it was the basic student model.)
If you are tempted to purchase one of those flutes that go for $200 new, then you may find the experience disappointing.
If you're serious about learning at this point then you may consider that about a $2000 range would be a reasonable quality instrument that you'd enjoy making music with. In the 2-3K range you are basically in lower end of the intermediate "Step-up" flutes.

~bilbo
N.E. Ohio

The above poster is really incorrect. I was able to buy a new Armstrong 80, all sterling silver, b foot, and open-hole for $1,200. I'm looking for a used pro model for an upgrade, and have found several for only $2,000. You probably won't be able to purchase a new flute without shelling out several hundred dollars.

What do you mean by determined? Are you planning on making a career out of playing the flute or just doing it as a fun hobby?

By determined I assume you really want to become a good player so a beginner model flute is definitely out of the question. But if you wanna do it as just a hobby makes no sense to me to spend too much money. Look at Azumi, Yamaha, DiMedici, or Jupiter intermediate flutes new and used. They aren't too expensive, reliable and overall fantastic flutes in their own right. Especially for the amateur player :D.

But if you plan to make a career then Bilbo's advice is the way to go as a step up flute for you ^-^. In other words raise your price range. In the music world, you almost always get what you pay for.

I am a hobbyist and I have a Muramatsu. If you can afford a pro flute, get one. Pro flutes are much nicer and the action of the keys is smoother.

Just because you are not a pro does not mean that you can't have the nicest flute that you can afford. Having a nice flute encourages you to practice more.

Affordable flutes. You can get used flutes for a reasonable price. If you wait until Christmas in the USA some of the music stores have crazy sales, sometimes you can get an Armstrong, Gemeinhardt or Selmer for less than $800.00. Last year Yamaha had a 50% off sale. Save a little more and you can get an Azumi.

I think that Micron was probably thinking about Azumi or Sonare flutes in the price range he mentioned. I love the Azumi, I think they are a great flutes. An Azumi would make a good flute for a hobbyist. My personal opinion.

Good luck. It is hard buying a new flute. There are so many good ones out there.

Micron???? I did not say anything!

I am so sorry Micron. Everything is starting to blur. I am reading too much too fast. Shame on me.

I must have meant to say Bilbo. I hope I got it right this time.

"I would say get a second hand student Yamaha with 3 digits in its model number, then get it serviced by somebody who really knows what they are doing, to make it play at its best. Such a flute IMO is better than most pro flutes of only a few decades ago."

Now we are getting into the world of opinions regarding flute quality, what defines a "good flute" and it's playing characteristics relative to a certain individual. I highly recommend Micron's opinions as a quality repair tech. But I have no intentions of getting into a which flute is best argument because that wouldn't be very productive for the person looking for information. Besides we have so many fine opinions already posted on this subject on other threads. Suffice it to say that the person isn't going to be satisfied (19 times out of 20) in the long run if they purchase a brand new flute of the sort which costs $200 USD New from some Ebay seller. This isn't to say that someone might get lucky though.

One probably could suggest buying a Yamaha 211 used but as suggested, servicing after purchase should be considered a given and the quality of servicing shouldn't always be likewise.

Point of info:
The Armstrong 80B seems to have been replaced now by the 800B which retails for $1,850.

I would contend that in this day:
New "quality" beginner flutes will range from $700-$1000 retail.
New quality pro-flutes that are the ones generally sought after by the post univ./conservatory level professional classically trained musician or classical soloists are generally above $10,000 and can cost 6 or seven times that price if one is really into it. Most everything else in between is up for grabs as far as what you want to call it depending upon the marketing terminology of the company. That isn't to say that those "in between" flutes aren't a joy to use. I have a few Yamahas here.

~bilbo
N.E. Ohio

Don't be pushed into thinking that spending more money means that you get a better flute or one that you will enjoy playing more. The world doesn't work like that any more - if it ever did!

You need to try some different flutes. If an expensive one doesn't sound any better to you or isn't easier to play expressively then either its over priced or you're not ready for it.

The great things about a Yamaha student flute are that they are consistent; have a good resale value and are readily serviced. Over the last 35 years they have earned the reputation as making the best student flute. At least in the UK you can pick up a Chinese made flute for a fraction of the price and even the sales person can't make the Yamaha sound signifcantly better! However, especially in the USA, it can be difficult to get Chinese made instruments serviced and their resale value is close to zero.

"You need to try some different flutes. If an expensive one doesn't sound any better to you or isn't easier to play expressively then either its over priced or you're not ready for it."

Agreed. Important to note also that you can't choose a flute by just cold playing it in a short period of time. You need a few sessions with the flutes you intend to buy, so the differences really come out and the best instrument shows up.

You need to try some different flutes. If an expensive one doesn't sound any better to you or isn't easier to play expressively then either its over priced or you're not ready for it.

I agree with that statement. But I do like to practice more on my Muramatsu than my old Armstrong. I look forward to playing the Mura then the other flute. So in my case, I will practice more on my favorite flute. If my Mura is not available, I don't practice as much or for as long.

But back to the original question.

There are not any good brands that can be bought new for $200. You can get a good used flute for a little more than that.

Yamaha is the best for the money in my opinion and the opinion of may others. Pearl is also very good for the money. You will have to save more money if you want a new flute.