Hi all,

I'm a flute player who has some experience a while ago playing the piccolo, however it was leased and I no longer have it. I'm looking at getting a new one, and I found a second-hand one for sale (within my price range, and within my country), but the only odd thing about it I note is that it is open-hole - I've never seen this on a picc before, and was wondering if it is likely to be some odd fingering system, or whether it will be the same old boehm I'm used to. It looks like it is, but I'd rather be sure.

Here's the link: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Music-instruments/Instruments/Wind-instruments/Other/auction-246265986.htm

Hopefully someone sees this soon, as I only have an hour before the auction for it closes. If no-one replies I'll probably just take a chance, but please reply even if it's just to say you have seen an open-hole picc before.

Thanks,
Matt

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I ended up not going for it, as the price got too expensive ($70 less than a brand new, albeit lower quality, instrument which is guaranteed to be playable. Usually those cheap ones can be serviced easily, as I do basic flute work so a picc shouldn't be too much different).

That piccolo appears to be an antique ring key piccolo. It is probably in the key of Db. There were some piccs made in the key of C but it would probably be too low pitch to have the ability to play modern music.

I would stick to modern piccolos unless you would like to collect antiques.

Find a good name brand like Yamaha or Pearl.

If you have to bucks, get a nice wooden piccolo.

Good luck

Thanks for the reply.

I've decided to go for a cheap(ish) metal picc, where they offered a weeks trial with full money back for any problems. I'll see how that goes (I'm expecting a badly setup instrument for the price, but I do flute work, so picc shouldn't be too much different).