Hi guys, I'm new to this so excuse me if I say something inappropriate or even stupid. I was just asking for some help. I have been playing a couple of years of flute and my flute is a bad Gemeinhardt. I have a budget of around $2000 - $2500 and I was looking and trying some used flutes. I have tried the Muramatsu EX, the Yamaha 674, and the Haynes Classic Q1. People also have told me that Sankyo and Miyazawa are pretty good flutes. I could use any advice. My favorite one yet I think is the Muramatsu because of its deep and rich sound. Thanks.

Hello! Just try to try out as many flutes as possible, don't rush it, and know what you want...I'm pretty amateur myself, but I hope this helps some.
Good luck with finding a flute.

Thanks for the tip. I am trying to do that, but I don't live in the US. I try to test the flutes in my vacations when I go to the US. Where I live, there is very low knowledge of flute shops and flute music at all.

If you know anyone in your area that plays flute, ask them what brands they think are good. Find out as much about the brand as you can by asking around....there are a lot of people on 8Notes that have experience, maybe you should ask them...

One thing, though, to keep in mind. Silver versus plated has been proven to make no difference in the sound that humans can hear. Save money. There's just no reason to get a Yamaha 700 series when a 500 series will work exactly the same. There are differences in headjoints, but that's also NOT metal. It's that the workers put more time and care into the more expensive ones and then charge appropriately. 80%+ of the sound difference that you are actually hearing in a headjoint is the size and dimensions of the tone hole in the headjoint. The other 20% is the way the keys and holes are attached and mated to the flute. Some flutes just have better accuracy and intonation than others.

The net effect is that smart shopping and buying a plated version of the same exact solid silver model can often save you $1000 or more. In your case, you can get an entry level (used) Sankyo or Powell or similar. It's plated, but it's a whole level above a Yamaha as well.(IMO of course) OR co inexpensive and get the Yamaha 500. It's a good "workhorse" that will get you through college.

Quite a few flutes aren't made in Japan or the U.S. any more, and to be honest, they almost have to be to be a "professional" flute.(same with bicycles, interestingly enough - but you pay a hefty premium in both cases) That said, Sankyo and Powell are widely respected as the best of the mainstream brands in Japan and the U.S., respectively. Kind of like Lexus and Cadillac. Are there better handmade exotics? Sure. But you've got to be a silly good driver to push the limits of a CTS-V or even an IS350. (grin)

Of course, standard disclaimers apply. Buy nothing without trying it in person, and if they have more than one, even new, try each headjoint. In my son's case, I tried several same model Yamahas and one headjoint just sounded much better than the others.

I have the Yamaha 684 flute (very similar to the 674 you're looking at) and I totally recommend it. Beforehand I had a cheap flute and I guess I was decent with it, but with my new one, I'm so much better.

Cheers!

ummmm...not seeing any step up flutes there.
sorry but I can't even figure out the brand name of what's being sold.

This firm does a large portion of the cheap and Chinese made flutes that are then marked with various labels and sold in the U.S.

It's also why they all are pretty much the same junk.

That said, Sankyo and Powell are widely respected as the best of the mainstream brands in Japan and the U.S., respectively.

I beg to differ here. Brannen, Burkart, Haynes, Williams, and Nagahara are also premier Boston flutemakers in the US. Powell and Haynes were tops 50 years ago, but have been joined by others. I have a 14K Brannen (and so does Emmanuel Pahud) and a Haynes (the late Rampal played on a Haynes).

True. Those also are good companies but finding one is often harder and some of them like the Brannen are absurdly expensive.

search around for a good used flute, especially Haynes, you can find some from the 50's-60's for under $4,000

Those older Haynes can be beastly if they were not maintained well, though. If you do purchase an old Haynes be price conscious of it-- you may have to get it overhauled (worst case scenario, of course).

If we are talking flutes strictly as "bang for your buck" I would recommend either an Azumi or a Solexa. Both are under 2K and play great. I am pining for a Solexa at the moment... Saw one recently with some beautiful engraving work on it.

I'm not sure about the old Haynes models because they can be good if one purchases the right one, but if its in a deteriorating condition or needs alot of repair, I don't think I could afford that. Also, I want to know your opinions about the Muramatsu EX. These are my favorites till now and I think it fits very well in my budget. Thanks for all your replies.
PS. I would love to have a Brannen, Burkart, Sheridan, etc. But I don't have that much money to spend on a flute.

Muramatsus are awesome!

If you can afford one, go for it. They produce sound so effortlessly and have so much volume... makes me feel like I have to work it to get anything on the flute I own.

Sorry to hijack your question, I am currently in the same position, though have €3000-3500 (about €4200 USD), upgrading from my Jupiter De Medici. I'v tried lots of the Muramatsu's (fell in love with the PTP, sadly waaaaaaaay out of my price range) anywho, back on track!
When I was looking through sites to buy Muramatsu's, they are followed by codes, but are not explained, (for example Muramatsu GX-RCE ) but they are not explained anywhere! Does the RCE stand for the cut of the embouchure hole, or the metal in the riser? *soo confused*
Seeing as I will be ordering off the net, I want to know as much as I can about each.