Hello, I'm new to this forum, let me introduce myself, my name is Lawrence, I'm French and I am the father of a 9 year old daughter who plays the flute.
This is his third year of flute and her teachers that she would like to buy a new flute for now it uses the Yamaha YFL 281.
One of his teacher told him to take the PEARL CODA 795R and the other teacher Miyasawa PB202.
I do not know what to think, and there are also other models.

Can you give me some tips for choosing a flute with a sound and a mechanism for quality, thank you.

Miyasawa
PB202Tête silver body and mechanism (Brogger Simplified) nickel silver

MURAMATSU
EXIII RC-head silver, nickel silver body and mechanism

PEARL
CODA 795R Head and body silver, nickel silver mechanism, 10K gold plate and core

SANKYO
CF201 silver head, silver plated nickel silver body and mechanism

YAMAHA
YFL584LF02Tête silver core gold, nickel silver body and mechanism.

Thank you much.

Welcome Lawrence! :-)

I don't know if I will mess with your intentions about buying a new flute for your daughter, but let me add my cents here to this subject.

First of all, I'd ask you a question. Is it really necessary to buy a new flute? What about the current flute your daughter plays. Is it in such a bad condition that it must really be replaced? Or perhaps if you send it to a good technician you'll have a completely functional flute again?

I personally think it's a too soon for you to replace your daughter's flute right now. But as I told you above, it's just my opinion. I just don't want you to waste your money since you can already have the perfect flute for your daughter now.

Let me give you some background about myself so you understand my idea. I started learning to play the flute as a teenager with the basic Yamaha flute of that time, the 21S model (all silver plated). It was in the 70`s. It took me more then 10 years to replace this flute for a Muramatsu all silver, with which I began my professional carrer as a principal flutist in 1989 at the orchestra where I work till present day. Another 16 years and I retired the old Muramatsu Standard model for a used Sankyo K14 that is my main working flute now.

Yamaha instruments are very resistant and lasts many years, if properly cared. Maybe a better and cheaper idea is to look for a new headjoint (after having the Yamaha flute completely revised) to fit your daughter's current flute. There is an excelent headjoint maker in France whose name is Faulisi (I think he has a shop in the vicinities of Paris). I don't know if you actually resides in France, but that's an idea for a starting point. If you are in the USA, there are many headjoint makers. But note that it's important for your daughter to have the oportunity of try playing the new headjoints, preferably in the presence of her flute teacher, so she can make the best possible choice.

Hope it helps.

Forgot to mention that all brands/models you listed are excelent options.

Good evening, initially made ​​by his teacher is the Nice Conservatory in France http://www.sibelkumrupensel.com/ who said "we should think about changing the flute, but do not worry it will keep until after at prices. After if it is going, it will take a 9000 euros for the best flute". she advised me the Pearl, then the other teacher http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8nsAn1S5m8&feature=relmfu is the conductor, and he advised me Miyasawa the PB202.
His flute works fine now. All students change their flute going in cycle 2.
A luthier Switzerland http://www.vents-du-midi.ch/f/index.php came on me Nice and lend a Miyasawa PB202, my daughter will try it tomorrow with his man teacher.
For now I prefer not to buy so that my daughter will not have tried several models.
Thank you for your expliquations and experience.

I too think is a much better investment to try out and buy a new headjoint. My old Yamaha with a Sankyo RT-3 headjoint (which I tried out among about 40 different headjoints) is a better flute than my Miyazawa.

It will be difficult to stay against the teacher's opinion. More if all students change their flutes after three years...

That said, I think it could be a little too much to spend those amounts on a new flute for a 9 years old child. Take into account that higher level flutes can be considerably more difficult to play than student flutes and the YFL 281 is already a very good instrument (if it is kept in good condition).

Also, the best way to choose an instrument is to have the player test it as thoroughly as possible. But this may be too soon for your child. Hands and face will grow quickly and change. Some flutes might be more adapted to her later than now. Or the other way round...

If you are going to buy one flute anyway, this is what I would do: go for the Muramatsu.

This is now my dream, but mainly because it is the flute my teacher uses. I own a YFL674 with a Nagahara DA cut headjoint and another Yamaha, YFL 211 as a backup flute and for travelling around.

But for your child it could be completely different...

Hello, Thank you for your advice, since I must buy one and keep up to adulthood as a really good buy. I found a site on the PB 402 Miyasawa at very interesting. € 3490 instead of € 4190 average price found.
The difference in quality with other flutes listed in my previous post it is great or Yamaha 684F € 3075 ? Thank you. I see with luthier to try it.

I have found over the years that most people equate quality with what something is made out of. That is to say, that the average flute teacher will recommend a flute that is solid silver as an upgrade.

But the physics of how a flute works shows that what a flute's body and keys are made out of has very little difference on the sound. So why do flutes sound so much better? It's not the metal. Flute makers use more silver and gold to justify a higher price to largely cover up the fact that it's really the head joint that is doing the real work. Of course, they put the better head joints on the more expensive models. But it is possible to buy one by itself.

A brand new headjoint for a Yamaha, but made to professional specifications is $600-$800 (USD) last I checked. It will fit on a student model Yamaha flute, but make the student model sound like their $3000 model. I would try this first instead of spending such an enormous amount of money on a whole new flute. Since it's a very common flute (Yamaha 500-800 series all use the same head joints), finding one to try out should be easy.

+3000 Eu is a lot of money indeed.

My intermediate/advanced flute (Yamaha call it professional but it is a marketing exaggeration costed me in USA about 2500 US$ (all silver 925, B foot).

If you can, do not buy in Europe. In USA they are much cheaper. But if you have to buy in Europe, buy in London (though I do not know where you live). Allflutes in London (http://www.allflutesplus.co.uk/) is a very nice place and you can have your child test many flutes before deciding and most probably you will pay less than in any other country in Europe I know. And I have searched a lot before buying my Nagahara headjoint there.

I understand that you are buying a flute to last up to adulhood and more, but sometimes it simply does not work like that. It may be better to advance on the increasing scale of type-quality-price and playing difficulty (or resistance) in some intermediate steps that buying one instrument plus ultra for ever.

Hello, Thank you very much for your explanations, it will really help me in my choice.

I'm not contributing much to this thread other than to say wow - that's a lot of money for a 9 year old to have as a flute.

Most 9 year olds will drop/dent and damage theirs. I'd rather have a new flute in a few years, rather than the same old dented damaged one

If she is playing performance/concerts, maybe it makes sense to spend that much money.

Metal flutes sound like metal flutes to me. Once you go into a wooden Yamaha or baroque traverso flute, then it gets interesting

But she is one lucky 9 year old to have a dad who will buy her such nice flutes!