I've had a Gemeinhardt flute for some 20 years and was told when it was recently serviced that it was one of the earlier and better quality.

I'm at that stage in life where I'm playing more regularly and can afford to buy something a little more 'up-market'. I'm not expecting a new flute to dramatically improve my playing but if I were to buy one of supposedly better quality would an amateur such as me notice the difference.

I'm interested in anyone's thoughts.

As a music teacher, I recommend finding a flute teacher, take some lessons, and ask the teacher to recommend where to go from where you are.

If you are going to play it for the rest of your life, then it is not so much of a problem how much you are spending on it.

It is certainly not a bad idea to invest some money in buying good quality flute if you are planning to use it for long term.