#1. NEVER,EVER,EVER take a wood piccolo outside. The temp changes will expand and contract the bore of the piccolo resulting in cracks.
#2. Any yamaha piccolo with plastic or wood bodies and metal heads are completely ugly.
#3. Armstrong piccolos are just like selmer, emerson,& artely. They come from the same manufactuer. They are o.k.
#4. I have two gemeinhardt piccolos. One plastic with both metal and plastic heads and the other is wood. I have had these two piccolos since my freshman year of highschool. I`m 22 years old and still playing both and i`ve never had any problems with either.
#5. Not all brands of flutes or piccolos are the same for everyone. You neede to play test a few to find the one that is right for you. I personally don`t like yamaha. However if some one else likes them I`m not going to stand in their way.

Somewhere back there: "I do not know much about rubber pads or Armstrong piccolos."

Rubber pads (and corks have historically gone sticky, but I suppose someday some manufacturer of pads will find a way of doing it so they last more than a couple of years without going sticky.

I very much doubt that Artley will have long-term un-stickiness in mind.. just cheapness for manufacture. That`s how it is with most of what they do now, and has been for some time.

does anyone have a specific emerson opinion? i am VERY interested in the plastic body with two heads deal (plastic + silver) that many websites are offering (500 dollars!)the people who have purchased this have posted great reviews,and i was wondering if anyone else had prior experience with this brand/model. thanks

It is a great piccolo and I always recommend them. I use one as my back up piccolo.

they`re excelent student piccolos. Get a plastic model with a metal head. Then get a plastic headjoint later. The metal head will be easier to learn on because of the lip plate.

They do make the Boston Legacy which in an all wood piccolo which is not a student piccolo.

I am borrowing a very inexpensive Gemeinhardt pic, and, compared to our school`s ancient Yamaha piccolos, it works and sounds quite well. I absolutely hate how the piccolo sounds when I am playing alone, but during marching season I like to be heard. I don`t think you could hear 100 flutes marching in a 200 member band.