I am looking in to buying a new flute. Should I get sterling or solid silver? Is there a difference in how the flute plays with a difference in metal?

There is almost certainly very little contribution made by the metal itself. Most - if not all, as demonstrated in reasonably rigorous double-blind testing - of the tone & volume are in the DESIGN of the head, rather than the metal. And don`t forget that the player is the major factor.

SOME manufacturers know how to design a really good head. For the best heads, the manufacturer is most likely to use solid silver or other far more expensive precious metal.

Therefore the answer to your question depends on brand, and how good a player you are and expect to become.

For example, a plated Yamaha `student` flute plays a lot better than many brands of solid silver flute. The same model with a solid silver head plays very similarly. Pay a few thousand more dollars for a higher model flute and you get a head that looks the same, and is the same metal, but is designed to play significantly better.

To get things in perspective, a plated student Yamaha arguably plays better than most professional solid silver flutes of say 70 years ago. A beginner needs nothing more than this.

A solid silver Gemeinhardt, Artley, and many others, will quite likely play worse than the plated Yamaha.

For a beginner, a good, plated, student flute can be likened to a Corolla for a shopping. Your shopping is not done any better in a Mercedes.

Okay, let me re word this. Are you African American by any chance? My best friend is, and she had the hardest time trying to play the flute.

Mongro, what the heck does that have to do with the price of tea in China?

Get a grip, Mongo! You are in the wrong thread.

I suggest you ask that you request that this and the previous 2 threads be deleted.

Excuse the hell out of me! I meant to post this in the other thread. My mistake. Get a grip Arab!

LOL! Now we have a parrot. LOL!