What is the best material for a piccolo?

Are hardened rubber piccolos good? I had one given to me recently which is made of hardened rubber.

I believe what you have is a composite (plastic) piccolo.
I can`t say that one material is the best. It really is an opinion, thought most would probably say wood. Now, there are different types of woods though. I really prefer grenadilla myself.Kingwood is quite nice also.
I think there are some fine plastic piccolos being made today. I would prefer plastic over a metal or silver piccolo any day. Again, I must emphasize this in this particular forum, this is just my opinion.

This has been discussed and argued many times here. I would prefer a WELL-DESIGNED piccolo of ANY material, any day, to one of inferior design, whatever the material. Unlike some here, I subscribe to the theory and blind testing that indicates that material is immaterial.

Okay Arak, I have a nice well adjusted piccolo made out of tin can, would you like it?

Oh come on Arak, you never answered my question. I am really interested to see if you would like to try out my tin can piccolo.

My last post GAVE you the answer... First I would need to know if the piccolo is well designed.

I think it could be probably demonstrated by acoustic science that the metal of a tin can would not be THICK enough to perform its acoustic function of effectively constricting the air pressure in the air column, to the air column, rather than `conducting` them to the outside air. Yes, acoustic science DOES actually know what thickness of any given material is required for this function, and whether the material could actually do the job effectively.

It is well known that a certain thickness of typical flute/piccolo metal, and also a much greater thickness of hard timber, both successfully do the job. But take a material like polystyrene foam, and NO thickness would be suitable.

Considering the metal thickness, a piccolo made from the metal from a tin can would almost certainly be of extremely poor acoustic DESIGN, and this is why I am not interested in your offer.

There is little point in you discussing these issues, because you have zero interest in, or acceptance of the known relevant facts. The foundation for ANY discussion is what is actually already known about the topic.

If you are really interested, I suggest you launch into some formal education in acoustics. I`m sure you would find it most enlightening.

" I would prefer a WELL-DESIGNED piccolo of ANY material, any day, to one of inferior design, whatever the material."

Are these not your words??
I was just stating a point. As I thought, you wouldn`t play on just ANY metal, as you stated. I rest my case.

I think you missed the "well-designed" part Kara. He explained that your tin can flute would not be well-designed and therefore would not like it.

Your catty responsed are both irritating and fascinating at the same time. I always look forward to your replies to see who and what you are putting down at any particular time.

Kara, seriously just accept the science. Acoustics does actually exist as a discipline, he`s not making it up.

I never said that the tin can piccolo (NOT FLUTE) wasn`t well designed, did I? That is if I even had one. I was simply stating a point. I don`t think that I even asked you, now did I?

Get a grip Kara. Your posts are getting ever more desperate. THis is an open forum- ANYONE can respond to you.

I think Arak did point out why a tin flute, by definition could not be well designed. Just saying that it could be well designed is a petulant primary school response!!

YOU get a grip! For the THIRD time, I WAS SIMPLY STATING A POINT!!! If you don`t like it, then that is too bad.

Your illustration did not illustrate any point at all. All it did was to demonstrate how little you seem to understand about the different parameters that may or may not contribute to tone, your awareness of subjectivity, and of objective testing.

Therfore there is no point in further discussing this topic with you, until you have become educated in these issues. Until such time, I`m sorry to say, your contributions on the subject have little to offer.

I look forward to some time in the future when we can hold an INTELLIGENT discussion on the topic.

In the mean time, it is probably not such a good idea to mislead people new to this froum, seeking truth.

I was hoping not to have to say the above so directly, but you insist on keeping this issue going.

Unless I am mistaken, it seems that what you are saying is that all wooden piccolos have a characteristic sound that is better than all metal piccolos.

In view of the known acoustic FACTS, that really is as silly as saying that all red cars go faster than green cars. To anybody with a smattering of real knowledge of the subject, it seems really foolish to keep on saying it, IMHO - no hurt intended.

Kara, you have such a sense of humor! I love it!!! I would not be oppossed to trying a tin piccolo. The metal bodied Gemindhart my director makes me use would be a proper replacement-I would rather play a tin piccolo than a metal bodi- wait. Same basic thing, is it not? Metal?
Hum, have to go brood on this awhile...
In all seriousness, I would go with a plastic body; if you are looking for a brand, I would also stick by my old favorite, Armstrong.
And this topic has been disscussed over and over and over and over again...but I dont mind repeating myself...If I do recall, the last discussion we had on piccolo material involved a nasty prank by my `friends` and discussion on what kind of "metal or wood" to hit me with!

"....I would rather play a tin piccolo than a metal bodi- wait. Same basic thing, is it not?..."

NO!

You are confusing two issues... MATERIAL (which is not too relevant) and THICKNESS (for any particular material). A minimum thickness is highly relevant.

The metal of a tin can would not reach that minimum required thickness for metal used for a flute body.

Although you may find it amusing, it is as irrelevant and silly as treating a normal wooden piccolo as the same as one made from wood that is five times thinner. The thin one would play very poorly, simply because the walls of the tubing were so thin, no matter how high the quality of the timber.

If you want to have even a basic sensible discussion of issues to do with the acoustic design of instruments, then you really do need to make the effort to understand some of the very basic elements of acoustics, rather than joining in your humour, with those who mock the science behind the acoustic design. This mockery is undermining every attempt at sensible understanding in this forum. The end result of this is inevitably that anybody with anything sensible to say in this area is driven away from the forum. The only reasons I remain are because of personal obstinacy, and the notion that SOME people present in the forum may actually want some sensible understanding.