i`ve just got my new old (i.e. 2ndhand) Yamaha 381! however there`s small scratch near the mouthpiece. it`s about 0.3 cm.
<a href=http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a183/raycherla/ResizeWizard-1.jpg>see picture here</a>

i`m wondering if i should get this looked at by a repairman? i`ve tried the flute and it sounds ok, but i`m only a novice.

will be grateful for any help.. the seller said i can contact her if i have any problems within a week, so yep.. thanks!

opps, no html. see picture here:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a183/raycherla/ResizeWizard-1.jpg

The dent/scratch will not affect the way the flute plays.

This is a short, deep scratch with a small associated dent.

A good technician can completely remove the dent in about a minute.

The scratch. Hmm. Probably best to forget about it, because it looks as if metal has actually been removed by whatever scratched it. Perhaps I could repeat what was written in another thread which was deleted: .....

There are basically two methods to deal with scratches.

1. Polishing:
Use some method (such as buffing, or the much slower equivalent of hand polishing) to reduce the thickness of the metal in the surrounding area to that at the lowest point of the deepest scratch. On a silver plated instrument, for deeper scratches, such processes will likely remove the plating in the area before the scratches are removed, because scratches can easily be deeper than the thickness of the plating.

2. Burnishing:
This is a process of pushing metal from immediately around the scratches, to fill in the scratches, with no loss of metal. Specialized (usually hand) tools are required. They are very hard and VERY highly polished, otherwise they simply add MORE scratches. Also, a great deal of skill is needed in order not to push flattened narrow strips into the curved surface of the flute body, resulting in a very poor look as the light catches the flattened areas.

If as scratch is reasonably fresh, it is unlikely that metal has been actually removed from the surface. Rather, metal is displaced form the scratch - for imagery let`s call it a `valley` - to make ridges on either side of the valley. Burnishing can push the metal in these ridges back into the valley.

However if the surface has been polished such that these ridges have been removed, then it is far more difficult to obtain a presentable burnished result.

Skilled burnishing produces a more shiny surface than polishing can ever produce, because all polishing consists of microscopic scratches, whereas with burnishing, the result is as smooth as the surface of the tool that did the job.

Burnishing also `work hardens` the surface, making it more resistant to further damage.

Burnishing is a very time consuming process. As far as I know it used to be used by manufactures on all surfaces of at least some `hand made` instruments, but I very much doubt that this is still the case. I presume that it would still be used by a manufacturer if a surface was scratched during manufacture.

Somewhat off topic, and I hope I don`t offend by asking... but how much did you end up paying for your Yamaha? I`ve been monitoring them on ebay, and would like to have an idea on used Yamaha prices. Thanks

S$250, that`s in Singapore. It`s probably more expensive than in US (assuming you`re from there) I think... ?

Thanks! Yeah, I`ll have to work on how that would compare to US.
hmmm....

$250 Singapore Dollar = $147.4361 US Dollar

Check you local classifieds, craigslist, or usedflutes.com as there are often used Yamaha flutes there.

Thanks Piko! I definately have not seen even a 200 series Yamaha for that price! I`ll check your suggestions.

hmm now i`m curious. so is it more expensive or cheaper? my friend told me that in US musical instruments are cheaper than in Singapore.

I think that is a GREAT price! It is definately less than what I`ve seen here in my part of the US. Sounds like you got yourself a great deal.

that`s nice to know.. i`m trying to forget the money was ever mine (--> how to deal with huge shopping sprees

kippsix, are you looking for a used Yamaha? someone is trying to sell me a F100S cheaply.