I am a clarinetist but I want to learn the flute. I need advice on which brand of flute to get. I want something reasonable in price but not cheaply made. I don`t have tremendous expectations on flute quality, just something that sounds decent and won`t fall apart after a month. I don`t plan on doing much with flute playing except as a hobby. Let me know what you think. Thanks in advance!

Here some of the major flute brands that make student model flutes: Armstrong, Artley, Emerson, Gemeinhardt, Jupiter, Pearl, Selmer, and Yamaha. There is a bit of controversy about which one of these brands is the best, but I don`t think any of them will fall apart after week. Please stay away from the e-bay brands like symphony, selman, or basically anything on there that is super cheap. The flute is a lot of fun to play and I hope that you enjoy learning it.

Amazing. Where I am, Gemeinhardt & Yamaha are close to the same price.

.... as are Pearl & Emerson

.... Hence the high local recommendation for Yamaha as value for money.

The Yamaha list prices are "inflated". If you call Fluteworld and WWandBW they will give an entirely different price.

Buyer Beware.

It makes me sick how much Yamaha is gauging on the prices of thier flutes now. I like their flutes, but I refuse to buy another one because of it. It is just dang rediculous! I can`t even recommend them to my students parents anymore unless they want a used one. Not worth it to me.

The other day I was picking up some reeds at a local music store and I glanced down at the Yamaha 441 Oboe. When I saw the price I made an audible gasp that turned heads. The oboe was selling for $3800 when it is generally only $2300... insane.

I`ve have seen 211 flutes for $1200 before... I never look at the flute in general music stores anymore. Even the local flute specialty shop sells Yamaha flutes for $1000 normally ( www.oguraflute.com ), though their professional flutes (eg Muramatsu, Kotato, etc) are priced near reality.

One of my friends plays the clarinet and also plays the flute.
The clarinet is a cool instrument (since so many of my friends play it!!)
However, in my school`s bands, there are twice (about) as many flutes as clarinets.

dear Erin,
i`ve been playing guitar for 16 years, but i`ve been learning flute for sixth month now, i have gemeinhardt 3B, for sixth month using it, i`m almost never touch my guitar. a little bit worry that i`ve been making too much scratch and dent to my gemeinhardt, i`m planning to buy a cheaper flute. i`ve been searching it on ebay, and interested in "selman" flute, when i searched for the selman flute review on internet, you`re the only one give "review" about ebay brand flutes like selman and symphony, "stay away from ebay brands". please can you give some information about selman flute? experience?
thank you so much!

FlutetulF, please don`t waste your money on Selmen or any of the other junk brands on ebay. Like Patrick like to say, they are plumming. Lol! (And I agree!)

May I ask what is wrong with using your Gemeinhardt 3B? That is a decent student flute and at least a well known name brand. If I am not mistaken the 3B is one of the less costly student flutes that you can buy, (at least I know in the US.)

A student Gemeinhardt is the best flute!!

All instruments are great in their own ways!!

Hi All,
I don`t know much about playing an instrument but my daughters are all musicians (High School and Middle School bands) and the only information I`ve seen on the web regarding Selman flutes is here (and of course exactley where you told everyone not to buy it; EBay). My problem is that my 13 yr. old is wanting a blue/silver flute for Christmas and I can`t seem to find one other than a $800 Yamaha and until she says she been accepted into Julliard I don`t think she needs that expensive of an instrument.
Do I have any options are far as this blue flute goes?
Any assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Richard W. Zidonis

See the third post from the top. Silver plated flute pricing.

Blue flutes are usually cheap China imports that do not play well. Be careful of getting one of these.

FlutetuIf, I have been playing flute for about the same amount of time that you have been playing the guitar. Until e-bay came along I had never heard of a Selman flute. If Selman flutes were any good one would think that they would have been around in the pre-internet era (I`m feeling old at the moment.) I have not had any experience with Selman`s, but I am operating under the assumption that if it is brand new on e-bay and is at a price that just seems too good to be true, you`re probably going to get ripped off.
Sorry for taking so long to respond. I just now noticed that something specifically addressed a post to me.