I've been playing for about 9 months. I know most people's recommendation is a Yamaha 221, but when I tried my friend's instrument, I found the mechanism a tad too light for my liking. What other flutes should I consider?

Don't toss out a candidate flute just because you don't like the spring tension! That can be adjusted (as on any flute) to your own preference.

Joe B

Joe is, of course, absolutely right. You might also try Gemeinhardt, Artley, Armstrong, Emerson, Pearl, Jupiter, and Trevor James, and for some slightly more expensive options, Azumi, Brio, Sonare, and Amadeus. Play as many as you can with your teacher (and possibly others) present, and whichever works best for you (both in feel and sound) is what you should go with.

http://woodwindgearnews.blogspot.com/2006/04/buying-guides-flute.html


how to buy a flute article

That website is less how to buy a flute, and more what various options are, but either way there are several bits of information there that are debateable (such as a solid silver head being better), and it does not always offer a balanced view of some of these things (like what a B foot/gizmo might do), which I think is necessary for a knowledgeable purchase. Take what it says with a grain of salt.