You would be doing yourself a favor my purchasing the handmade Burkart instead of the Global. I used to play on a Global and it was a great piccolo, but they key work had more play in it than I would like, so I ended up upgrading to the handmade. It is much better. I didn't like the wave headjont on it at all. I am not a big fan of wave heads on flutes or piccolos. They don't work well with my embouchure. I can attest that the handmade Burkarts are wonderful. I still have not gotten around to trying a Hammig, but I know they come
highly recommended.

Best of luck to you in your piccolo search.

As per Patrick's recommendation, an older Roy Seaman was actually made by Roy Seaman. Zentner piccs were also made at the same time, and with the same specs except the Seamans had sterling keywork, but the earlier Zentners had plated keys. Later Zentners have sterling keywork.

Gemeinhardt bought the rights to make piccolos with the Roy Seaman name and pattern- ie keywork, tonehole placement, etc. I have played a Gemeinhardt Roy Seaman LTD and was completely unimpressed, but that was only one instrument.

I have a Zentner, later model with sterling keys, and it has a lovely rich tone in the lower registers, although it is more difficult to play up high. Right now I am using a handmade Lillian Burkart headjoint (she makes two models- Clarion and another-mine- whose name I don't remember right now) and it is sweeter and easier up high.

My friend's handmade Burkart is a beautiful instrument, the headjoint is supposed to be the same as mine, but with handmade they all differ a bit...I like hers a little better but there's not much difference.

Anyway, the others' recommendations are great. One thought that I recently had is to replace my silver 'outdoor' piccolo woth a plastic Powell Sonare piccolo. The one I play tested was really nice, really inexpensive, good scale, etc. and I could probably use my other wood headjoint with it. I'm sure it would be an improvement to my little silver shreik stick!

Too bad piccolo headjoints aren't as available as flute headjoints- I'd buy a Sonare picc with an Eldred Spell headjoint in a minute!

OK, I went to the Burkart website.
I have a Burkart-cut piccolo headjoint.

Burkart's website says that they have 'all headjoints in stock and available for trial'.

Current price of a grenadilla Burkart headjoint is $700. Add a Powell Sonare piccolo for about $850 and you get, I would think, a really versatile instrument for $1600.

I would certainly play-test as many instruments as I could, especially since your budget is considerably more than $1600.

Has anybody ever tried a 14K gold headjoint on a piccolo? I had never heard of that.

Too bad piccolo headjoints aren't as available as flute headjoints- I'd buy a Sonare picc with an Eldred Spell headjoint in a minute!

Tibbie,

A very good friend of mine had Mr. Spell as an instructor. I had sold my old Grenadilla Emerson piccolo several years ago, and while she was there he hand made her a new one in about a day. He was bored, and she had a few issues with it, so BAM, new headjoint. He is really awesome like that. I believe if you look at his site, he will custom make piccolo headjoints. If I remember correctly, he also guarantees his work. You might want to check him out. He is really an awesome man!

I actually have played an all 14K piccolo from Haynes, and it was a gorgeous instrument, though I'm not at all convinced that was because it was made of gold. It had a nice, rich, dark sound, was well balanced throughout the registers, and played extremely easily. And Eldred Spell does indeed make piccolo headjoints, but I'm not sure that his website is maintained any longer. I tried to order a head (piccolo) from him about 6 months ago, and never received a reply from him. It's still worth a try, but it may not be possible to contact him through the internet any longer.

Joe B got a Hammig for me to try that came with two really nice headjoints, so there are definitely very good picc headjoints out there these days

My understanding from my friend who knows Mr. Spell, and learned flute repair from him, is that there is a 2-year waiting period for a custom piccolo headjoint. Thanks, though!

Maybe he will get bored again and make one for you Tibbie.

i want to say something back on what i had said before...

its rather obvious that a handmade instrument is USUALLY better than one that isnt (ex: burkart vs. global). yeah, sure, exceptions, whatever. but i was just as pleased with the global as i was with the handmade. but of course, im a different person than you or joe blow. and im not a big fan of the wave either. and with your worries about "upgrading" i know a certain flute teacher at the music institute i attend who still plays on a ypc-32 even after having one very nice hammig. there are also the people who prefer a metal to a wood. why? dont ask me. i like the wood.

all in all, i hope your piccolo search goes well for you. i wish you the best of luck