I've never played piccolo but would like to learn and get a relatively cheap one to practice on. I found some on amazon for under $200 and was just wondering if it would be worth it.

here are some of the piccolos I was looking at:

http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B000FKJMWW/ref=s9_asin_title_2/102-0082743-1339351

http://www.amazon.com/Cecilio-Nickel-Plated-Ebonite-Piccolo/dp/B000FKGG5S/sr=8-2/qid=1167880824/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/102-0082743-1339351?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments

http://www.amazon.com/Cecilio-Gold-Plated-Ebonite-Piccolo/dp/B000FKHKUI/sr=8-3/qid=1167880852/ref=pd_bbs_3/102-0082743-1339351?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments

http://www.amazon.com/Cecilio-Silver-Plated-Piccolo-Case/dp/B000FKJMX6/sr=8-4/qid=1167880871/ref=pd_bbs_4/102-0082743-1339351?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments

http://www.amazon.com/Cecilio-Silver-Plated-Ebonite-Piccolo/dp/B000FKHKUS/sr=8-7/qid=1167880918/ref=pd_bbs_7/102-0082743-1339351?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments



these two are over $200:

http://www.amazon.com/6458B-Piccolo-ABS-Resin-Body/dp/B000J3FXIC/sr=8-6/qid=1167880937/ref=pd_bbs_6/102-0082743-1339351?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments

http://www.amazon.com/Hamlin-Piccolo-Silver-Head-Keys/dp/B0009YWW26/sr=8-5/qid=1167880969/ref=pd_bbs_5/102-0082743-1339351?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments


could someone who plays piccolo tell me which one would be the best for me? I've never played and just would like to learn. thank you!

I would not recommend any of the piccolos you have in the links provided to anyone. Stick with the well name brands and you will be fine.

Some like:
Armstrong
Yamaha
Emerson
Gemeinhardt
Jupiter

There's probably nothing wrong with most (perhaps all) of the amazon.com listed piccolos except that (a) the same Chinese piccolos can be bought elsewhere for about half the price and (b) you don't get the chance to try one before you buy.

I like my cheap Chinese (Venus) piccolo but you'll find others who have expressed negative views.

My suggestion:

Yamaha YPC-32 or YPC62.

Zevang

Good luck finding a Yamaha piccolo (used) for under $250!

Have you checked out Woodwind & Brasswind? They have some very inexpensive piccolos, even the following one from Conn-Selmer for $199:

http://www.wwbw.com/Prelude-by-Conn-Selmer-Piccolo-i268043.music

I have not tried this piccolo, but at least you can return it within 45 days if you're not satisfied.

Regarding inexpensive piccolos, I have bought five of them from eBay (all in different colors!). They all worked initially, but three of them no longer work and no technician will even look at them. The other two play beautifully (for me, anyways), but I don't expect them to last very long. Luckily, they are cheap, so I can just buy more when those stop working.

I'm in a !*****! band and use them for marching. They are always a hit with the crowd!

<Added>

Okay, why bleep (****) out the word g a y ? I'm in a g a y band. Is that so offensive to anyone?

I'm not a fan of censorship!

Me too! Censorship is sometimes bad. xD Good luck finding your piccolo!

three of them no longer work and no technician will even look at them

Assuming these are not physically damaged, then it sounds as if you need to find a source of pads and other spares and learn how to do simple repairs. 30-40 years ago most musicians had this sort of skill but some how its no longer considered part of taking care of your instrument.

The pads are fine (like new condition). It's the keys that don't move. I've been meaning to take them apart, oil everything, and then put them back together to see if that fixes it, but haven't had the chance yet. Plus, I still have two that work fine, so I don't really need the other three yet.

That is the extent of what I can do for repairs. I've learned everything I know about flute and piccolo springs, pads, and screws by trial and error, but that can only take you so far. For everything else, there's Mastercard!