hiii!

yea um im gonna start playing flute soon i have no idea on what kind of flute to buy >_<

i know there are different types like alto,c,and g and stuff...what are c and g flutes??? lol

also: what are some good brands? i have no idea the only instrument brand i know is yamaha....

Thanks for reading and/or replying!
~BB

o and whats an average price for a flute? thanks^^

Yamaha student fltutes a great and that is mostly what I like to sell because they are so good. I have a few for sale now if interested. My flutes are a bit different though as I add gemstones to crowns. No it doesn't make them play and better, but it looks pretty.

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Should have wrote..
no, it doesn't make them play ANY better.

The yamaha 221 is a very good starter flute. its usually around 800.

I have a very not known flute name and it has not broken on me though the other flutes in the band have at least once this year. It is a rossetti.

wow $800???? @_@ anything cheaper?

maybe i should get a used one after all...

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and to Kara: im prolly gonna buy a flute locally, but thanks for the offer!

ill look into a rossetti, too^^

o and i got it off of ebay for around 65 dollars. but i don't know the retail price

try a simba...

i was lookin a lil on amazon.com..i found a few brands but i dont know if they are any good..

has anyone ever heard of cecilio or glenn edward?

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also are Monique flutes good?

gemeinhardt 2sp- 350. new
gemeinhardt used m2 flute @ woodwind brasswin.com for 179.

thanks! now i am starting to think about buying online ^-^

and that gemeinhardt flute has a 6 month payment plan...i could do that!

BB,
Where will you be learning to play the flute? If it will be in school, you may have the option of a rental program which should be less expensive than buying a new flute. Our town has a program in which you can rent a Yamaha flute, and apply most of the rental fee toward purchasing the flute. Renting a brand new Yamaha costs more than a used one, but you can start with a new flute. I would ask the band teacher at school if there is any such program locally, and if so whether the instrument repair staff does a good job. (If so, great! If the rental instruments are in lousy shape, look elsewhere.)

I would stay away from any of the Amazon, or 'inexpensive' eBay flutes. You will end up buying a flute that will not likely last for more than a few weeks without some sort of repairs, and many repair shops will not work on these cheapie flutes because they cannot be repaired at a reasonable price, and the repairs may not last long either. You will end up sinking $100 into a flute that you will likely need to replace within 2 months, and then buy another flute so you can play. Your best bet is to buy a flute with a reputable brand name.

Yamaha's least expensive 'student' flutes cost more than the other brands, but these flutes typically will last without an upgrade, and can be repaired properly, for a long time. Other reasonable brands, assuming that they are in good condition, are Jupiter, Pearl, Trevor James, Emerson. A Gemeinhardt will serve much better than a 'Monique' or 'Cibiali' or 'First Act'. If you truly have no choice but to buy a really cheap flute, you could get lucky and find one that plays reasonable well, but you would either have to sort through and play-test 20 or more flutes, or get really lucky.

If you buy a used flute off the internet, buy a reputation-brand instrument. Also expect to pay another $250 or so for a complete overhaul to get it in perfect playing condition. Some flute re-sellers buy and overhaul flutes themselves and will guarantee their work, such as Liz at http://www.lizwinds.com

I have never heard of a Rosetti brand flute. Many of these inexpensive flutes may be produced in the same factory, identical except for the 'brand name' stamped on the barrel. I haven't seen any 'Simba' flutes for a while, likely because these flutes were sold until they got a bad reputation so they changed the 'name' stamped on the barrel. Same cheapo flute, different stamp.

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A 'C' flute is a flute in the key of C, usually referring to the standard concert flute. A 'G' flute refers to an Alto flute, which is in the key of G, and is longer and fatter than a C flute. It plays lower than a regular flute. You should not buy an alto flute to learn the flute on; you will not be able to play the same music as the other flutes in your group. Alto flutes have their own music (and not a whole lot of it), and are played often in a flute choir. There's no problem with wanting to learn to play the alto flute, it just isn't the one to begin with.

I sell like new Yamaha flutes for $325 with added features that are ready to play and no work needed. You might be able to find a Yamaha for under that, but like Tibbie had said, expect it to need work and a good cleaning. References are always available if you change your mind about purchasing on line. I would stay away from any off brand flutes. Rule of thumb if it is under $200 new, expect to get what you pay for.

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I don't have any of my finished flutes listed yet, but here is some that I have sold that are identical...
http://fluteragious.blogspot.com/

Also check out Nancy, she does great work and will sell you a good quality used flute at a good price.
http://www.flutestar.com/

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Petric, how has your Simba been playing lately? I still think I should sell my Powell and get that platinum plated one. haha!

thanks for all of the replies!!
i am going to get private lessons and i dont expect to play in any school group..i might change my mind later tho

my mom is a little skeptical about the price of a flute so i really need to stay cheap..and before ordering anything online im gonna check out all of the local stores^^

what are some of the top brands, anyway?
thanks again!!

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oo woops i musta missed the brand list in ur reply, tibbiecow!

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another add lol

thanks a lot for those links, too!!

just remember that, if you get something really cheap, it may cost you more in the long run due to set up and up front repairs, you are safe to go with any of the established brands...