i have been playing the flute 4 abwt 6 yrs noq but only rly started doing grades 4 yrs ago. i have alrdy achieved grade 3 and am taking grade 5 this yr hopefully. i bought a a second hand armstrong abwt a yr after i started and it was alrdy 4-5yrs old now it will be abwt 9-10 yrs old. it was in excellent condition but i have notice within the last yr or so that the tone is slipping and often sounds quite bad =[ i have been told by my teacher that if my tone dose not improve i could fail grade 5 =[ i would be happy 2 buy a new flute, as i would like 2 progress all the way 2 grade 8 in th future, i no that it will not be possible on my flute as it is only a student flute and has a bad tone =[ i would like 2 purchase a yamaha 311 and have found sites which offer great deals around £500 which is around my price range. i was woundering whether i would get a good deal if i upgraded my aamstrong flute, in exchange for the yamaha 311. any adviced would be gr8ly aprechiated as i have only bought the one flute previously (2nd hand) i would like 2 purchase my new flute b4 i get enterd 4 my grade 5 as i may fail due to the tone of the flute & the quality of the higher notes and as this will be the only flute i will purchase in the future.

how much would i get for exchanging my student amstrong flute for a yamaha 311??????

please leave comments and advice!!!!

thak you laura x x x x x x x x =]

Might I suggest that you consider one of the "hand-made" flutes from the Emerson collection in the Elkhart factory in Indiana.

One of their models costs about $1,000 and is available with a gold embrechure plate. I have played both the Armstrong French model flutes (which one of my friends bought) and the Emerson. The Emerson absolutely "blew away" the Armstrong.

This is a wonderful flute to purchase when you are transgressing from student to advanced studies.

This is MY opinion, only. Remember, regardless of "make" -- hand-made flutes differ from flute to flute. You really have to test each one to see if it fits your needs.

Hope this helps.

Jim Millen

I would discourage trading in a Student Armstrong to move to what essentially is another student model. The 311 has the same machine made head as the 200 series flutes, but with more silver, and possibly a B foot and/or open holes. VERY few players, even at the professional level need a B foot or open holes, and the silver makes a very minimal difference (if any at all), so you'd be paying more for something that will play almost exactly like a 200 series Yamaha. If you want a noticeable change from the 200 series instruments, while still sticking to a Yammie (what made you settle on a 311, in the first place?), you'll need to look at the 500's or above, where the headjoint changes from the CY that's standard for the 200's-400's to the EC cut. As for your current flute, the tone is determined primarily by the player, and secondarily by the instrument, and doesn't just "slip" so long as the flute is in good repair, and the player is in good practice. Before purchasing a new instrument, take your Armstrong to be checked out by a tech. If it hasn't been to one in the last year (and maybe even if it has), it's likely that some leaks (or other problems) have shown themselves, and they are to blame for the poor tone. Having them repaired may be a much more cost effective route to go for the moment.

Why don't you get your old flute fixed? Tone does not just all of a sudden get bad on the same flute. You may simply need to have the cork replaced, embouchure hole cleaned, and have it adjusted. You won't know until you have it checked out.

Buying a new flute seems a bit premature to me. Why don't you have a good flute tech look at it first? That is, unless you just feel like spending money without checking your current flute for a defect. If you've never had your cork replaced or instrument serviced in that time, it sure will make a huge difference getting it setup properly again rather than just going out a buying a new flute.

If you just need to upgrade for a new configuration, that's a different matter. But for tone suddenly going sour seems a waste of money to me.

Joe B

If I could understand the original post, I would be able to answer it better. Do you think that you could be a little more considerate next time and spell your words out for your readers? Thanks

I agree with Joe and Chris, they both have good points. If at some point you are going to look into a REAL handmade flute, then I would not go with Emerson. You would be just as well off in getting a Yamaha 220 series flute.

I would have to agree with Kara. Yamaha builds excellennt flutes, including the 220 series.

I have only ever owned a Hayes (60s') and Powell (80s'). But it has been my pleasure to have played some of the wonderful Japanese flutes --- and I found (3 different models) of the Yamaha flutes to be extraordinary in tonal sonority and response.

Haynes has somewhat slipped in stature in that they have been bought out by a Chinese company --- but the Yamaha flutes are always an excellent choice.

Regards, Jim Millen

Haynes has somewhat slipped in stature in that they have been bought out by a Chinese company

I have to disagree with this one. Haynes is still among the foremost American flute makers specializing in handmade instruments, despite having been bought by Eastman Music. Who owns the company is just about as important as where the company is located when it comes to the quality of instruments they produce. Yes, the new owners have the potential to change things within the Haynes organization that may lead to a decline in quality, but it's been a while since the buyout, and all of the brand new Haynes flutes I've playtested since then have been very fine flutes (albeit not exactly suited to my tastes). Many "American" flutes (at all levels) have some connection to Asia, be it because they were partially built there, or because the owners are Asian, etc. As long as they continue to put out quality products, who owns the company makes very little difference to us as musicians (except that it may help to keep costs down). Were I in the market for a flute, and a new Haynes happened to match what I was looking for, I would have no qualms about buying Haynes.