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 =]

Well first of all, let's not immediately blame the instrument for poor tone. The player has much more to do with tone production than the flute, assuming that the instrument is in good repair. Given that you have just recently noticed a decline in your tone, I'd be willing to bet that there is something up with the instrument....How long has it been since it's seen a repair tech? However, if it's in good shape, tone issues are more likely rooted in the player than the instrument. If it's more than a year since you've taken it to a tech, you're probably due for some work. Now, you also mentioned having only bought the one flute, so how did you settle on the Yamaha 311? If you've playtested it against other makes and models that fit within your budget, and chosen it that way, then your decision is a good one, but if you've simply been reading specs off the internet without actually comparing the various options, then there's no guarantee that a 311 will fit you (and a pretty good chance that it won't). If that's the case, take yourself to a music store and start playing instruments, or start having them sent to you via mail for playtesting.

As for how much you'll get for trading in your Armstrong, that's impossible to determine, as condition, specs, and other variables play a huge role in determining the value of an instrument. I'm afraid you'll have to ask someone at the store you intend to buy from for a quote. I hope some of this helps, and good luck on your Grade 5 (is this ABRSM?)