something you may want to look into... a used flute. i was looking at the flute world website and saw a miyazawa 400 (the silver model with plated keys) with a brannen headjoint for $2500 or something like that. i, personally, prefer the miyazawa overall over the yamaha. i think the scale is much better and the keys are less likely to come out of adjustment..... but thats only in my experience. http://www.fluteworld.com/index.php?action=prod&wart=49237 thats the miyazawa but it doesnt have the options you wanted. and remember what others have said about mixing headjoints. if i was in your situation, i would try a few used flutes and find which fit you like meaning which mechanism you like best and try a few headjoints with that flute. you can get some nice combos if you look.

My mom is slightly skeptical about buying the Yamaha as when they got it from the factory, they had quite of bit of work to do on it until it their "flute person" was satisfied with it.. is that normal or is that something we should be worried about?

Well it's not exactly normal, but it does happen that one slips by. ANY reputable brand can be setup properly and if for some reason it didn't arrive that way at your dealer, then they can send it back or fix it themselves to their liking.

It's not a common situation, but it does happen. Hopefully not too many slip past that need more than some basic stuff. The flutes on your list would more than likely be setup better and not need a lot of work. But like I said...it does happen. Be thankful you have a good repairperson who is picky and willing to deal with it..

Still say you should try that Pearl coda if you get a chance. You (AND your teacher) will never know without at least trying it...

Pearl is the the only other company (besides Yamaha) that makes a complete line of flutes from entry through professional. But more pros play on Pearls than Yamahas...Pearl offers far more flutes in the high end pro range than yamaha with many more options.

If you are trying Miyas and Yamahas at that price range I still urge you to at least TRY the Pearl...

Joe B

As i mentioned before (i think) I did get to try a pearl 765 (not the Coda, although it wouldnt' make much difference since the cut on the headjoint is the same) and i had a much better sound on the Yamaha, i ran into my teacher at the store (didn't get to take that one home) and she agreed with me.

How much different would the Forza headjoint be from the ones that that the Quantz 765 come with?

Sorry to repeat myself but..Have you thought about trying a diMedici (Jupiters line). They offer the rollers and C# trill on the starting model 911 and on up at a very good price! These are great flutes too.

The Forza is a much better cut than the regular Quantz line. It is closer to the forte cut that is on the pro Japanese flutes, but not individually hand cut like on the Japanese flutes. So it's in between.

Joe B

Kara, I haven't really looked at those at all, but I'll try

I just hate that it is very hard for me to get a hold of any flutes that my music store doesn't regularly stock, and they can't order one for me to just try as if i didn't buy it, they'd still have to keep it and try and sell it. The only reason i got to get the Yamaha is she knew i didn't buy it, she'd be able to sell it.

You know what you should do, call Phil Unger at the Flute Center of NY and tell him the problems you are having and your situation with cost of shipping and such. He may be able to work something out for you. He is a really nice guy. He even offereed to pay for half of my plane fair and pick me up from the airport if I wanted to go to his store and try flutes out. He is very accomidationg. I could talk to him also for you, if you want. I understand completely how hard flute shopping can be.

I might try that.

We went to the music store today (as i said with my miyzawa headjoint question post) and they are going to set up a meeting or something and im going to try the 202 and 402, (i dont' know if my mom will spend that much, but she isn't being super objective of it) and ya.

I really liked the 102 with the M5 headjoint with the 14k riser. I also tried a few others but i think all the others had the silver riser.

The springs or pads or whatever i didn't like on the Yamaha, she said it was just because it wasn't handmade, and im sure it is. I seriously thought it was just me as my teacher didn't really know what i was talking about either :P I liked how easy the Miyazawas are to play, but its not as much of a focused sound with the headjoint the 102 comes with, (the person at the store said that, and i agree. I did sound better with the M5)

The springs or pads or whatever i didn't like on the Yamaha, she said it was just because it wasn't handmade, and im sure it is. I seriously thought it was just me as my teacher didn't really know what i was talking about either

I would advise you to take anything a salesperson says with a grain of salt. She probably stands to gain financially by your purchase, so if she can convince you that a more expensive handmade flute is better, she probably will. If your teacher couldn't find anything wrong with the instrument, I would tend to believe her as she is not financially invested in the purchase. Hopefully you trust your teacher's judgment more than that of a salesperson, but if not, it may be time to look for a new teacher.

It most likely has a lot to do with the spring set up on the Yamaha. Yamaha tends to make the tension really heavy on the springs of their new flutes. Have them backed off a bit and the feel will be very different.

I second this. Any good instrument benefits greatly from a proper pro setup/adjustment.

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Oh - the Pearl Dolce (695) is a noticeably better flute than the Quantz. If you like the Quantz, you'll love the Dolce/Elegante line. $2000-$2200 is right in your price range as well. I'd rate it as comparable to the Yamaha 500/600 sound-wise, but with the some of the key options that you want.(plus, IMO, slightly better scale/tuning and a bit sturdier construction). Yeah, the thing is made in Korea instead of Japan. That may matter to you(though considering how the headjoint is most of that difference(slight as it may be), and most players switch out headjoints eventually...

Plekto said: Yeah, the thing is made in Korea instead of Japan.

Not sure if you are referring to the Pearl Dolce or the Yamaha. But the Dolce is not made in Korea. It is a Taiwan machined instrument with better keywork finished by Japanese managers. It is what some might call "semi-handmade".

Joe B

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The MAP price on a regular 695 Dolce is $1495, the coda model version with the standard options Solid 10K (not plated) lip plate, D# roller and C# trill has a MAP $2015.

Either way, It is a LOT of flute for the money.

That may matter to you(though considering how the headjoint is most of that difference(slight as it may be), and most players switch out headjoints eventually...

Once again, I have to disagree, Plekto. If one considers the multitudes of people who play flute in their youth, but discontinue it after high school or college, relatively few players progress past an intermediate level, and those that do may or may not change heads. It's an option that more people are starting to take advantage of, but to say that "most" flutists do it is inaccurate, IMO.

Ah. Taiwan is indeed better - I'd then consider it to be about the same as U.S. made, then(not handmade U.S. but more typical of machine-made U.S.) At this level, probably not a lot of difference.

As for the heads, I thought it was understood that I meant most *serious* players. The original poster will either: A - play the flute recreationaly and in college, in which case, the Miyazawa or Pearl will more than suffice, or later on go to do it professionally or just want a better sound, and get a better headjoint(no need for a totally new flute in any case for a long time). This level is kind of a sweet spot, IMO, since you can do both with the same instrument - without breaking the bank.