Always buy a flute made by a manufacturer that makes ONLY flutes -- and not clarinets or other instruments.

Always buy a flute made by a manufacturer that makes ONLY flutes -- and not clarinets or other instruments.

Sorry, I have to disagree. Yamaha makes some of the best student flutes on the market.

I love Yamahas and they make motorcycles.

I have two Yamaha flutes, one Yamaha fife, one Yamaha Alto recorder and one Yamaha 6hp outboard motor for my boat.....All decent products.

Yeah, I also have to politely disagree. My Yamaha 774 is amazing, and Yamaha makes a little of everything. The Gemignhardt I grew up with really sucked, too.

After everything negative that Kara has written about Yamaha piccolos, I still stand by my suggestion to buy flutes (or piccolos) from a maker that makes ONLY flutes and/or piccolos.

Yamaha might be fine for entry-level flutes; I'd still never buy one. And at every price level there are better alternatives.

Yamaha might be fine for entry-level flutes; I'd still never buy one. And at every price level there are better alternatives.

That is just ignorant.

<Added>

"After everything negative that Kara has written about Yamaha piccolos"

The only negative thing I have ever complained about on a Yamaha piccolo is the scale.

When I was searching for a new intermediate instrument to buy, I contacted a few friends who are professional wind instrumentalists in some important orchestras in Europe and also in south america.

I was told that Yamaha was first to introduce high end technology in the manufacture of its instruments (Numeric Control Manufacturing and the like). This was at that time sort of a revolution and quickly put this manufacturer well ahead of many other, more traditional factories.

The gap may have reduced with time and others surely followed, but this innovation allowed Yamaha to produce different type of instruments with a high degree of repeatability, good and constant quality, no matter that they also make many other good products such as engines, motorcycles and electronics devices.

This one of the arguments that finally convinced me of buying a Yamaha 6xxx and I have been very happy with it since.

If I was to upgrade (something still in my mind) I would buy a headjoint from a well reputed manufacturer of hand made, professional instruments and after testing it as thoroughly as I could. And I will have it fit on my Yamaha body. i.e. I have been interested recently in Nagahara HJ but I left it for later decision at the last minute.

But I would not care if this house also makes other types of instruments, apart from flutes.

Yamaha has some great prices right now.

I would buy one if I could get an 800 series flute with and offset G and C# trill. They just don't have that option on their 800 series flutes.

I played one and I liked it as much as my Muramatsu.

It is a shame.

Kara does enjoy calling opinions "ignorant" if they don't agree with hers. And I recall her telling a poster here that "Ignorance is bliss" when she thought that the other person should have known something.

I'll stick to my opinions, which are indeed based on the evidence I've gathered in my own experience. You can't argue with that!

No, it has nothing to do with you agreeing with me or not. I still find your comment ingnorant to label a company in such a way. It sounds only like a statment that would come from someone that hasn't got a clue. Now that is just my opinion. Ignorant or not

Talking to my teacher today about what flutes the rest of her students play,,Yamaha comes out tops, and its what she reconmends..

On the subject of yamaha flutes can someone tell me what a 681HE one is, i know it has b-foot, but thats it,,the only thing i can find on the net, is that it is now been upgrade to a 781??? would it be open /closed hole, inline/offset G and any other spec..thanks.

The older 681 is now a 784. The 681 has solid silver head, body, foot and keys and has an in line G. Hope that helps!

If you are a flute seller -- or flute reseller -- and you make money from the sales of student flutes, then you are perfectly within your rights to recommend whatever flutes you like. I have no disagreement with that.

I don't recommend Yamaha flutes because I sell them. I recommend them because I have been playing for over twenty years and have had many student brand flutes to compare them too. I am not the kind of person to recommend something unless I truly like it and believe in it. I sold a Gemeinhardt last year that I didn't like and if any of my customers asked me my opinion on it I gave them my honest one. I still sold it too. Please don't categorize me as some of those sellers that talk up something only because they carry it just to make a sale. I am as honest as they come.