Hi,
I'm a new kid on the block, and I have a somewaht stupid question.
I've read some earlier posts about the sound quality etc. on cheaper wooden flutes, but that was a few years ago.
My question is slightly different. I am a beginner, after 35 years, and likely to remain so.
The reason I want a wooden flute is not about the sound. It's simply that I don't like the idea of holding a cold piece of metal against my mouth. Even plastic would be better. Also I had a sentimental attachment to the wood wind family, and in particular the old boxwood instruments. I like the Wood feeling.
So where should I get a cheap wooden flute, and what would I have to pay. A wooden head-joint would of course be a step in the right direction (but only that), if there is one available for my flute, an rather cheap old Miyazawa.
Max, Sweden

Hi Max,

Not a silly question at all ... just a bit countercurrent to the modern obsession with kissing a great big hunk of metal on the embouchure

There's quite a lot of secondhand wooden headjoint options for your old Boehm flute, and you can get the heads adjusted. www.justflutes.com sell quite a few interesting ones, but you really have to demo to get a feel for whether you would be prepared to learn a new embouchure. My favourite is the Seder (Hungarian) headjoint. It plays really solid and dark chocolate rich with a loud bark.

Wooden flutes like the Yamaha 58+ series is kind of expensive for average earning amateur players. If you're after a wooden Boehm, Mollenhauer, Moennig and other German manufacturers made these with a closed G key. There are a lot of Rudall Carte wooden flutes out there like www.arthurhaswell.co.uk who sell them. They aren't cheap, kind of pitched between collector prices and dream flute owners. Simple system flutes (if you're willing to learn this system) is a lot of fun and have their own sound signature due to their unique bore characteristics (not parabolic like Boehm). Guess it depends on what kind of wooden flute (or just headjoint) you're after....whichever...I prefer wooden flute too. Yay!