I am very sorry if I offended you. The majority of Geimindharts DO break down easily, but I said it in a rather harsh way. True, there are some properly built Geimindharts, but if there are many other people saying that they are of poor quality, then there must be something there...I have other brands that are very reliable, too, not just Armstrongs, and I find that, when someone comes to me to fix their instrument, the majority I see are Geimindharts...
Please take no offense to my comments-there is none meant.

If i had to choose a Yamaha or a Bundy sometimes the older brands give the richest fullest sound

"I am very sorry if I offended you. The majority of Geimindharts DO break down easily, but I said it in a rather harsh way. True, there are some properly built Geimindharts, but if there are many other people saying that they are of poor quality, then there must be something there...I have other brands that are very reliable, too, not just Armstrongs, and I find that, when someone comes to me to fix their instrument, the majority I see are Geimindharts...
Please take no offense to my comments-there is none meant."

Ooh sorry i was just responding to lots of posts that built up what you said was perfectly alright hope i didn`t offend you!

I recently began playing the flute after a 15 year break and have found it so much more enjoyable now. I have considered purchasing an alto or lower register flute as I have discovered jazz and there are just some sounds I can`t produce on a C flute...

after reading the posts here...i feel out of my league...I was given as a gift, a gemeinhardt c flute, and...I have so enjoyed playing it...my first flute was a student model Bundy...this was back in the 70`s...

Maybe most flute players are gifted with really wealthy parents who can spend thousands of $$$$$ but mine definately were not...

For what it is worth, I have to say that the Gemeinhardt sounds much nicer to me than the Bundy, and I have owned the student model Gemein..since 2002 and only taken it in for service once...but perhaps...I too should try a few others...

the problem I have noticed when going to a music store...is that actually trying an instrument is frown upon or specifically prohibited...

If anyone lifes in the CA SF Bay area and has knowledge of fluter friendly teachers/resources...i would be delighted to hear from you

Anyways, to you fortunate fluters with large instrument budgets...play well...and share your music with others...

Thank you, Mysticalwaters (cool screen name!) I just have seen too many fights break out on this forum due to misconceptions...I wanted to set things right...Thank you again!

I have worked on many, many student Gemeinhardts - over a long enough period to know that if competent workmanship puts them in good order, they will be as reliable as any other student flute. I used to recommend them as a reliable, robust flute for school use.

I just don`t their fuzzy tone, which is likely to put students off playing when their peers play beautiful clear notes on other brands, so I have had to stop recommending them.

I noticed an all around fuzzy tone on my old Gemindhart, too. That was part of the reason I traded up for my Armstrong...At first I thought that it was just me. My music director told me that it was a common problem in Gemindharts...

i have an antigua flute. it seems to work perfectly. do u think that antiguas r good?

are there any good, cheap brands?

I own about 20 flutes. Which flute is best depends upon what you want to do with it. The Muramatsu, Haynes, Sankyo, and Powell are wonderful for the serious flute player but are very pricy. I have an Armstrong Heritage (1970`s) and I love it. I also have a student Blessing flute $70 that my daughter loves because it is easy to play. The beginners Alpine is also a nice beginners flute for the same reason. So my fellow flutist, try out the flute and see if you like it. See if it has the sound you want. Then decide.

I bought a Blessing for my sister, who is starting band, and they are really nice beginner flutes! Cheap, fairly reliable...my sister loves it-she says that the keys are well fitted; made for beginnier hands...

Yamaha, i`ve had it for four years and it`s only need to have a key bent back to it`s normal.

I used to have a Gemeinhardt 3S. That`s the all solid-silver model. I found, like others on here, that it had a really fuzzy tone as well. There were also several things wrong with it. The low C key (not the actual key but the lever you push to play low C) had been cut too short and so it wobbled back and forth and whenever I played down low, you`d hear this clicky racket as it hit the post. It also needed to be repadded after about 10 months as the pads wore very unevenly.

Hallo, I just lost my yamaha flute, and I really wan`t a new yamaha, but I don`t aford it.

I`ve been told that the cheap brand "simba" should be nearly as good as yamaha.

but man! it`s a jungle of brands and prices

I have been playing the flute for 23 years in various small groups and I have always enjoyed playing my Armstrong Flute.

Does anybody know anything about a LAMONTE flute? When they were made, etc. A friend of my has one he inherited and I can`t find any information on them.

I have Pearl Flute, it`s wonderful.amazing sound