I am looking into buying a new piccolo. I currently have a Gemeinhardt 4S (Solid Silver Head joint and body, with silver plated keys). I use it for marching band and for concert band and wind ensemble. I has been used quite a lot and has some dents and scratches in it. I am looking into buying a Grenadilla Wood Piccolo, so I can use it for concert band and wind ensemble, but still use the Silver one for marching band. Is there any difference in sound from the wood to the silver? Is it harder to play? and if you know of any good student model Grenadilla Wood Piccolos at an affordable price please let me know. ~Thanks~

Yes, there is a different in sound. My suggestion to you would be to try one and make you own judgement first.
Wood piccolo`s blend far more easily than silver ones do.
I personally would never recommend playing on an all silver piccolo in any ensembles, but marching band is fine. They are a lot harder to keep in tune also.

You really can`t get a "student" model grenadilla piccolo.
They are considered more professional when you get up into the grenadilla aspect of them.
Be willing to spend at least $1000.00 and up for good named brand one. And that is just starting out with a used prices.

The most trusted and least expensive wood model piccolo would be the Yamaha YPC-62 which is priced at $1,589.00 at Flute World.

If that is not in your budget then I would highly recommend getting an all plastic piccolo. It still blends like wood does in ensembles, but is even more durable and less expensive.
I used to play on an Armstrong 308 which was fantastic. I am usually not a huge fan of armstrong, but this model was very good and lasted me many years.

Now even the top of the line piccolo makers such as Burkart are even making them in plastic. Something to consider.

i recommend wood simply because they are easier to control the tone quality on and it isn`t as shrill when you go to high registers. i personally think they are more `comfortable` to play...it has the right colour. but, granted, they are more expensive, but if you`re serious about it, then i suggest you invest in one because they are definitely worth the money (especially the powells, but powell everything is expensive as heck )

Tell me about it! I just bought a new Powell flute.
The Burkart Boston Global is also a very good piccolo.

I would never,never recommend anyone using Solid Steel Piccolos in anything except marching band. Even though I use a solid steel piccoo in normal band, not marching, it kills everyone elses sound, cuts right through, but it`s ok because I only use the piccolo for solos. It also makes the person sitting next to you get a bad hearing...

Solid steel? Do you mean solid silver? Either it is solid silver or silver plated.
If you can`t even get that right, you really shouldn`t be on here giving your expert opinions.
God help this board!!!

what is wrong with you? Mines not stainless steel that`s light, it`s an old piccolo that`s hard, solid steel, you shouldn`t be saying things like that, even if I might be wrong, do you know everything about flutes and piccolos? I believe not. Anyways, it`s my opinion, not yours

You play on a steel piccolo? What brand is it? Piccolo`s are not made of steel and I don`t think that they ever were.

Dan does make some what of a point, but could have worded it more nicely.

Wow folks, any helpful advise is certainly lost in the egos or insercurities or whatever else is going on with people.

Having family members with high IQs, great musical talent and learning disabilities, I can get the point of what someone is trying to say without becoming tangential and personal. Don, since you choose a put down over cknowledging a point, I`ll rephrase it for you. Riki was trying to say that she/he feels metal piccolos blast over everyone else, are too bright and are hard on your playing neighbor`s ears.

Is this message board always like this?

Well it happens when someone doesn`t try to nicely correct someone instead of insulting before thinking. Some people have a habit, almost a addiction of getting angry, flaming, etc. on forums, especially forums like this one, where most people try to be peaceful and help out...

P.S. Thanks Vicki, for getting my point, and correcting my thing nicely

I did not write that last post. I am sorry if I questioned little Ricki about having a stainless steel piccolo.
She comes on here like such a know it all at all times. I guess I just expected someone with such knowlege as herself to know that there is no such thing as a stailess steel piccolo. Could you imagine how one would sound! Lol!!!!

actually, don, the plating or solid whatever wouldn`t have made that much of a difference on a flute so i can see how she might think it wouldn`t on a picc...(of course, that`s not entirely true for piccolo as the metal ones are a pain in the aass to play) i have a wooden flute that sounds exactly like a concert metal flute but i also have one that`s irish and doesn sound like a metal flute so...piccs are just a different world...maybe she didn`t know?

I agree with you Fruitloops. Metal anything on a Piccolo is crazy and shrill!
It is kind of funny though. (Stainless steel piccolo.) I have seen all kinds of descriptions of flutes and piccolos before, but that is a first. I think one time someone on ebay called a gold plated piccolo a tin whistles. Lol!!!