[simso]

Hey folks, I was chasing some advice and feedback. Im very new to learning how to play the flute, I can play tunes if I have some sheet music in front of me, but not good enough yet within myself to play tunes of the top of my head. Example I can of the top of my head knock out at least 20 songs on the sax.
Ive recently started repairing instruments professionally and this is what led me into playing the flute, dont fix and sell what you cant play, thats what Im trying to do anyway. Except for the oboe damn thats hard.
Sorry back on track...
Ive probably tried out at least 15 USA brands and about 10 cheap imorted brands,
Ive noticed there is a huge difference in the acoustics and some are easier to play than others, Ive measured and compared tone hole placements, and bore sizes ect to see if there is any obvious difference, its eluding me what makes a flute a good flute.
Can anyone help us out here, what is it that makes newer style flutes play nicer than older models ect.
I would appreciate any pointers.
Thanks
Steve

 

[bruce bailey]

Modern flutes have improved scales and the head designs have better projection. Gemeinhardt and some others are still using old scale flutes. Also body thickness can affect the overall sound.

 

[Seasax]

is there actually much of a market for vintage flutes?

 

[JButky]

Gemeinhardt and some others are still using old scale flutes.

With Gemeinhardt's change in production facility this has recently changed. The new scale appears to be pretty decent on the newest version I inspected.

Joe B

 

[bruce bailey]

They are still on rt. 19 south of town. Maybe you saw the one they import from China with their name on it. It looks like a Jupiter, sort of!

 

[simso]

Yeh Ive noticed even the cheap crappy barnds which read 6 on a magnehelic (pressurised leak checker 8 being full leaks 0 being zero leaks) which are new from the shops outplay and outperform the better known older units with readings down as low as 2-4 on the leak tester
It doesnt make sense to me

 

[hornfixer]

Have you tried a Yamaha yet?

 

[kymarto]

is there actually much of a market for vintage flutes?

The original French model Boehm flutes by Louis Lot, Bonneville and others made in the late 19th century command premium prices, and older Powells and Haynses almost always sell for more than newer ones.

Getting away from student flutes, intonation has never been bad, and the modern scales by Deveau, Cooper and others are minor improvements at best. Some modern headjoint designs blow a bit easier than older ones, but many still prefer the resistance of the classic Boston cut, for instance. At the end of the day there is very little real difference between vintage and modern flutes, certainly much less than with saxes for instance.

Toby

 

[Gordon (NZ)]

"...what is it that makes newer style flutes play nicer than older models ect..."

Largely minute differences in the shaping of the embouchure hole, and this is a quite large package of interactive variables. It'll probably take you a rather long time if you want to come to grips with them all.

I would suggest a student Yamaha. The vast majority of players find them very suitable, easy-to-play flutes for relative beginners. I doubt that such a flute will be your limiting factor for some time. On the other hand, you could be buying a can of worms by heading for a 'vintage flute' flute, likely rather worn out, hence unreliable, quite likely a fair bit more difficult to play, and possibly badly neglected. Think 50-year old Mercedes versus late model Corolla.

For most players, the "better" sound is NOT in a flute head of older-style design.

Just my 2c.

 

[simso]

Its actually quite amazing how such little things improve the tonal qualitys and response of these units. Example yesterday I serviced a cheap *** unit $99 special which the keys would bend so easy on and it had no regulation screws between the keys ect, yet it outplayed and out performed a older style artley unit which I think sound and play really nice. It played better with more leaks and poor key closing pressure than an old flute with practically nil leaks and fantastic clamping pressure. Go figure.
Yes I have done a couple of the newer yamahas 221's and they are a nice solid unit, but I never really tried to play them
Steve

 

[saxandstrings86]

I just want to throw the word out for the yamaha student again...I had a 221 for a while that I got in a trade that outplayed my "intermediate" Jupiter hands down. If I wouldn't have replaced it with a new(er) Pearl, I'd still be using it. Gave it to a sax player friend of mine who wants to double more and he's gone leaps and bounds in a short time.

 

[shmuelyosef]

...I've posted this before, but I recently replaced a Gemeinhardt conservatory flute (3SB that I've been playing for years) with a Yamaha 211 with upgraded Yamaha headjoint...best thing I've done for my flute playing in a long time.

 

[hornfixer]

Yes I have done a couple of the newer yamahas 221's and they are a nice solid unit, but I never really tried to play them
Steve

I just find this odd, why you woulden't want to play them.

 

[simso]

Easy answer, because when I repaired these, I physically did not have the skills to play a flute and hadnt even attempted to do so, I simply repaired and handed it to a professional player for testing. I now am endeavouring to learn how to play all things that I repair including oboes bassoons trumpets ect, I can play the clarinet the flute and the sax but thats it so far and Im still with the clarinet and the flute in what you would determine as a beginner phase

 

[Enviroguy]

This discussion is all kind'a depressing. I just got my wife a fairly newish Gemeinhardt 50 Series 3OSB that I'm going to give her for Christmas. We used to have an old M3 with a silver head that she said played great, but she didn't like the inline keys. So I got her this similar but much nicer solid silver horn with the offset G and all the extras. It's very nice with a gold lip plate with engraving and such. I'll have about $675 in it with a new case and shop tune up.

While I'm sure the 50 3OSB is better than her Artley 15-0 that I bought for her in highschool, did I mess up by not going for something new from overseas?