I found this post when I was in Cusco, so I went to the Triunfo St. address. I had trouble finding the street (it said Triunfo St. on the map, but not on the actual street). There was a touristy place nearby, and I thought the more expensive flutes looked like a reasonably nice wood, so I bought one. It was 70 sols -- $28. The lady who owned the shop said the mouthpiece is bone. It looks very much like the flute with the white mouthpiece in the photo above. I have no problem producing a nice big sound on it.
I may have lost my chance to choose from a really big selection. The market near the train station at Aguas Calientes (Macchu Pichu) has a HUGE flute stall right in the middle. They must have had 1,000 flutes there! They looked like really nice wood, and were of all sizes. In addition to the guy watching the stall, there was another guy hanging around (maybe from the next stall) who was playing the flutes (practicing to be in a band?) and was quite good. I bet he would have given me a lesson.
I may have lost my chance to choose from a really big selection. The market near the train station at Aguas Calientes (Macchu Pichu) has a HUGE flute stall right in the middle. They must have had 1,000 flutes there! They looked like really nice wood, and were of all sizes. In addition to the guy watching the stall, there was another guy hanging around (maybe from the next stall) who was playing the flutes (practicing to be in a band?) and was quite good. I bet he would have given me a lesson.
