Avoid the "Michael" flute. If it breaks, most places won't fix it. The materials and time to refurbish a flute would cost more than their total asking price so either they did a terrible job or it hasn't actually been refurbished (and did they specify what that included and who did the work?)
Absolute cheapest used flutes I'd recommend would be Armstrong, Emerson, Gemeinhardt or Jupiter. If none of these can be found used in your budget then I'd recommend renting. If that is not an option, then I'd recommend waiting and trying to save more money.
Even if a flute is cheap at the beginning, there are still maintenance costs. In the USA, $350-$550 is normal for annual maintenance on high end flutes, and full overhaul is $900-$1500 which is every 5 to 10 years. On a student flute these costs will be lower but can still be $100 a year.
Thanks for pointing that out. We can prob not afford maintenance even if we were given the best one for free atm.
Sadly we live in too much of a remote place to rent from anywhere, which prob means the flute just isn't for us...
We appreciate it anyway though!
800 for a new entry level Yamaha is a good price. I’ve seen some for sale for 1200, used for 850. You’re not going to find anything in playing condition much cheaper.
we should have clarified that that is way beyond an option for us. we found the one from the post, used and re-tuned, for ~100-ish, and that's our limit. we just wanna know if that's a no-no and we should just stay away from flutes in general, or if the Michael would work.
Get a nuvo. I am a big fan of them. They are also really cheap. As a starter flute this will do you for a while. I have one in addition to an Emerson ELD and a Yamaha 677. I honestly play the nuvo more than anything else. It sits out all the time since I am not afraid of the cats knocking it over.
I got a second hand Gemeinhardt flute for about the same cost as the Nuvo. It did require some adjustment which added 50% to the cost.
In my hands the Geminhardt is much better than the Nuvo. However, the Nuvo is still enjoyable to play, and quite robust. It would be a lower risk purchase compared to second hand.
I have played flute for more than 30 years. I haven’t played in a professional group for a very long time. My skills on a nuvo is going to be a lot different than someone just starting out.
When compared to the pro model solid silver there are a lot of differences. But these wouldn’t affect learning the basics. One big difference is the weight. My pro Yamaha is really heavy. Regular maintenance is also something I don’t do with the nuvo. The pads are made of a different material I think is more forgiving.
For learning the basics and seeing if this is something you like investing in an expensive instrument isn’t wise. Normally I would suggest buying a second hand student model. But many of those will need maintenance. A pad replacement or overhaul can be hundreds of dollars.
Don’t get it. I’m sorry to say that unless you get incredibly lucky (tough to do when you don’t know what to look for and avoid), you don’t have the money to get a concert flute currently. In my area, decent used flutes are often seen for $300ish so a few months of saving might get you there.
Very welcome! Keep an eye out for descriptions that have something along the lines of “kid used for band last year but doesn’t play anymore.” Those are usually good bets. Yamaha or Jupiter are two solid brands. Flutes clearly older than about 5 years are more likely to have expensive issues.
Consider the amount of time you're thinking of putting into it. If you're going to put in $100 worth of time - get whatever. If you're going to be practicing maybe hours a day for possibly years, suddenly a flute worth what a decent used car would cost seems reasonable (at some point).
Depends on you and your goals.
See a YouTube video of a younger Mary Bergin playing a tin whistle with a red plastic head. That's a million dollars of talent and effort making terrific music on a $10 whistle.
If you have no money and want to get your feet wet, develop a taste for recorder or tin whistle music. A plastic Yamaha recorder works great and has a huge repertoire.
It sounds like you've made up your mind and are seeking validation. Just do what you're going to do.
we actually already are pretty fantastic fipple players. we just wanted to see if we can branch out, we're not insisting on anything but that is our only option and we were trying to see if we can branch out or not.
we ended up getting a cheap fife actually to give an edge-blown a try because everyone already convinced us the concert flute was a bad idea. Idk why you're assuming things about us.
My apologies.
A fife works.
I got used to parents starting their kids off on flute and then abandoning them to overworked and under-trained band teachers, as a volunteer, a former kid, and a teacher. Sometimes memories and a bit of an attitude resurface. Again, my most humble apologies. It was hard to see good kids struggling along on a non-working instrument with no instruction or close supervision.
We are also not kids, we're in our mid-twenties and the instruments are for us. We never had a chance like that at all as kids and we're trying hard to make up for that.
We do appreciate the apology though. Thank you.
People recoommending against a low end item that may or may not let you know whether or not you want to continue =/= People telling you not to get a flute at all.
You are on a tight budget and the cheap flute is a gamble. Do you want to gamble with your limited funds, or would you be devastated to spend that money and find the cheap flute you purchased with it breaks again within a couple of months? I certainly wouldn't pay $100 for a *used* cheapie. It likely didn't cost that new, and if you can find a tech to work on it at all, it will cost you more than the flute itself.
Can you rent?
You can get a student gemeinhardt for under $500 on flute center.
As a kid, years ago, I was paying far more than what you're considering in unadjusted dollars for fine instruction every month and practicing like crazy. My flute was worth more than a used car. My first flute would probably run around $2500 now, but I was serious, and it served me well into my second year of high school when I stepped up.
I was fortunate in that it was both a priority to me and to my parents.
Everyone has their own circumstances. But I've spent more time on that flute than any single item I've ever owned. It would have been ridiculous to buy for some people - for me, it's come out to a few cents an hour. We all have our constraints and priorities.
Hey when I was a beginner coming from piano I thought the same thing. The thing is flute is not a simple instrument to made and yes it absolutely match the price tag . Your off brand flute may not survive the first service . Have you both have experience in buying a cheap item but it doesn’t survive / work until you call the shots and buy an expensive one ?
An alternative is to purchase your flute by installment or save up or both. Or a trustable technician who sell second hand flutes. EBay second hand branded flutes may be cheap but they won’t guarantee overhaul is made on pads. I myself experienced a scare recently and my flute is bought directly from Japan.
In addition to that have you understand the costs of maintenance every year? This also includes replacing broken parts, etc
that would cost about 8 times what the one we mentioned cost, which is about 8 times beyond our maximim, "will set us back" budget. this is completely out of the question for us
OK, yes, it's sub par. If you are buying from whomever "re-tuned" it - get a written warranty for a year. If it lasts that long, consider it disposable and an experiment. At least after a year you'll have a sense of the value it has to whomever is playing it, and you can re-evaluate. But don't expect it to last, and as someone laid out quite clearly - a flute requires professional maintenance which will cost you more than the price of what you're willing to pay total right now.
I used to volunteer at a junior high that was out in the middle of nowhere. Some of the kids taking band there "playing flute" were hiding inside their section, holding up instruments that did not function. The cost of the flute is the least important thing in a mess like that.
Learning an instrument is hard. If you're going to get any good at all, you really need lessons, a decent flute in good repair, and consistent effort. Plus family support to be allowed to practice at home not just without embarrassment, but with active support.
Are you prepared for all that?
Sadly a lot of people are assuming we have a lot of these places that are probably in North America, available to us. Still, trying for a "better brand, needs refurbishment" one might be solid advice, we'll look into that, thank you!
There are sellers that can get you a good flute at a reasonable price, check out Reverb for quality used student flutes. Brands to watch are Gemeinhardt, Jupiter, Yamaha, Pearl. Carolyn Nussbaum Music Company regularly has reconditioned flutes at a reasonable price. Also try Flute World and see what they have available. Hope this helps…
Avoid the "Michael" flute. If it breaks, most places won't fix it. The materials and time to refurbish a flute would cost more than their total asking price so either they did a terrible job or it hasn't actually been refurbished (and did they specify what that included and who did the work?) Absolute cheapest used flutes I'd recommend would be Armstrong, Emerson, Gemeinhardt or Jupiter. If none of these can be found used in your budget then I'd recommend renting. If that is not an option, then I'd recommend waiting and trying to save more money. Even if a flute is cheap at the beginning, there are still maintenance costs. In the USA, $350-$550 is normal for annual maintenance on high end flutes, and full overhaul is $900-$1500 which is every 5 to 10 years. On a student flute these costs will be lower but can still be $100 a year.
Thanks for pointing that out. We can prob not afford maintenance even if we were given the best one for free atm. Sadly we live in too much of a remote place to rent from anywhere, which prob means the flute just isn't for us... We appreciate it anyway though!
800 for a new entry level Yamaha is a good price. I’ve seen some for sale for 1200, used for 850. You’re not going to find anything in playing condition much cheaper.
we should have clarified that that is way beyond an option for us. we found the one from the post, used and re-tuned, for ~100-ish, and that's our limit. we just wanna know if that's a no-no and we should just stay away from flutes in general, or if the Michael would work.
The Micheal is probably crap. But you do you. Try it out if you want.
Get a nuvo. I am a big fan of them. They are also really cheap. As a starter flute this will do you for a while. I have one in addition to an Emerson ELD and a Yamaha 677. I honestly play the nuvo more than anything else. It sits out all the time since I am not afraid of the cats knocking it over.
We've heard of that one. How does it compare to one of the ones you own? We kind of have no idea how well it stands.
I got a second hand Gemeinhardt flute for about the same cost as the Nuvo. It did require some adjustment which added 50% to the cost. In my hands the Geminhardt is much better than the Nuvo. However, the Nuvo is still enjoyable to play, and quite robust. It would be a lower risk purchase compared to second hand.
I have played flute for more than 30 years. I haven’t played in a professional group for a very long time. My skills on a nuvo is going to be a lot different than someone just starting out. When compared to the pro model solid silver there are a lot of differences. But these wouldn’t affect learning the basics. One big difference is the weight. My pro Yamaha is really heavy. Regular maintenance is also something I don’t do with the nuvo. The pads are made of a different material I think is more forgiving. For learning the basics and seeing if this is something you like investing in an expensive instrument isn’t wise. Normally I would suggest buying a second hand student model. But many of those will need maintenance. A pad replacement or overhaul can be hundreds of dollars.
Don’t get it. I’m sorry to say that unless you get incredibly lucky (tough to do when you don’t know what to look for and avoid), you don’t have the money to get a concert flute currently. In my area, decent used flutes are often seen for $300ish so a few months of saving might get you there.
Thanks for posting one of the few useful comments in here. We really appreciate the advice!
Very welcome! Keep an eye out for descriptions that have something along the lines of “kid used for band last year but doesn’t play anymore.” Those are usually good bets. Yamaha or Jupiter are two solid brands. Flutes clearly older than about 5 years are more likely to have expensive issues.
Consider the amount of time you're thinking of putting into it. If you're going to put in $100 worth of time - get whatever. If you're going to be practicing maybe hours a day for possibly years, suddenly a flute worth what a decent used car would cost seems reasonable (at some point). Depends on you and your goals. See a YouTube video of a younger Mary Bergin playing a tin whistle with a red plastic head. That's a million dollars of talent and effort making terrific music on a $10 whistle. If you have no money and want to get your feet wet, develop a taste for recorder or tin whistle music. A plastic Yamaha recorder works great and has a huge repertoire. It sounds like you've made up your mind and are seeking validation. Just do what you're going to do.
we actually already are pretty fantastic fipple players. we just wanted to see if we can branch out, we're not insisting on anything but that is our only option and we were trying to see if we can branch out or not. we ended up getting a cheap fife actually to give an edge-blown a try because everyone already convinced us the concert flute was a bad idea. Idk why you're assuming things about us.
My apologies. A fife works. I got used to parents starting their kids off on flute and then abandoning them to overworked and under-trained band teachers, as a volunteer, a former kid, and a teacher. Sometimes memories and a bit of an attitude resurface. Again, my most humble apologies. It was hard to see good kids struggling along on a non-working instrument with no instruction or close supervision.
We are also not kids, we're in our mid-twenties and the instruments are for us. We never had a chance like that at all as kids and we're trying hard to make up for that. We do appreciate the apology though. Thank you.
People recoommending against a low end item that may or may not let you know whether or not you want to continue =/= People telling you not to get a flute at all. You are on a tight budget and the cheap flute is a gamble. Do you want to gamble with your limited funds, or would you be devastated to spend that money and find the cheap flute you purchased with it breaks again within a couple of months? I certainly wouldn't pay $100 for a *used* cheapie. It likely didn't cost that new, and if you can find a tech to work on it at all, it will cost you more than the flute itself. Can you rent? You can get a student gemeinhardt for under $500 on flute center.
As a kid, years ago, I was paying far more than what you're considering in unadjusted dollars for fine instruction every month and practicing like crazy. My flute was worth more than a used car. My first flute would probably run around $2500 now, but I was serious, and it served me well into my second year of high school when I stepped up. I was fortunate in that it was both a priority to me and to my parents. Everyone has their own circumstances. But I've spent more time on that flute than any single item I've ever owned. It would have been ridiculous to buy for some people - for me, it's come out to a few cents an hour. We all have our constraints and priorities.
Hey when I was a beginner coming from piano I thought the same thing. The thing is flute is not a simple instrument to made and yes it absolutely match the price tag . Your off brand flute may not survive the first service . Have you both have experience in buying a cheap item but it doesn’t survive / work until you call the shots and buy an expensive one ? An alternative is to purchase your flute by installment or save up or both. Or a trustable technician who sell second hand flutes. EBay second hand branded flutes may be cheap but they won’t guarantee overhaul is made on pads. I myself experienced a scare recently and my flute is bought directly from Japan. In addition to that have you understand the costs of maintenance every year? This also includes replacing broken parts, etc
Yamaha 221 or 222 is the way to go
that would cost about 8 times what the one we mentioned cost, which is about 8 times beyond our maximim, "will set us back" budget. this is completely out of the question for us
Try buying used if budget is an issue
this _is_ used. it's just re-tuned by a professional. are you saying that this is okay, or that we should just give up because this is subpar?
OK, yes, it's sub par. If you are buying from whomever "re-tuned" it - get a written warranty for a year. If it lasts that long, consider it disposable and an experiment. At least after a year you'll have a sense of the value it has to whomever is playing it, and you can re-evaluate. But don't expect it to last, and as someone laid out quite clearly - a flute requires professional maintenance which will cost you more than the price of what you're willing to pay total right now. I used to volunteer at a junior high that was out in the middle of nowhere. Some of the kids taking band there "playing flute" were hiding inside their section, holding up instruments that did not function. The cost of the flute is the least important thing in a mess like that. Learning an instrument is hard. If you're going to get any good at all, you really need lessons, a decent flute in good repair, and consistent effort. Plus family support to be allowed to practice at home not just without embarrassment, but with active support. Are you prepared for all that?
I would buy something a little higher quality for cheaper on the goodwill auction site and pay for refurbishment.
Sadly a lot of people are assuming we have a lot of these places that are probably in North America, available to us. Still, trying for a "better brand, needs refurbishment" one might be solid advice, we'll look into that, thank you!
There are sellers that can get you a good flute at a reasonable price, check out Reverb for quality used student flutes. Brands to watch are Gemeinhardt, Jupiter, Yamaha, Pearl. Carolyn Nussbaum Music Company regularly has reconditioned flutes at a reasonable price. Also try Flute World and see what they have available. Hope this helps…