Does anyone have tips on a flute.?

Question

ok i'm buying a flute off of ebay, however i don't know what to look for, so my main question's are what should i look for quality wise, and how many keys does a flute have?

Answer 1

larger silver%=better flute.

www.wwbw.com: good for accessories, never buy a horn from them.  most stores will fix up your flute and get out leaks, woodwind and brasswind will not.

if you are a beginner, get closed holes.  if you are experienced, or plan on playing for a long time, get open holes.

this is a good guide to brands:

http://www.allaboutflutes.com/flutebrand...

Answer 2

bah! dont buy off ebay unless you really know what you are looking for.

try wwbw.com and stick with a safe brand like yamaha, selmer, gemeinhardt

at least you'll get a warranty!!!

Answer 3

No wonder I get such great deals on flutes on eBay - everyone is afraid to buy there.  You'll get no worse a deal on eBay than you'd get at a yard-sale, flea market, or pawn shop.

Thing is, if you don't know what you're looking for, you're bound to not be happy with what you get.  Most of the individual sellers of instruments on eBay have no idea what they're selling and don't know if it works; they got it at an estate auction or it's their kid's old instrument that's been in the closet for 20 years.  

If you can't look at it and tell from the photos whether it's even complete then you're a prime candidate to be unsatisfied.

On the other hand, if you know someone that can spot the good deals then eBay can be a great place to get an instrument that you'd not otherwise be able to afford.

Expect that any instrument that is used will need a service call right away.  A full repad on a flute can cost nearly $200 and a "simple" adjustment service can run $100 easily.  That's assuming it doesn't need any real repairs.  If you're buying an instrument that's worth $6000-10000 in playing condition then a few hundred is no big deal -- if you're buying an instrument (older Bundy model for example) that has an FMV of less then $100 in playing condition then putting $200 into in repairs isn't such a good deal.

As has been said, buying from a music store is much safer and will likely provide you a better experience.  Especially if you don't know what you're looking at.

Imagine that your question was "ok i'm buying a car off of ebay, however i don't know what to look for, so my main question's are what should i look for quality wise, and how many wheels does a car have?"  

How would you answer that question?  It's about the same.  In fact, I own a couple flutes that cost more than a car.

For those who are completely afraid of eBay - take a look sometime at what's for sale.  There's some garbage for sure but where else will you find an Eb soprano flute or a Mozart period simple system flute?  There is indeed some cool stuff on there.

Answer 4

HI there.  The first thing you should look for... if you are buying on ebay... is the seller's feedbacks.   Make sure he has a good feedback rating for everything he has sold, or you could be sorry later.   Next,  the brand names for beginner flutes that are recommended by flute teachers and band directors alike are Yamaha,  Gemeinhardt,  Pearl,  Armstrong, Emerson... ..Period!!!   Stay with the manufacturers that have a built a good reputation over the years.   It is up to you whether you buy a closed hole or open hole,  C foot or B foot,  but open hole and B foot generally cost more money.   I recommend to my new students,  a beginner model closed hole, c foot, silver plated flute.   The last thing you should be looking for, is if the instrument is in excellent condition.  If you get an unbelievable bargain price and it arrives but needs a repad or over haul....  you can add another $200.00 for repairs to your bargain deal.   Buying an instrument sight unseen is tricky but you need to ask the seller those questions....  Does it have new pads... when was the last time pads were changed?  When was the last time the flute  was played?    Those are the questions I would be asking.  Thanks for reading and Good luck.

Answer 5

I agree.  Stick with the brands that are recognized, as mentioned by the other answers.  If you go with some no-name brand, nobody will be able to (or want to) repair it when something goes wrong.  And believe me, it will.  you get what you pay for.  

It's hard enough to learn a new instrument without struggling with a poor quality instrument, or one that's constantly in disrepair.

Answer 6

Ooh. I would never buy an instrument off of such a website. Not Ebay or Amazon or any of those types. I'd recommend getting it from a music store if possible. It might be more expensive, but at least you'd get to try it out before buying it. I tried out about 5 flutes before I finally got mine. It's a open hole sonare. it's amazing! =)

Also, just some extra advice... Don't go for a cheap one. My friend got one off of Ebay for about $200 and it literally broke in half! It completely fell apart.  But if you are completely stuck on buying from Ebay, I'd look at customer ratings. If there is one bad one comment I'd look elsewhere. Also, look to see the refund agreement. They should offer money back for sure. If they don't you might be getting ripped off.  And be sure to buy a brand name. Don't get a crazy name flute because it's cheaper. If you want it to last, spend a few extra minutes looking around. Something else you'd want to know: don't get an inline flute! it could give you problems in your hands including carpel tunnel.

Well, good luck on your seach!

I hope this helps. =)