Good choices of piccolos?

Question

I'm thinking of getting a piccolo of my own soon, and so far I've found a Yamaha 62 piccolo (wooden headjoint and body), Yamaha 82 piccolo (sterling silver headjoint and grenadilla wood body) , a Gemeinhardt Roy Seaman Piccolo (grenadilla headjoint and body), and a Yamaha 32 piccolo (silver plated headjoint with a plastic body).

Which one is the best out of all of these? Those were the only ones I could find that I can actually afford. Do you think it would be a good idea to get the Yamaha 32 (plastic) and put a wooden headjoint on it? Or is it better for just have a piccolo with a wooden body? I'm not going to be using the piccolo in marching band, it'll only be played inside the building.

Answer 1

If you can get an all-wood piccolo at a decent price, go for it. Otherwise,s get an all-plastic.  Do NOT get a half-and-half - they will NOT give you the best qualities of both ( like an all-metal piccolo EVER had any good qualities, except nasty projection!).  Go to w FLUTE ONLY dealer, like www.fluteworld.com or Jeff Smith or Carolyn Nussbaum, or Phil Unger - they all have website, so Google them.  If it is on THEIR site - and on all or most of them - then you know it is a winner.

Please also got Yahoo GROUPS and join FLUTENET.  You can talk to thousands of flutists and piccoloists every day - OK, a lot of them are are the NFA convention right now, but will be home soon - and you will learn TONS.

Answer 2

ah. i personally am a big fan of the gemeinhardt silver headjoint/plastic body type of piccolo (i have a 4pmh), and i only know of one person with a yamaha piccolo. id suggest the hybrid with a silver plated headjoint -- it has a better tone than the wooden ones.

an all wooden one will sound airy if you dont know how to control it. so if this is your first official piccolo, youll be safer on a metal one -- or a half-metal one. plus, the plastic is easy to get used to.

Answer 3

Hi Michael,

It looks to me like you have in mind, some of the nicer brand wood piccolos.  I have experience with the Yamaha 62 and currently have the 82 (all wood body and head).   I do believe either of these is going to give you the quality of instrument you want for all playing situations... concert and competition if that is where you want to take it.  And both the 62 and 82 are considered pro-level piccolos.

I also know the Gemeinhardt piccolos are good quality instruments..  much better than their student model flutes.   Should you be looking at those, prices should be a little better than the Yamaha.

If you can afford the all-wood construction, stick with that and avoid the plastic piccolo,  as wood is going to take you further should you want to play pic in college.  Plastic is recommended for out of door playing for the most part.

For good and affordable prices on piccolos,  I would check with Woodwind & Brasswind who carries Gemeinhardt, Yamaha, and Emerson.  

Also, I have sent you links to piccolos I found on eBay.   You can save 1/2 the price on piccolos from eBay... but you must ask the sellers is they have a guarantee or return policy.  

**** luck on your search for a nice piccolo and have fun playing.

Thanks for reading.

Flute Teacher in Texas