a couple of questions

ScorpionVII · Post by **ScorpionVII** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 6:44 pm

hi i'm really interested in learning how to play the flute and i've been wondering if kohlert is a good brand to start off with i found one for 200$ and it has pretty good ratings...anyways i was also wondering if it is possible to teach myself how to play and not needing private lessons or anything i plan on buying books to help me out of course. Thank you

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 6:54 pm

Did you find the Kohlert on eBay? If so, I would count on another 100-200 dollars in final price simply to put it in playing condition (this is true of any used flute that you can't inspect yourself). One of my friends in HS played a Kohlert, and had some major issues with it. I can't say that yours would have the same problems, but if you can go with a more widely known and reputable maker, I would encourage you to do so. Especially when you're first learning, you don't need to be dealing with a flute that falls apart every few weeks. As for teaching yourself, this is possible, but if you could get to a teacher even for just 3 or 4 lessons at the beginning, it would help you learn much faster, and prevent some nasty habits from developing that could not only hinder your progress, but also put you in real physical pain down the line.

ScorpionVII · Post by **ScorpionVII** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 6:56 pm

i found the flute on a website and its listed for 400 but on sale for 200 maybe that sounds alot better lol so yeah its not used unless their going to trick me haha

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:00 pm

ScorpionVII wrote:i found the flute on a website and its listed for 400 but on sale for 200 maybe that sounds alot better lol so yeah its not used unless their going to trick me haha

Which website? Plenty of people sell instruments without really knowing anything about them, so as I said, unless you can inspect a potential purchase yourself (or have a tech do so), assume you'll need to pay for some repairs. Even new flutes very often need to be set up in order to play properly.

ScorpionVII · Post by **ScorpionVII** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:01 pm

it is www.musiciansfriend.com and i type in flute in the search field its the first flute that is listed

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:04 pm

ScorpionVII wrote:it is www.musiciansfriend.com and i type in flute in the search field its the first flute that is listed

I would definitely count on paying for some setup, then. I've bought from MusiciansFriend (which I believe is also related to Music123, and possibly WWBW), and was disappointed in how the instruments were set up. In any case, I would not advise you to purchase a Kohlert flute. Gemeinhardt, Yamaha, Jupiter, Emerson, etc. would all be better choices.

ScorpionVII · Post by **ScorpionVII** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:09 pm

i have two questions what do you mean when you talk about setting it up and stuff? and what do you think of the gemeindhardt 2SP student flute? or the The Giardinelli GFL312 Student Flute by Gemeinhardt, would those be better choices and which one could you recommend? hope i'm not asking to many questions

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:15 pm

ScorpionVII wrote:i have two questions what do you mean when you talk about setting it up and stuff? and what do you think of the gemeindhardt 2SP student flute? or the The Giardinelli GFL312 Student Flute by Gemeinhardt, would those be better choices and which one could you recommend? hope i'm not asking to many questions

Setting it up is basically making sure all the pads seal, the keys that are linked work together properly, etc. It's the basic maintainance most new flutes need at the beginning, as the factories don't make sure most mass produced flutes play perfectly when they come straight out of the box. The Giardinelli is not actually by Gemeinhardt, but was contracted by them from another factory, and is built to the specs Gemeinhardt gave. I have not been able to find out which factory built these instruments, and thus have my reservations about them. However, Gemeinhardt is a pretty reuptable maker, and the fact that they'll put their name on the flutes does speak well for them. Gemeinhardts are fine student and intermediate flutes, and if you go this route, you should end up with an instrument you can play for a few (or many, depending on your aspirations) years. They do have some wierd headjoints on them which can make it difficult to switch over to other makes of flute later, but they're fine as an introductory instrument.

ScorpionVII · Post by **ScorpionVII** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:20 pm

i'm not even sure if my town has a music store i think they do...how much does it cost to get it set up? and how do you know if you have to set it up? lol wish flutes werent so pricy

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:26 pm

ScorpionVII wrote:i'm not even sure if my town has a music store i think they do...how much does it cost to get it set up? and how do you know if you have to set it up? lol wish flutes werent so pricy

Tell me about it! Can you believe that some go for as much as $65000?

How much it costs really depends on a lot of factors, so the only way to find out is to talk to the tech that would being the work. Where you are geographically, exactly what needs to be done, the specific tech doing the work, and in some cases, the instrument itself will all play into cost. The cheapest tech I've ever dared to use would charge about $50 for the usual setup. But that's near Los Angeles, where everything costs more. After that, you'll need to get a COA (Clean, Oil, and Adjust) every year or so (regular maintainance, just like you'd do for a car), and an overhaul every 3-5 years for the best playing condition. As for whether or not it needs set up, take it to a tech and ask them to look at it. If they find leaks or say that it's out of adjustment, or any other problems, it needs some work. If they give it a clean bill of health, you're fine.

ScorpionVII · Post by **ScorpionVII** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:37 pm

i don't know what to do...the kohlert is tempting to buy because of the price and it has some good ratings which i don't know can be trusted or not....i mean i just wonder if i will be able to teach myself at all...lol now i'm doubting myself about all of this but i always wanted to learn how to play

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:40 pm

ScorpionVII wrote:i don't know what to do...the kohlert is tempting to buy because of the price and it has some good ratings which i don't know can be trusted or not....i mean i just wonder if i will be able to teach myself at all...lol now i'm doubting myself about all of this but i always wanted to learn how to play

Then you should absolutely learn. There's nothign wrong with teaching yourself. Plenty of people have done it before, some extremely successfully. I have to run to a rehearsal, but if you can wait, I know a few places on the internet that sell rebuilt used flutes (which are guaranteed to be in playing condition when you get them), for very good prices. I'll send you the links a little later. Just message me to remind me.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:02 pm

just so you know.. I taught myself to play, so yes, it can be done.

I would recommend you getting those links for flute purchasing from
flutepicc when he gets back.

mark

ScorpionVII · Post by **ScorpionVII** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:04 pm

what kind of flute did you first buy?

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:41 pm

ScorpionVII wrote:what kind of flute did you first buy?

I do not know whether you intended this for me or Mark, but my first flute was a solid silver Selmer that used to be my fathers. It does not play well, and shortly after I recieved a Yamaha 225 (I believe it is now listed as the 221). Then I moved up to a Yamaha 581, but after a couple of years, it was not doing it for me either, so I got my current flute, a 14K rose gold Tom Green. Now I have expanded into unusual harmony flutes and the like, and have a whole managerie of instruments.