MeLizzard wrote:Just be sure to play a lot of different flutes, at music stores, conventions, through dealers such as Flute World, etc.
MeLizzard: Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I am planning a trip to visit the dealer J. L. Smith and Co. in Charlotte, NC, in October to try out their inventory of flutes. I have seen some of their flutes at flute faires, but it was kind of hard to try them out in that setting, and also they did not have plugs for the keys, so I couldn't really test them very well since I only play plateau style currently.
J. L. Smith is the only flute specialty store anywhere near where I live. There are no music stores nearby that I would trust with this kind of thing. I would rather drive 6 hours to a flute specialty store like J. L. Smith than to a music store around the corner.
Do you have any experience with J. L. Smith and Co.
They appear to be a very good flute specialty company that does a lot of their own custom work, etc., they appear to have an excellent selection, and I love their honesty and integrity which shows in everything they do. Check them out at
http://www.flutesmith.com/. I don't want to use their trial program where they will send you flutes to try out, because I feel like I will need to try out a LOT of flutes and I don't want to be tied to just a few that they send me to test, and I don't really want to go to all the trouble to do trials from several different dealers. To me, making a weekend flute shopping trip is much easier and more enjoyable, plus I will have an excellent opportunity to get expert advice from their flute specialists while I am there. Of course, they will want to sell me one of THEIR flutes, and I will go realizing that, but in my experience with them at the flute faires, they do not apply pressure tactics to sell their products or the most expensive flutes. In fact, they have warned me and others at the faires to avoid thinking that the more I spend, the better the flute I will get, and also to try out many flutes before making a selection. People need to pay more attention to overall quality of the instrument, value for the money, and "best fit" for their needs when selecting a flute, and that is what J. L. Smith tells people. In short, I am confident that I can get an excellent flute from them that will be perfect FOR ME and my needs.
What do you think of my plan?
P.S. Anyone else is welcome to chime in to this discussion as well if you have something to add. Thanks!
, but I am ready to buy a new flute and have been looking at different brands. I would like one that is pretty good quality. 
I am an intermediate to moderately advanced player and I would like to invest in a high quality flute for the rest of my playing career. I have about $8,000 to spend, but I know I don't necessarily need to spend that much to get a flute that I will really like. One I am especially interested in is the Miyazawa brand (solid silver, hand-made, B-foot, E-Mech). Does anyone have experience or knowledge of this Japanese brand? Is it a good brand? What other brands do you recommend for me? Also, for all the years I have been playing, I never had an open-holed flute. 
When I buy the new instrument, it will most likely be open-hole because that is what is most prevalent and preferred amongst the higher-end flutes. Of course, at least at first, I will need to use the plugs to put in the keys to be able to play it. But has anyone else tried to learn to play open-hole for the first time after playing for many years on plateau, and were you successful? How hard was it to learn (and unlearn the fingering positions you were used to)? My fingering positions have gotten kind of sloppy over the years, and I am just wondering what it will be like to try to learn to play open-hole 
As well, open-hole is not a requirement for a "professional" flute. Plateau keys are available from really any flutemaker, if this is what you prefer. Another consideration is inline vs. offset G key. Though I'm accustomed to my inline G, with very long fingers, many professional players are opting for offset Gs to avoid tension + repetitive-use injuries from long hours of practice. There are also theories that the offset configuration allows faster technique. Take your time and pick out just the right flute. Happy shopping!!