Piccolo purchase and many opinions needed!

[sdumais88]

I am a college student, looking to buy a piccolo this year. I'm a music education and flute performance major. I will be a junior. The past years I have been using the school piccolos. Needless to say, they aren't getting me where I would like to be. So I've been trying out some piccolos and have hit a road block.

I currently am stuck between 2 piccs, a Hammig or Roy Seaman. The Hammig is more expensive (a little over $3,00) and the Roy Seaman is about $2,000 or so. The Hammig plays great. I love it, and I would love to just buy it now. However, I keep on having strange thoughts. I'm going to be graduating in a few years, probably going to grad school, but is the more expensive piccolo worth it in the end? How do I know that I'll use it when I am completely done with school? Is it worth the money? As a college student, money is my main concern. My parents are offering to pay for some of it as my Christmas gift. I would choose the Hammig in a heartbeat if it wasn't for all these thoughts.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I start school soon and would like to have a decision within the next few weeks (seeing how this process has gone on for several years now).

[Phineas]

sdumais88

If the Hammig is what you want, and you can afford it, get it. If for some reason you do not use it anymore, all you have to do is sell it.

If you are asking me are their good piccolos for less money, sure. However, what matters if it is worth it to you. In the end, whether it is 10 years, 2 days, you are the one that has to live with it.

Just my .02USD

Phineas

[fluteguy18]

If you like the hammig, that is the picc I would get. As a Performance major myself [and a picc player too], I have learned that the more piccolo experiance you have, the more marketable you are. Even though I am still in college, my teachers are strongly pushing me in the direction of piccolo because I have a natural knack for it, and there is less competition for picc jobs. As much as I hate to say it, there just aren't that many good picc players out there with experiance [in comparison to the number of great flute players].

So, I would make the investment, and get as much picc exposure as you can. It will make you more marketable and more flexible as a musician. And in the event that you decide to resell it, from what I have seen, Hammig piccolos sell quite quickly.

[vampav8trix]

Try and see if you can find a good used pic. You might get the Hammig at a real steal if you are patient.

If I had waited 2 more months when I bought my flute, I could have spent an extra 100 dollars and gotten the solid silver Muramatsu.

Be patient, something will show up if you decide to go the used route.

[etgohomeok]

Roy Seaman