flute for wife

[adrumsolo4u]

my wife had been playing the flute for 11 or so years. i recently married her and realized her flute is a beginner flute. it is falling apart and is difficult for her to play. i want some help from other flute players on what i should get her (Christmas present). i took her to a store and has her yet out some flutes. she likes open hole flutes.

should i try to find an intermediate level flute or an advanced flute? what would be good choices?

[Phineas]

I would suggest you read here.

http://www.fluteland.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5859

Past that, you need to ask yourself a few questions.

1. Does she perform or just play at home. This will make somewhat of a difference. If she is a home player and she is content with playing on a "Student" level instrument, then I would just buy her another one.

2. If she performs, then you have to decide how much do you wish to spend. At a minimum, I would expect to spend at least $800 or more for something new. The average will be about $1200 to $2000. I have performed on flutes that cost less money, but I would not buy them for my NEW wife. For example, one of my favorite low priced flutes was a Jupiter 511. Another one was a Pearl 525. Both of these flutes are Excellent for around 500 - 700 dollars. These flutes are good or bad based on which flute person you ask.
I also play on a Jean Batiste that only costs $300. I do not know if I would call it a performance instrument. It is basically a copy of Yamaha FL574. This would be fine for a home player though for sure.

My suggestion would be to make an an excuse to go flute shopping, let her pick what she wants, then either buy it, or surprise her with it later. This will not only make for a fun activity, it will also increase the impact of the give!

[adrumsolo4u]

she does do performances, so i figured i would be looking in the 800 and up range. when i had taken her to try out a few flutes she really liked a geimenheart (probably spelled that wrong). she likes the open hole ones, and there's one of the tabs/button that can be offset or not and she prefers it to not be offset. if i got one in the intermediate range what other options do i need to know about to make a decision?

[Phineas]

if i got one in the intermediate range what other options do i need to know about to make a decision?

I have found that most Intermediate models from well known companies are comparable quality wise. What you choose and what features you want are a matter of preference. This is why it is important to know what she really likes before you spend the cash.

You could ask every flute player on this board what they liked and you could potentially come up with different recommendations. Personally, I think a person can learn to play well on ANY quality flute. Some would be easier than others depending on the person. Here are some models that i really like and why.

Pearl 5xx, 6xx or 7xx series. The Pearl 665 with the Forte Headjoint is one of my favorite combinations. However I owned and played on a Pearl 66 RBE for many years with the stock headjoint. Though the headjoint was a bit limited, it is still a great playing instrument for me. The feel of keys is killer!

Jupiter 711 is another one of my favorites. This flute pretty much gives you the whole package. Has a a great feel along with a decent headjoint. A great value for the money. I had a 511 Capital series and it was also a killer flute for the money.

Yamaha YFL 5xx series. I owned a YFL 514 for years. It was a great playing instrument. YFL500 series come with the EC headjoint. This is a little more pricey, but you basically get into the professional range of flute for an Intermediate flute price.

There are plenty of other brands out there like Amadeus, Sonare, Azumi, Brio, Gemeinhardt etc... From a quality stand point, all decent brands of instruments.

Maybe others will chime in!

[Gandalfe]

My wife and I have Gemeinhardt 3shb flutes that we bought new from my current boss about 5 years ago for $300. Then I bought a custom McKenna flute head when Kessler & Son Music was clearing them out for $200. My wife asked me why I got a custom flute head so I add her play hers with the original and the custom flute head. She ordered the last custom head that Kessler had for sale that day.

As a sax and clarinet player I really didn't spend enough time on my flute, so I sold mine for the same amount I put into it to a friend who wanted to double on flute again. I don't think if I'd purchased a more expensive flute, I could have sold it used for the same amount of money that I put into it. But I know a *lot* of flautists who swear by their high end flutes. And bonus, if you buy what the musician really wants, usually that will be the last of that instrument you have to buy for them. If you go cheap, you invariably ended up buying another one in a couple of years. YMMV.