I have just starting looking for a new flute (my current one is an older King something.. B-foot, solid silver head) and I have two Miyazawas out to look at. I know that the 101 is their
"last years" model and was wondering if any of you knew if there were really any differences between the two models that would affect the price.

Both of them have the D# roller. I know that the 102 has a silver lip and riser, and I know the lip plate is silver on the 101, as it says 925 on the side, is the riser silver too? I haven't gotten a chance to play on the 101 very much, just a few notes but as far as i can tell there isn't much difference. The 101 is $200 cheaper (same price as the 102 without the roller, but I kinda like it), so obviously mom would like me to like the 101 :P

Are their any other flutes that are around $2000 (no more than like.. $2300) that you all would reccommand? I kinda wanted to try a Yamaha 500 series, but the music store we go to says they don't normally stock those as if your willing to spend that much, they usually push towards the Miyazawa's..

I will be getting a few new flutes this week, a Yamaha 400 something and something else.. not really sure, my mom didn't remember the brand.. but Im pretty sure I'll like the Miyazawa over the 400 as Ive read on here its just their student flute with more silver. She just ordered them for us to try whether we wanted her to or not when we called to ask her opinon on the Miyazawas :P

Tons of questions there.. thanks so much!

Hello,

You may want to try the Altus 807. It has the same specifications (solid silver lip plate and riser, made in Japan) and is in the same price range than the Miyazawa. I believe that both (Altus and Miyazawa) are very well made and durable flutes.

Le Koukou

I would also look at

Sankyo CF-201
Haynes Amadeus
Azumi
DiMedici
Pearl

The Altus flutes seem really nice. Good mechanism and nice sound. I had a student looking at them this past week.
I personally did not care for the mechanism on the Haynes Amadeus. It seemed really clunky.
I also recommend the Powell Sonare. Same idea as the Haynes...Powell handmade headjoint on a solid silver flute (made in China I think). Since the body isn't a Powell handmade, it doesn't come with the huge price. I have had several students get these and they sound great!
Try not to be in a huge hurry...try several! Most companies will allow you to order 3-4 and just pay shipping...sometimes a restocking fee too. This is well worth it to get the flute you really match with!!!

in my experience, the sonare flute has been nothing but trouble. the mechanism was poorly designed and put together. many people on this forum believe similar things about the sonare. if youre in the $2000 price range, id consider looking at the new flutes that you have out (miyazawa, yamaha, etc.) but also look into some used flutes. you can find some good deals on some flutes that are very nice. one to look into would be the muramatsu ex(especially if you like the miyazawa). http://www.muramatsu-america.com/usedflutes_m.pdf is a good place to look, especially since they are the dealer in america. look also at http://www.flueworld.com and look at their used flutes.

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ok, that would be http://www.fluteworld.com


who write flute without the t??

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one more thing, BUY AN OFFSET G unless you absolutely hate it.

I recommend pushing the budget a bit and getting a Yamaha 600 series. They can be had new for about $2500 or so online. It's a solid workhorse - tough, stays in tune and is fairly quick/easy to blow, and will more than carry you through college and beyond.(many pros use 600 and 800 series as their backup/gig flutes).

If we were talking Pianos, the 600 series would be comparable to Kawaii or (heh) Yamaha - good solid tools that get the job done. 90% as good as the Steinway but at a small fraction of the cost.

Inline? Pretty much your preference. I do think that open holes are more of a hindrance than an asset. I find that they slow me down and it's easier to adjust the tone by moving my mouth/lips than it is to mess with the holes(plus a good flute should be in tune in the upper registers and not *need* to use the holes to compensate)

The B foot is also sort of a gimmick, really - nice to have, but it doesn't really get used as much as you'd think. If the flute comes with it, fine, if a C foot will save you a couple of hundred dollars... Go with the C foot for now.

Used is also a good deal. I've seen mint condition Sankyos, Powells, and (silver - heh)Haynes for around $2500 from time to time. Stunning deals, considering their $4-$8K original price.(even a newer Haynes, while not what the old ones were, is still a fantastic flute)