I just received a flute I bought on ebay two weeks ago. It is an E.F. Dean solid silver flute, model 8SB and it came with a Muramatsu wing headjoint.
The headjoint fits very loosely into the flute. Who would you guys trust to fix this? I'm assuming my local band repairman would not be the one to take it to. Also, the footjoint is loose. Any estimates as to what these two repairs should cost? It's kind of strange because the flute is in immaculate condition and looks like it was hardly ever played.
Also, does anyone have any information about the E.F. Dean company? I owned this model of flute in college, and I think that I remember hearing it was the beginning of what later became Dean Yang. Anyone know?
Ok, first things first... I would recommend avoiding saying 'I got such and such on eBay 2 weeks ago, yadda yadda' if you wish to keep any sort of anonymity in cyberspace. Personally, I really don't care if people know what I purchase and how much it costs, etc. however I believe that you are a newer user and may not fully realize what information you've given out by stating the minor information you did. I apologize if this may seem somewhat harsh or threatening, etc. however there are many younger folks in here that are apt to doing the same thing without realizing it and, in no time, no good will come of it. Perhaps this was just a minor vent but I know this happens a bunch with the younger flutists so figured I'd touch on the subject a little bit in your post! (SORRY!)
Anyhow... I'm sure that many people didn't wish to touch up on expanding headjoints, etc. as the entire drama-filled procedures and alternatives can give anyone a headache. Probably the most-commonly recommended suggestion for a temporary quick-fix would be to use teflon tape on the tenon as it's cheap, disposable, yadda yadda. The loose footjoint could usually be quickly adjusted by expanding the tenon on the body (normally about $20) and the same could be done to the headjoint [having it expanded] however some folks around here will say that it affects the bore of the headjoint. There's another alternative that a friend of mine had done to their headjoint which involved having the tenon of the headjoint (where it goes inside the barrel on the body of the flute) silver-plated which added just enough difference to tighten the fit without modifying the original headjoint measurements whatsoever.
As for the company, I personally tried a few of their flutes in January/February of this year and found them to be quite decent.
I'm not sure whether or not you found it odd that the flute was in such great condition or the fact that the Muramatsu headjoint doesn't fit properly...
Suzie, thanks for your help. I'm not sure what you mean regarding ebay. I for one, really don't care about anyone knowing what I bought and for how much. I mean, maybe I would if I knew how it could effect me in a negative way. I don't believe in hiding anything from anyone unless you are doing something you shouldn't be. Enlighten me as to what has happened in a PM if you could.
What I found was odd was that the seller told me that the headjoint was "original" to the flute (purchased with the flute when it was new from the factory). I can't believe a headjoint would be sold with a flute that loosely fitting.
For starters, I recently found the most fabulous flute tech!!!! I just got my powell back and I am blown away by how marvelous it is. He fitted my Burkart headjoint (I used teflon before) and I really couldn't be more happy with the work he did for the COA. PM me if you want more information.
As far as the ebay flute buying thing though, probably one of the things that should have been mentioned is how loose the head and foot joints are. Stuff like that ticks me off. When I sell an instrument, EVERYTHING gets put on it and it's a detailed ad. But this is one of the risks of buying an instrument on ebay. I myself never buy an instrument without a return policy, and then I email them again just to clarify, keeping the email until I'm satisfied with the instrument. PM me if you want more info on the whole buying-instruments-on-ebay-thing.
And personally, the flute world is quite a small one. Telling me you bought it on ebay doesn't matter since I could tell simply from the description that is was probably the same flute from ebay, since I frequently browse there for deals, etc. It's a little hard to stay anonymous but it doesn't matter if you aren't concerned disclosing personal information. It's your preference.
Oh Sorry. I read the ad, and what I think the seller meant is that they bought the headjoint the same time they bought the flute when they were flute shopping. The headjoint isn't from the flute factory, though. Know what I mean? But really, sellers need to be more specific and detailed.
I have this same setup- Muramatsu headjoint on an E.F. Dean flute. I can't say that I've had problems with it being loose, but I did have an incident where a student knocked my headjoint onto the floor by accident. When repaired, the technician had me come into to make sure the fit wasn't too tight or too loose. I imagine you could have it adjusted fairly easily.
This is my first post here, I was actually looking for some information about the flutes. I've owned my professional model E.F. Dean for over fifteen years now, it's nice to catch some people online that are familiar with the flute maker! I love this flute/combo and have found only a handful that compare in my years of playing and teaching.
searching...
