I agree that putting too much emphasis on the headjoint alone can be misleading.

Not only the body can have mechanical problems that are not improved with the best HJ available, but it is also the design of the many parts comprising a body that plays a role.

Holes, for example come in several flavours and they are consider to impact on the sound quality, as has been said in this Forum in previous threads. The scale design (if I am not wrong) is basically a body feature and not of the H.J.

Clicks and clacks (a problem I currently suffer) also may be an issue if the pads material/sizes are not optimal.

I think that venting is also critical for some notes and probably there are design compromises and know-how there that could make a difference with notes such as C# and D# (those I suffered myself) and probably a few others.

Other features are less widely accepted, such as the type and quality of the metal used, the body tube wall thickness and the positive influence of B foot on the 4th C and so many others that could be part of urban legends.

But it is clear that one must have a good flute to start with; it doesn't make much sense to upgrade the headjoint on an instrument that is not of high enough quality.

I clarify that I am talking in a general sense and not referring at all to the Azumi of the owner of this thread.

True, the mechanicals of the body are important, much like the rest of the drive train that's attached to the engine is. The headjoint creates the sound, but you DO of course need a proper mechanism to make it playable.(though I have heard some massively skilled people playing fifes that have no keys at all as well as any keyed instrument, to be fair)

Of course, almost any mid-range body will suffice and be durable enough, IMO. for instance, Yamaha/Pearl/Muramatsu/etc - all are fine and work well enough. My aging Yamaha still works nearly as well as the day I bought it. But the fact that it's solid solver versus plated or a normal 500/600 mid-range model versus their 800/900 series ones is of virtually no difference in the sound that it makes. Of course, to hear most manufacturers advertising, you'd think that it's exactly the opposite.

But the flute that was mentioned probably is in fine condition from the description. So they probably don't need an entire new body. Now, if it was a basic student model in poor repair, yes, it's time to get a whole new flute most likely.

the money is still an issue for us since we need to prepare for his college tuition

Money shouldnt be an issue. Why isnt he paying for his own college and working for it? It seems like too many people have their parents pay for their college. Shouldn't he work for something? Why are you guys stressing yourself out?

tenorsaxist, I don't think that is any of our business. What they choose to do for their child is their decision.

Hi

I'm new to this forum but was interested in this because a pupil of mine is going through the same process. I haven't read all the posts in detail but I would agree very much with what Micron said. I was a professional fluteplayer in the UK for many years and it is the player, not the flute, that makes the difference beyond a certain point. We would all try out each other's flutes and love or loathe them, and I've also tried out strings of flutes by the same manufacturer and one will grab you and the others will not.

I would be a bit nervous of a teacher that is recommending only one make of flute, for this reason (and would also confirm Micron's comment about commissions, I have known that happen here). I've tried most makes and encountered dogs across the range. The most sensible approach would be for your son to try out a range of flutes from different manufacturers, and spend a good long time doing it.

He'll either be blown away by one or two, or else he'll be more confused. If it's the first one, maybe his existing flute is holding him back (bearing in mind it could be something to do with the padding and wear and tear) but if it's the second one, he probably can't tell the difference yet, and only time will tell whether he'll grow into someone who can.

I went to music college on a silverplated Armstrong flute that cost about £200, and it did hold me back - it seems to be difficult to get the same power out of a silverplated student flute than you can get out of a solid silver one - so I tended to 'force' the sound and had to unlearn this when I got a better flute. So from my own experience, there seems to be some merit in a silver tube flute. I'd say the same for good mechanism, so that the keys don't move about and have a variable seal, but that's something you can see by eye.

The only other observation I would make is that there seems to be a trade-off with wind instruments between those that are 'free blowing' and those that have consistent sound quality across the range. I've now got an Altus 1407R (think these are now discontinued) and I chose it because it had this even-ness, but it doesn't make it particularly easy to play. There were two Altuses within the batch that I was trying and the other one I hated, so an awful lot goes on how that particular headjoint has been cut.

I've been looking at some of the flutes on the market now and they really are works of art, but I can't help observing that they're marketed in the same way luxury cars are. There's an awful lot of spin and above a certain level it gets very subjective and there's very little hard evidence that it makes a big difference.

I guess what I'm saying is, it's probably not worth shelling out when you have all these additional things looming up. But if your son seems set on it, make sure he tries LOTS of flutes at the same time and he has a good play on all of them. If he can get to take one away and trial it for a week, even better, because most flutes have a honeymoon period when you first try them, and after a couple of days they can seem completely different. At the very least it might make him realise that one Altus, Powell, whatever, is not the same as another and it might help to protect him from the spin.

Hope I've not offended anybody by saying this, it would be a very dull world if there was one top flute and one way to play it! And I must admit, when I saw a platinum flute with gold keywork recently I still found myself wanting it so I'm just as susceptible as anybody else!

i would day that in the long run a new flute may benefit him gut before you go shelling out all that money on a new flute (which he may or may not need) try giving his exixting one a bit of tlc, get it serviced then see how it plays (there may just be some gunk caught some where makeing it less playable) someone on this forum once said that give a student a proffesional flute and they will still sound like a student, give a proffesional like james galway a student flute and they will still sound amazing, so just because you get your son a better flute doesn't mean he'll sound any better, if he does need a new flute try taking his flute with him nd try differant heads on his body it may make all the differance without hurting the bank balance as badly. then if he does need the neew mechanisms try everything you can

No, I was being serious. I thought that maybe in your part of the world that you were not familiar with the Azumi models yet. No need foremotional outbursts

I think the real question to address is - what is the teacher hearing that makes him/her think the student is ready to upgrade again? The Azumi already has a handcut, .958 headjoint. Maybe this particular flute/headjoint isn't right for the student, and that is what the teacher is hearing.

A suggestion is to try many different flutes before deciding on the best course of action. If the Azumi simply is not right for this particular player, it can be sold, and something else less expensive than the Powell can be purchased.

Here's an example from my own experiences:

A student's parents bought a "Christmas present" a few back that was an awful, overpriced "professional" Gemeinhardt with gold lip. The student had mentioned that it was "pretty" at the store, and then it ended up under the tree! I held out on any negative comments for about 1 year, and finally had to tell the parents that this flute was not the right one for their daughter. We went to fluteworld and tried everything they had with a silver head and plated body. (The level of this student did not warrant anything more than this, and the parents took a huge loss when selling the Gemeinhardt because no one wanted it.) The student ended up with a Pearl 665 Quantz series that made her sound fantastic and gave her more room to grow.

In lieu of a flute show coming to your area, I would recommend having a trial sent to you or your teacher from Flute World so your son can visit with all of his options.

Ok, I have to butt in here because, really, I have to.

The Azumi flute is a more than sufficient flute for a 9th grader. There truly is no reason for a 9th grader to be having a Powell. ESPECIALLY if they aren't planning on taking music to a higher level of education. If the teacher is saying "Your child needs a New Flute. They need Brand A and Model Q, NO OTHER KIND" then I would say find another teacher. A real musician would know that a handmade instrument varies GREATLY from instrument to instrument, and from person to person no less!

To save money, I would take said current flute in for a COA at a place that specializes in flute repair (overhaul, maybe if it's older or if the pads look like they've seen better days) and have your child try it then. If he's saying that it still sucks (which I'm pretty sure that it wont and if he says it it's because he wants something shiny and new), try USED PROFESSIONAL HEADJOINTS! I came across my lightly used Burkart headjoint about a year ago for $750, a mere fraction of a new flute.

And it angers me deeply to see these kids toting around flutes that cost more than my current car! Especially when they dont care about such a fine instrument and bang them up in marching band and.... UGH!!!

Ok, I'm done.

Ditto!!! Good post!

tenorsaxist, I don't think that is any of our business. What they choose to do for their child is their decision ah ladyrenee,you have a good point, sometimes I go overboard, I am just a very opinionated person!

would it not have been better just to not get personal and just say they are middle class?

Obviously we love to argue among ourselves. But I think the original owner of this thread has not followed up as we have had no feedback. So it may be time to switch to other matters...

I think some people would object strongly to being pplaced in a 'class' by another person

Micron, I have yet to make the decision to judge, seeing as they posted originally that they were a middle class family. Even had they not, being middle class is a commodity anyways. Anyone having a tough time with money, as they claimed they were, is most likely middle class, or lower class, although It would be my assumption that a lower class family could not afford to buy a new, or used, flute. It is bad to place people in a class when certain people decide to become overly critical of the ordeal.

True, jose louis, I agree with you completely, too sad she has yet to keep up with her post.

Thanks for the precious input. I do follow up the thread, but it’s tough call for me too.

First I agree with you that we should try as many flutes as possible, but we do not live anywhere close to the flute shops. The extra cost of shipping ($35 + insurance) x no of flutes is quite a lot. Also we are not as experienced as many of you are, there are so many brands and models in the market, it’s not easy to just pick a few and try them out. It needs good ears and good references (some flutes need time to break in), that’s why we value the teacher’s recommendations.

As many of you mentioned buying a professional flute for a teenager could spoil him. I came out a deal with my son if we are going to spend that much money, he would need to chip in half of the cost by working part-time (whatever he can do to earn it), hopefully he will value the instrument more.

I believe a good player does not need an expensive flute to play well, but I also believe a good flute can help a mediocre player to play better, maybe that’s my son’s case.

Thank you all again.

"As many of you mentioned buying a professional flute for a teenager could spoil him."

Spoil him is part of the problem.
I would say that "professional" flutes are actually more delicate and that the repair is more costly, if you have it repaired correctly. School students have a tendency to display certain traits. His willingness for taking are of the instrument may not necessarily be enough to protect it from others while it's at school.