Does anyone know anything about the colored flutes being sold on Ebay? Brand name is Sterling. I have a young student looking for a curved headjoint flute and he's fallen in love with this one. I've never heard of it. Does anyone have experience with these flutes?
These coloured flutes are laquered rather than silver plated and many technicians don't like this finish - although its been accepted for brass instruments for decades.
Its worth reading the other threads on Chinese made flutes. You take a risk buying any flute on ebay and you take an even bigger risk if its an unknown brand. The only way you can limit this risk is to carefully review the feedback.
The Stirling flutes seem to be quite widely sold on ebay. Cheap chinese instruments can make very good doublers (for busking, the pub etc.) but I wouldn't take as a primary instrument.
It is widely believed that if you get a replica, you'll spend alot more time fixing it. When I had a Buffet flute growing up, I spent rather alot of time with a screw driver re-aligning the keys and sticking cigarette papers to bolster the corks. The Stagg flute I had as a doubler for a while had to be constantly maintained in the same manner.
Basically the moral is, if it's a funky coloured 2nd flute your looking for and you don't mind servicing it every week, then do it. Otherwise, get a 2nd hand yamaha. That's what i take out now, leaving my miyazawa safe and snug at home.
Ps. I had a pink clarinet, got for £40 new off ebay, it never ever went wrong, and was perfect for the several years I owned it.
It would be interesting to know how many people who claim these flutes generically "junk" have tried them. From this seller? This brand?
The only professionals who have an obvious reason to be dismissive of low cost instruments are technicians because they can't justify their repair/service fees except for high cost instruments (and quality doesn't come into that perspective).
In my experience, all student flutes (cheap and expensive) are much better instruments than those around 40 years ago. Apart from the argument concerning resale value (which is discussed elsewhere), the only other important issue is whether a student learning on a slightly better instrument makes more progress. Perhaps the quality of the teaching is much more important than the instrument.
I wouldn't say they were junk unless I tried one myself. And YES they are junk! A good teacher is important, but a good flute to start to learn on is just as important.
I'm afraid that I have to make a few comments here about these statements:
"The only professionals who have an obvious reason to be dismissive of low cost instruments are technicians because they can't justify their repair/service fees except for high cost instruments (and quality doesn't come into that perspective)."
As a private teacher, I rate the quality of the technician on their integrity. I recommend or don't recommend technicians because of their ability to properly diagnose and repair the flutes under their charge. If a flute of poor quality isn't repairable because the mechanism can't stay in adjustment, and a repair person keeps trying to fix that flute I have to consider this repair technician's integrity.
This statement also disregards two rather important facts regarding the instructors. Flute instructors and ensemble educators prefer that their students play on quality instruments because
A) a good working flute with good intonation, tone and mechanism will be more beneficial to the student in their experience as musicians.
B) The student is a reflection of the teacher's ability.
"In my experience, all student flutes (cheap and expensive) are much better instruments than those around 40 years ago."
This statement isn't necessarily correct. Many flutes from 40 years ago when new were sturdy instruments that lasted well past high school for at least one student. Many of the cheaper student flutes of today aren't lasting through one student's primary schooling.
"Apart from the argument concerning resale value (which is discussed elsewhere), the only other important issue is whether a student learning on a slightly better instrument makes more progress."
True enough. A student can't make progress on an instrument that isn't capable of getting out the required notes.
"Perhaps the quality of the teaching is much more important than the instrument."
The quality of teaching is one link the chain in a students education.
But to address your statement in a converse manner, a teacher is not able to teach a student who isn't able to coax the required notes from their flute. If a student came to me for lessons with an unusual brand of flute I will certainly investigate the quality of the instrument. From my 30 years of private teaching experience, it has been only in the last decade that flutes have been showing up around here that are of the cheaper quality. The problem with these flutes can be in the basic design (Tone, intonation issues) but also in the quality of the metal that is used. Cheap quality manufactures are relying on the fact that parents who are searching for flutes for their children may not understand that in our economy, inflation is still going on. many parents will invariably shop for bargains and when they find a "good price" they may not have the ability or inclination to consider the quality. Their thinking may be something on the order of...."After all a flute is made of metal and a flute is just a flute. I need to spend money on my bills, gasoline and food. A flute is an accessory of lesser importance." As a result sellers are able to sell these low quality instruments for a price that seems to be a bargain to parents even by very outdated standards. Meanwhile, you can still find in the rental fleet those old clunker 40 year old flutes occasionally in music stores and they still work pretty good.
ekdavies, I think you've completely missed the point here. It's not about getting a techinician to periodically look at the flute, it's realigning the keys at least weekly. the 2nd "a" key, and the 2 between g and f move out of alignment with the other keys as you play, so when you play below a "b1" and above a "c2" fluffy-notes-here-we-come!
No matter how good the teacher, the children are going to get disillusioned by the fuzziness and difficulty in making the notes, and the complete inability to play low c, as it goes offline by breathing on it.
All this is before you consider the cut of the blow hole (I'm excelling in technical jargon today...!)
What I was trying to say in my previous post, was if you can fix it YOURSELF, and are thus handy with a screwdriver and understand how to align the keys without making things worse, then yeah, fine, get a cheap flute, for taking into situations where it might get damaged/stolen.
THEY ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN, BEGINNERS, OR NON-MECHANICALLY MINDED PEOPLE.
Generally they're not really suitable for anyone. This was just a descriptive of what you're letting yourself in for, rather than just saying they're poor quality etc.
One thing I would say, is to also be wary of old flutes, once you've had it re-padded and overhauled you could well have got yourself a 2nd decent student flute like a yamaha or trevor james; but other ones you could have yourself a bargain. check the pad condition before buying.
note: Bilbo was talking about the antiquated ex-rental fleet flutes which have been regularly maintained, I was talking about oldies from other places (like ebay and the like)
"I was talking about oldies from other places (like ebay and the like)"
A quick note about Ebay and the like regarding flutes...There is no telling what sort of deal a person can get from such places. Generally, it's sort of a free-for-all and anything can happen......anything from great buys to very poor buys. For most people it's simply a gamble.
Regarding rentals, Today a new beginning student came in with two flutes actually. One was a brand new Gemein. -2SP. The mother told me that the "rent to own" deal at a local store was going to end up costing almost $900 by the time they'd have it paid off. I told her to look up the 2SP flute on the Fluteworld web site. I hope that she does. That model of flute is retailing at almost $900 BUT it's going for $359 new. Given the option of a 2SP and the half-nickel plated 1980 era Bundy that the mom also brought in. I'm not all that partial to the 2SP but I'd rather see this beginner on a 2SP than that old moldy Bundy or some chance deal on Ebay.
~bilbo
N.E. Ohio
searching...
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