Brannen, Powell, Haynes, Muramatsu, Miyazawa, Nagahara, Burkhart, Sankyo, and Altus. Which is your favorite professional flute brand of the ones listed above...and why?

Wow, that is a loaded question.

Here is a list I saved from a while ago:

Andras Adorjan/Brannen/LaFin headjoint
Robert Aitken/Powell
Jeanne Baxstresser/1961 Haynes/LaFin headjoint
Willliam Bennet/Louis Lot, Altus
Philipe Bernold/Yamaha
Mathieu Dufour/Powell/LaFin headjoint
Bart Feller/Brannen
Dieter Flury/Yamaha
Benoit Fromanger/Pearl/Pearl ST-4 headjoint
Patrick Gallois/Haynes -> Yamaha -> Abell
James Galway/Muramatsu, Nagahara etc.
Severino Gazzelloni(d)/ J. Hammig
Irena Grafenauer/Yamaha
Gottfried Hechtl/Haynes -> Sankyo
Timothy Hutchins/Brannen
Trudy Kane/Muramatsu
Jeffrey Khaner/Yamaha/LaFin headjoint
William Kincaid(d)/Powell
Shigenori Kudo/Haynes -> Yamaha
Robert Langevin/Powell/Albert Cooper headjoint
Christian Larde/Yamaha
Maxence Larrieu/Powell/LaFin headjoint
Alain Marion(d)/Sankyo
Massimo Mercelli/Yamaha
Aurele Nicolet/Muramatsu/LaFin headjoint
Emmanuel Pahud/Brannen/Dana Sheridan headjoint
Michael Parloff/Brannen/David Williams headjoint
James Pellerite/Powell
Amy Porter/Muramatsu
Jean Pierre Rampal(d)/1958 Haynes->Deveau-scale Haynes
Paula Robison/Brannen
Elaine Shaeffer (d)/Powell
Christina Smith/Powell
Joshua Smith/Yamaha
Mark Sparks/Brannen
Alexa Still/Brannen/Drelinger headjoint
Sheridan Stokes/Pearl
Keith Underwood/Powell
Carol Wincenc/Burkart
Anne Zentner/Brannen/Oleg headjoint

I have a 14K Brannen (with a 14K Williams headjoint) and just love the Brögger Mekanik™ mechanism on it. It has a real buttery feeling to it. This flute puts my soldered tone-hole, handmade Haynes to shame.

<Added>

Add Maria to the list:
Marina Piccinini/Brannen/Cooper headjoint and LaFin headjoint

Each brand listed has their unique own quality that I like in every one. I could not pick a favorite. Sorry I do however hate Brannens. lol! JK!

Certainly not a scientific study but my close friends play the following:

7 Brannen (3 of them 14K)
4 Haynes
2 Powell (my two teachers played Powells)
1 Muramatsu (Platinum Clad)
1 Nagahara (14K)
1 Sankyo
1 Miyazawa

I think the original poster was looking for our opinion on which brand is our fav and why. Not, who plays what brand Interesting to read however.

out of those i like powell, and muramatsu :D

Kate, very true.

However, I'm going to assume that professional flutists have the means to buy any flute they want, so that they most likely would chose their "favorite" brand (unless they are being compensated to promote a certain brand. Should mention that Brannen does not have paid "artists" but rather donates money to scholarship funds instead).

In order of preference, and because I own and play them:
Nagahara (headjoint)
Sankyo (principal)
Muramatsu (backup)

at this moment I prefer

Sankyo (my main)

Muramatsu (my backup)

Well I'm biased, but I love the Pearls...

I'm partial to Japanese flutes, not a fan of the Boston flutes

I've played and sold Muramatsu, Sankyo, Miyazawa, Altus, etc and repaired just about everything under the sun, and I haven'f found anything that can match the tonal power and variety and smoothness of mechansim than the Pearls.

Small list of Pearl players:

Rhonda Larson, 14K
Sheridon Stokes, SS-100
Janos Balit, 14K
Benoit Frommanger, 18K
David Shostac, Gold Plated Silver Maesta
Daniela Koch, Pristine Silver

A lot of emerging new artists are switching to Pro Pearls these days,

Erin Lesser (an NFA competition winner) switched to 18K Pearl
Zachary Kellogg switched to a Champagne gold plated cantabile. (NFA showcase this summer!)
Don't forget Daniela, She won this past year's Kobe competition!

Pearl's on the rise!

Joe B



<Added>

Opps that should be Janos Balint

Pardon my typo Janos!

You are correct, it is Lafin not LaFin.
Perhaps you should tell that to the person who created that list on the Internet.

Thank you Travel for mentioning that. I feel the same way.

Now, the one thing I will say is that I have a love for Nagahara headjoints.

And Joe, those new Pearls look very classy

Then have a great laugh at my expense.
I saved a lifetime for my flute, and I am proud of it.
So there.

Then call it laziness on my part.
I obviously know that it is Lafin, since those headjoints are being made at Brannen now.

Try the New Haynes. You will be surpriced, since the compay moves to Acton, MA.