It is time for me to get a new piccolo. At my music store both the piccolos I would like to see are out, they are the sonare and the yamaha ypc-32. they wont be in until a couple of weeks. I am still going to test them to see which one I like better but of your personal experiances which do you like better and why?

If I was given only those two choices, I would choose the Yamaha. I played an older Yamaha for about 8 years and it served me admirably. Some of the more modern Yamaha YPC-32's seem to have a different scale, though. I played four against each other, and each and everyone had an extradorinarily flat Bb2, despite the fact that the cork was in the proper position, and there were no mechanical issues. However, I would strongly suggest trying other piccs out too, as you may like a Pearl, and Emerson, or any number of other makes.

Just out of curiosity, what kind of piccolo are you looking to replace?

i actualy looking to replace a 5 year old gemeinhardt all silver plated. I without a doubt hate it and it is way to shrill for wind ensemble. ( i only do wind ensemble) and am looking for one that will have a dark rich sound but not wood because there are some times when I will have to play outside so Im not taking that chance.

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im AM actualy

I've never tried the Sonare piccolo, but I have a yamaha YPC-32 and im pretty happy with it.

Especially when i first got it (January '07, almost a year ago. It was new) I had a very hard time playing it in tune.. but now either it or I have gotten much better (I've played it a lot including our just finished season of marching band) and now it really isn't a problem.

The headjoint is still extremely hard to get on and off though.. i have cork grease to put on it, but its annoying to have to put in on every time so i usually just don't bother.. but thats really the only thing i don't like about it.

i actualy looking to replace a 5 year old gemeinhardt all silver plated. I without a doubt hate it and it is way to shrill for wind ensemble. ( i only do wind ensemble) and am looking for one that will have a dark rich sound but not wood because there are some times when I will have to play outside so Im not taking that chance.

You should check out the Pearl PFP105E. It has the qualities of wood that you seek without the problems that will arise from using it indoors and out. The composite material developed by Pearl is called Grenaditte (now a registered tm) so that people can have a picc that is affordable, and is comfortable in the concert hall and the football field. It won't crack like wood might.

Here is more info from the pearl website:

http://www.pearlflute.com/_english/pro_piccolo.html

Joe B
Pearl Flutes

Personally, I would avoid the Yamaha. Too costly and the scale is not good. The Sonares are okay, but felt cheaply built to me. I would prefer an Emerson or Armstrong over it. The Pearl is my favorite and that is one that I own. It has a nice sweet rich sound, is easy to play and the scale (which is VERY important on a piccolo) is wonderful. I switched from a handmade Burkart piccolo to it and have been extremely happy without any regrets. I have owned a couple of Yamaha piccs and while I loved the feel and sound of it, I was ALWAYS fighting with the tunning on it. I play a LOT of piccolo and so far I have been very successful with the Pearl.

Q: does Pearl make a regular flute in this material?

Not yet, but the day may come when they feel like they can fill a niche in the market by doing so. However, the Guo flute workshop does build Grenaditte flutes and headjoints (they use the same name, but I can't be sure that they have the same chemical makeup), so if you're interested, you might want to check them out. I tried them, and wasn't overly impressed with the sound of the instrument, but they sure are light!

http://www.matitflutes.com/index.html

I also ran across this this weekend. Any idea what he gouges/charges for these? The key mechanism looks very interesting to say the least.(magnets instead of springs!)

It seems like it might have the advantages of titanium without the cost, but of course, it's a LOT more fragile and prone to damage than titanium.

They're very pricey...I seem to remember seeing a used one marked at about $10,000....Whether or not that's a fair market price, I can't say, as they're pretty rare to come across. I haven't had the chance to try one yet, but I wonder what the magnets do to the mechanism. I know it's possible for magnets to lose their power over time, so I'm also curious as to how they hold up in comparison to springs. Definitely an interesting product, if not one that's taken the market by storm.

Well, considering that it costs only a few dollars to make the main tube, it's also an amazingly silly markup. You can make an entire bicycle frame out of Carbon Fiber, for instance, for only a couple of hundred dollars actual cost, and the tolerances are every bit as precise.

You know, as much as I hate almost everything that happens in China these days, if it breaks the pricing insanity that affects instruments, it'll be a good thing in the end.

However, the Guo flute workshop does build Grenaditte flutes and headjoints (they use the same name, but I can't be sure that they have the same chemical makeup)

Mr. Guo worked with Pearl on this material. It is the same grenaditte.

Joe B

Interesting comment, Micron! Thanks for posting that! I'd still like to try these flutes, but I have to agree that magnets don't make the most sense for use on a flute.

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Besides, it seems like they would pick up metallic grit which could be transferred into the mech...But there is the benefit of being able to store your flute on the front of your refrigerator! ;0

I believe there was some talk about these flute on the sax on the net forum. Someone had tried one. I have no idea where the thread would be as I haven't been on that forum in ages. Perhaps Micron does though?

My guess is that there is some sort of felt covering or pad between the two, so you don't get metal to metal contact. Done correctly, this would make them very good, but the tension would take some time to re-learn as it would be more of a toggle switch like action instead of a linear one like we get with springs.

Me, I'd go with titanium alloy. You'll never wear that stuff out.