I wondered if anyone could tell me what kind of flute to buy. I am an upper-intermediate level player. I am renting a Yamaha Allegro 371 LPGP. I used to play on an old student level Gemeinhardt and wanted to upgrade. I can exchange the 371 if i need too, but i don't know completely what to look for. I would like to play in college as it is coming quickly(less than 6 months). Should I stay with this cheeper one and upgrade when I need to or should I go up another level?

Well, what precisely is making you want to upgrade? In other words, what in particular don't you like about your current setup? Also, just how advanced are you (could you please list some repertoire you've been working on recently)?

We won't be able to tell you what to buy, either with regards to specific models or specifications, as that's a very personal choice, and you'll have to test anything you might be interested in to decide what the best fit for you is, but we can offer some advice on whether this upgrade is necessary, which brands might be worth taking a look at, etc.

Well, the high school ensemble I am in played Vesuvius by Frank Tchelli. I played Siciliana and Giga (from Sonata V) by Handel for a solo festival. I have been working on Badinerie by Bach for a possible solo. I am second chair in my High School's Highest wind ensemble as well as the School's Symphony orchestra. Our school has been on Newsweek's list of 100 best schools for music education for the past 5 years. Is that give you a better Idea?

Could you also let us know what's making you consider an upgrade?

Well the flute I have, a Gemeinhardt(dont know what model), is not the best. I went to my local music store and tried out their intermediate level flutes with prices between $1000-$2000. There were only Yamaha and Sonare to chose from.

Should I stay with this cheeper one and upgrade when I need to or should I go up another level?

Well, unless there is something in particular that you think is holding you back, I would advise against an upgrade at this point. When the instrument starts to interfere with your music making, you'll know, and at that point a different flute may be in order. Going off the quote above, and your relatively vague answer when it comes to what makes you want an upgrade, I'd say that you don't really have the need for one yet. Just because you're headed for college does not mean you have to have any particular kind of flute. I went into college with a custom flute, but most of my studio had intermediate level instruments. There are people who have gone through college playing a Gemeinhardt and done just fine with it. Whether that's a possibility for you depends largely on your goals, but as of now, my opinion is that you don't really need to shell out for a different instrument.

When the time comes to upgrade, there are many more makes to check out than you've managed to so far, so don't limit yourself to Yamaha and Sonare.

I know I need an upgrade then. The flute that I have has reached its limits. I can't get my tone to improve on the instrument anymore and it doesn't transition to notes as well as the intermediate and higher do. I have already done so much with it and it has served me well, but It cannot be adapted to anymore than I already have.

How has it been maintained? Has it had a COA in the last year, and an overhaul in the last 5-7(ish)? If not, it's due for some maintainance. Unless it's been maintained properly, it's impossible to know whether the flute is holding you back because of the way it's designed and built or because it's not in proper condition, and you could probably save a good chunk of money by having a repair tech look it over and put it back in working order. Only once you know that the flute is operating correctly should you consider an upgrade, as a bit of repair work can do wonders for the way a flute performs.

I have had it looked at by a repair tech. It has had pads replaced and keys reseated. It is the quality. I know I need an upgrade I have been considering it for 3 years. I would like to know what some people's personal preferences on styles or brands. I'm not totally sure what I want. I know that Gemeinhardt isn't an option because their intermediates don't sound quite right to me. Armstrong didn't seem to have what I wanted either. I have played some of these brands before and tested them out and have not liked them. I would like to know is there any other brands other than ones that I have mentioned that would be good to tryout and consider?

There are indeed. Here are my suggestions:

Yamaha
Emerson
DiMedici
Trevor James
Sonare
Amadeus
Azumi
Brio
Altus
Sankyo
Pearl

Any of these would be worth giving a shot. There's no way to tell which one is the right choice for you without playing it, so get your hands on as many as possible and do blind tests to see which you like best. As for what options, styles, or models to get, that's an entirely personal decision, so we can't really help you pick beyond offer suggestions on makes to look at. Good luck!

ive noticed some talk about headjoint types. Should I take that into consideration when shopping?

Definitely. The headjoint is the heart of the flute, responsible for tone, response, etc. If the flute you're looking at has the option of different heads, try them all out...You might even consider an aftermarket handmade headjoint to put on your flute if the stock headjoints don't seem to work well for you (even after a decent adjustment period), but you still like the feel of the mechanism, and the scale the body is built on.

So could I find a Mechanism that i really like, I can upgrade the headjoint later on instead of buying a whole new flute?

Absolutely. Many people do. Don't settle for a mediocre headjoint just because you're planning to to so, however. Find the best headjoint/body combination you can now, and down the road, if another upgrade becomes necessary (and for some reason other than intonation difficulties or feel/reliability of the mech), then you can upgrade just the head.

Thank You so much for your help! I'm glad I was able to get a second opinion before committing on a flute.