my mum is starting to look at differant flutes, as i am stating to get quite good and she has found briolette flutes, and they seeem to have prices and specs that are very competitive with the pearls we have seen and are quite a bit cheaper then yamahas, so i was wondering if anyone had any opnions on them, and how they compare tone and reliabitliy wise(as i know some of you would have seen/ tried them) and also if you would recomend them or would they be one to stay away from.

I dont much about them,
but you should get a pearl.
They're amazing,
and stand up to a lot of playing.
and have a really good tone.
to me at least

I would pass on one of those. They are made in China and it is very clear that since the Orpheos weren't selling that they just stuck another name on this flute as they are identical. It is the same seller of the Orpheo flutes. Stick with the name brands that you know that you can trust.

A cheap flute will cost you not just a little money, but a LOT of money, in the long run.

Micron posted his experience with the actual costs of making repairs to a cheap import instrument (I don't remember if it was a flute or a piccolo) a few years ago. Perhaps he will provide us with a link.

If you want a lot of flute for the money, buy a good brand, with a good scale, that is in really good condition. I would have to vote for a used Yamaha 200 series, rebuilt by a very good technician. I think a Pearl or a Jupiter would also do, and be less expensive, but the student models do not have the reputation that Yamaha does for durability of mechanism or ease of padding. Still, a student Pearl or Jupiter- with a modern scale, and a body that CAN be kept in excellent repair with annual visits to the shop for its 'oil change'. Something like a Gemeinhardt would not, according to what I have heard recently from technicians and flute teachers.

Anyway, once you have a good flute body, you can find a solid silver, handmade, truly professional level headjoint to go in it.

I have bought two excellent heads off eBay for less than $400. One is a Miyazawa MZ-5, that I always seem to come back to- $350. The other is a Yamaha handcut CF, that is very nice, and better playing than the standard machine cut CY head, $380 (bought with the rest of the flute body).

Of course, the Yamaha CY has taken LOTS of flute players a long way in their careers, throught to college levels, before an upgrade is necessary. I have seen solid silver CY heads used for around $250.

But anyway, by far the best sound and response for the money will occur if you put a handmade, quality headjoint on a decent body.

This is not a sure-fire indicator of quality but I'd google the brand and see if the Company that makes the flute has a web site. If the only information that you can find is of people asking about a brand on forums or of ebay sales or even of stores selling these things then I'd probably pass....

ok i am thinking more towards pearl as for the money you get more, but closer to the time i will have to try a couple of differant one and see what is best.