Okay, I'm looking for a wooden piccolo. My price range is $2000-$3000. But I am willing to spend more . The models I've been looking at are the Gemeinhardt KG Ldt limited, Emerson Boston Legacy, Yamaha YPC 62, and the Yamaha YPC 81. If you own or have played one of those piccolos let me know how they sound, Intonation, and if there worth the money or not. If you have another picc that you think is good and in my price range let me know too!!!


-Mean Moon-

I play a Yamaha YC61 which is the forerunner of the YC62. I purchased it 30 years ago and have played it regularly since then. It has a mellow tone throughout the range, plays well in tune and is easy to control. It has required very little maintenance.

I have no first hand experience with the other piccolos you mentioned, but I can definitely say that the Yamaha is a fine instrument that will hold up over the long haul. It was an excellent choice for me.

Do you want used or new?

I'd look for a Zentner. They used to make excelent piccolos.

Thank yous for replying.

I've heard a lot of good things about Yamaha piccs. But I also heard alot of bad things about Yamaha piccs. But yours seems to be good.



I would like a new one. Not used.

Hi Mean-Moon,

If you can find a Hammig piccolo, they are beautiful instruments - flexible with a lovely sound. They might be priced a bit higher than you were hoping for, but they're well worth it.

Hope that helps!

torontoflutist


http://www.flutestudio.com

With that price range, you could look into getting a Burkart Resona piccolo too! They're great. Any Burkart piccolo is excellent, really.

I've tried the Boston Legacy myself; I loved it. I got a dark yet vibrantly sweet sound from it, and the high notes spoke real easily.

I feel like a Burkart Resona or the Boston Legacy are on about the same caliber, and the Yamaha 62/81 are sub-par.

<Added>

I definitely agree with Zevang -- look into getting a used Zentner or Roy Seaman! (They're both pretty much the same). I have a Roy Seaman headjoint that I use on my Yamaha 32 piccolo. I like the headjoint but I really want to get a new piccolo within the next few years -- most likely one of the ones that I mentioned above.

Well, iv narrowed it down the Gemeinhardt KG LTD Limited, or the Emerson Boston Legacy.

is the resona a good picc??

Thanks again, Mean-moon

Between those two, I would pick the Boston Legacy, hands down!

I'm pretty sure that I've tried a Burkart Global (the old name for a Burkart Resona) before. Excellent scale, and it played really smoothly in all registers. Any Burkart product is good, really.

Choosing between a Boston Legacy and a Resona is a toss-up. I think it'd be neat to get a Resona though, so you could maybe upgrade the headjoint with another Burkart headjoint -- I've tried the Clarion on a Burkart&Phelan and it was one of the best picc headjoints I've ever tried! I'm not sure what headjoints would fit on an Emerson Boston Legacy, but the stock headjoint is just fine on its own.

You've chosen good piccs, so I'm pretty sure you can't go wrong with whatever you choose. I haven't gotten the chance to try the Gemeinhardt you're looking into, but I haven't heard any rave reviews about it, compared to the Boston Legacy.

The absolute best thing to do though, is to try all the piccs you're interested in! Do tell us what you end up getting.

Forgot to mention: I actually have tried a few Gemeinhardt piccolos! Not the KG limited, though. The Gemeinhardts I tried were just so-so...not amazing, but not total crap either. The scales on the ones I tried weren't the best.

Honestly I feel like the KG is just marketed in a glorified way, for what it is. 95% sure that the Boston Legacy will be the better choice (better scale, nicer headjoint cut), but you should still try both!

<Added>

Have you looked into getting a Pearl piccolo, by any chance? I've heard great things about them. I haven't been able to get my hands on one yet, though. They have a model that's all Grenaditte for just under $1000, and for $500 more you could get the model that has a grenadilla headjoint (still a grenaditte body though). Just a thought.

<Added>

If the KG limited is anything like the Roy Seaman Signature piccolo, then it isn't that great. The original, non-Gemeinhardt Roy Seaman piccolos are great -- I own a Seaman headjoint myself. But I've read from a LOT of flutists that Gemeinhardt's "Roy Seaman" piccs are NOWHERE near the quality of the original Seamans (or Zentners -- same as the Seamans). Honestly, I just strongly feel that Gemeinhardt instruments aren't as up to par as other brands today. I'm not a fan of Gemeinhardt flutes in general. Their piccolos are decent, but there are many better ones.

Okay, sorry for posting so much at once. Last post of the night I swear!

Thanks for all that info!!!! I've decided to order both the Boston legacy and the global/resona from my local music shop. That way I have a chance to test them out.


Thanks for all yur help
~Mean-moon~

Alright! Both are excellent, if I was in your situation I'd have a hard time choosing. Do tell us what you end up picking.

Hello, I havnt had a chance to tell you guys which piccolo i bought.....i chose the Zentner. Its a magnificnt piccolo worth every dollar!
Thanks alot!!

~Mean moon~

Awesome! Zentner is a great choice. How do you like it so far?

I'm happy I could help ;-)