Unrelated to Photography...but would like input anyway...any Flautists in the house?

[Sheepshank]

My youngest is taking flute lessons. We were given a flute for her to use to see if she would be interested in the instrument. it appears we are ready to graduate to a finer instrument where all the notes work lol. I have a bid on this item on e-bay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180457902098&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
Anyone have an idea how high we can go and still get a great deal?

ps guaranteed to be in my still life if we get it :)

[alfredo]

1. Can the old one be repaired?

[Sheepshank]

2. old one

is a very cheap nickle one. It has a couple of dings and even though I just had the pads recently changed, the lower notes seem out of her reach. A complete overhaul would cost close to $100. The repair guy mentioned that in it's current shape, even he could not hit the lower notes without some difficulty. Even though she may not need the lower notes for a little longer, even the upper notes are tough for a beginner to manipulate on this instrument. Also keep in mind I could turn around asell it for $70 or so and put it towards the cost of a newer flute. Since dd has hung in there with the freebie (albeit poor quality) flute for 6 months, I think she's earned the right for her own decent instrument. A rental would cost $22/month, so overall I think anything under $200 will pay for itself in less that one year.

[alfredo]

7. Yeah and she will be thrilled with the new flute.

[JeffR]

3. 200 for an overhauled Gemeinhardt would be a great deal.

And I'm still playing the Artley my sister gave me in the mid-Seventies, so I'm pretty jealous...

[Sheepshank]

4. The flute teacher recommended at particular music store.

That music store had recommended an Antigua. They wanted almost $700 for a new beginner and $550 for a used (old rental). It seemed outrageous to me so I've been on the hunt on my own. I know very little but have been trying to educate myself. Your input helps a lot with the confidence level...thanks.

updated because I can't spell at the best of times...and this e-bay thing has me flustered under all sorts of pressure...down to 20 mins lol

[Sheepshank]

5. never mind

we lost the bid, I whimped out :cry:
It got up to $275 and I started getting nervous.

[Blue_In_AK]

6. I've been playing flute for a long, long time,

but I haven't bought one since the late '70s, so I don't know what they go for now. Mine is an Armstrong and I think I paid a couple hundred dollars for it way back when. Gemeinhardt is a good brand, although I always preferred Armstrong, maybe because that's what I learned on. You may have to shell out a few bucks.

ed. Sorry, I didn't see that you have lost the bid. Keep trying. Flute is a wonderful instrument, very versatile and oh so easy to carry around with you. I played all through school from 4th grade up through 10th. I put it down for a while, but later in my hippie days I started playing again, learned how to jam by ear, and played improv for several years. I've kind of put it down again now since I'm spending more time doing photography and don't know any local musicians these days, but my flutes brought me a lot of joy over the years.

Tell her to learn her scales. It will be invaluable if she ever decides to improvise.

[Sheepshank]

8. I do want to keep encouraging her

so I jumped right back on the band wagon....it's early in the game so we'll see how it goes. Thanks for the words of encouragment!

[Mira]

9. For what it may be worth

My Ex daughter in law is a floutist, and I sent an email asking her about that flute, which I realize you did not buy.
For the future, here is her answer.
======================
Yes, those are good flutes and that’s a good price. It may or may not need an overhaul which would cost around $300- $500 depending on the instrument repair person. An overhaul replaces all pads, cleans it up, replaces necessary springs…. The only way to tell if it needs one is to play it. Also, it’s possible to just spend under a $100 extra to have the necessary pads and springs replaced.



I’d go up to $500 for a good price for it, but not exceeding it. I’d go up to only $250 as I suspect it would need an overhaul.



I’d buy it if I were in the market for a student. It probably needs some work. I’d just go ahead and go up to $250 then give it an overhaul.
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[Sheepshank]

10. Ok...good info

looks like this will be a significant investment, so I may as well do this "right". Thanks for the info. Now I sort of wished I had stepped up and really spent a little extra on the flute I lost. It had been completel overhauled by the seller. bummer. I'll watch for more of his sales I think.