Toot My Flute

When I last left off, I had received a box of 5 flutes from The Flute Center NY. The 5 were hand chosen for me by Kristen, based upon my budget and other parameters.

I was so amazed when I opened the box and saw all the beautiful cases.

I was also very nervous about scratching any of them. The instructions they came with had some do’s and don’ts, one of which was to refrain from wearing jewelry. I followed the directions and assembled the flutes, then laid them out on a towel.

My goal was to play them blind, or as blind as possible. I didn’t even read the packing slip. I didn’t want to know how much each one cost, just in case the price point would influence my decision one way or another. An expensive flute might make me think it was better than the rest. A cheaper flute might trigger my frugal side or make me think less of an instrument compared to another.

The flutes in my first batch were:

1. Pearl 795RBE Sterling silver Vigore headjoint with 3k gold lip plate.
2. Yamaha 677 sterling silver headjoint
3. Azumi by Altus Model AZ3SRBEO-C
4. Sonare by Powell Model 705 Sterling silver headjoint (extra silver handcut headjoint)
5. Amadeus by William S Haynes Model 780 (with extra handmade Q Classic headjoint, 9k gold lip plate)
6. With those flutes, I added my own Yamaha 222 student flute to compare them all to.

In total, I had in my possession $30,374.99 in flutes and extra head joints, but nothing had been charged to my credit card. The trial was free, and I would only be charged if I purchased one.

I began playing the flutes almost immediately, going through scales, long tones, and my musical repertoire, but “the one” stood out quickly, and I kept going to back to it. It was the Amadeus by Haynes with the extra Q Classic head joint. It had such a lovely tone, especially, in the mid-range, which was my strongest range. It spoke to my soul.

But that was only a trial of 5, and I didn’t feel like I could, or should, trust such a small sample. Plus, there was another Pearl I had really wanted to trial again. It was the one I had played at another flute shop (and loved). It was another person’s trial, but I had jumped in and played them, too, and been inspired to do my own.

I requested one more batch, with specific flutes that I wanted. It arrived as quickly as the first, in just a few days. In the second batch, there were only 3 flutes, because I had kept the Haynes Amadeus and Q Classic and Pearl 795RBE.

The three in the second batch were:

1. Di Zhao Model 801 (extra head joint)
2. North Bridge 700 Series NB-7BEF
3. Peal Elegant Series Model 795 (extra head joint)

The second trial only lasted one day. I played them all, over and over and over, but, again, one stood out and I could hardly put it down. I was getting antsy to seal the deal and make it permanently mine. I was like, I’ve got to have this flute! Now!

There were a couple that I really liked, the Pearls, their feathery action was just heavenly, but when I asked myself which I couldn’t send back, or which I couldn’t live without, it was (for me) the Haynes Amadeus with the Q Classic head joint.

I think it’s important to point out that I had played the Amadeus with the silver head joint and did not have the same experience. What set it apart, for me, was definitely the quality of the tone produced through the Q Classic, 9k gold lip plate, handmade head joint. It demonstrates just how important the right head joint is to the overall sound of your flute.

It has now been 8 months since this purchase, and I have had no regrets. Not even an inkling of a regret. Every single day playing my “magic wand” has been a revelation and an inspiration to play it better. I am always wondering what hidden layer I might find on any given day and, as I progress, the higher ranges open up more and more to me.

As for price, my magic wand came out lower than budget at about $3,800, which seems a bargain for this flute and hand made head joint. The Q Classic head joint with 9k gold lip, silver riser, retailed (back then) for $1,735.00, the Amadeus 780 with silver head joint retailed (back then) for $3,329.00. Getting the combination for $3,800 seemed almost too good to be true.

Just for the heck of it, I looked up the cost today, post-tariffs/inflation, and the website lists this combo at $4,675. That makes me even happier about my purchase from last October (2024). It would have been worth either price, but I’m glad I invested in my magic wand when I did.

Plus, I’m having the time of of my life playing it everyday!

I want to add something here about the Yamaha 222 I started with and still (sometimes) play–that is an amazing little student flute. Since I used it in my trials to compare to the others I was able to see it side-by-side, and it held its own. It took a special flute to beat it out and prove the upgrade was worth it.

I play both my flutes every day and both have held up. Neither one of them have had a single technical issue.

There has been a lot happening in my little flute journey since the trial, and I will write about it soon– a new online flute teacher, my first online flute recital, and lots of little gizmos, gadgets, and apps that have made my flute life so much more!

(To be continued.)