The Search of Your Perfect Flute

In reply to someone asking for advice/opinions on handmade flutes by someone who claims to be intermediate and is interested in perhaps upgrading on the Flute Forum:

Assuming you have lots of time, but have money constraints...

0. COA your current flute to have a baseline to compare with.

1. Start with a budget.

2. Try flutes personally, with a different pair of trusted ears with you. Don't just try flutes within your budget -- try some above also if able. Make notes of what you feel, how you think you sound, how your different pair of trusted ears think you sound. Try more than one flute within the same brand if you are able to. Try flutes that other people are currently playing (if able), and ask them how they feel about their flute. Then, evaluate how YOU feel when you play the same flutes. The more flutes you try, the better you understand how the different brands' design choices work for you, both good and bad.

3. Repeat 2 until you are sick of trying flutes, or if you figured out what properties you are looking for and can narrow the list down, or if you are impatient and want to buy already (not a good idea).

4. Narrow down what flutes you like and are within budget. If budget too small, adjust.

5. Talk to your local flute tech about the types of flutes you've chosen to seek their opinion on the mechanical maintainability. If your flute tech says Brand X is not so good, trust your flute tech.

6. Try the flutes that you narrowed down, with a different pair of trusted ears with you.

6. Decide on which to buy.

7. Buy flute chosen.

Everyone plays flutes differently, so a flute that some say are good may not work out for you either. That different pair of trusted ears may be necessary because the flute can sound different to an audience as compared to you, so you'd want some feedback.

That COA on your current flute is VITAL. If your new flute does not "beat" your current flute even at the new price point after your current flute is brought up to excellent condition, maybe you're not ready for a new flute yet, in which case, save more money and practise more first. Future you will thank past you for this.

When I was shopping around for my "final concert flute", it took me about 3 years to try many different flutes (and to fast-upgrade my playing skills) before I settled on mine with the features I loved at a price point that I was happy with. I tried about 30+ high end flutes during that period too, with maybe a third beyond my budget, just to learn what these pricey flutes can and cannot do for me.

To be fair, I'm no professional player, so it was a very relaxed search pace, nothing too intensive.

If there's a key take home lesson, it is that you MUST try the flute before you buy. Don't just buy it because someone told you Brand Y is a great flute.

(Sorry for being long-winded.)