Making a decision to buy a flute can be a daunting task. There are so many options to choose from and so many factors to consider. Not to mention the price variation which can be a significant factor when shopping for anything.
While price and budget can and influence your choice of a flute, you want to be careful not to buy something too cheap. Even though the initial cost is low, the cost of running can be extremely high. Moreover, they are challenging to play even for the most advanced player.
A lot of beginners tend to give up because of this. They purchase a sub-par flute and struggle to produce any decent sound from it, and go on to blame themselves when the real problem lay with the flute.
Another factor to consider is your experience level. For those that are just starting out, a beginner level flute should be purchased. Beginner flutes are designed specifically for beginners. They are lightweight, comfortable to play, and can withstand heavy knocks and bumps.
There are also step-up flutes and of course the professional flute. Unlike the beginner flutes, these are not designed to be easy to play. They are more massive than the beginner flute, but they offer the increased projection and fuller sounds that an advanced player needs.
Related: Flute Case, Flute Stand
What are the Best Professional Flute To Buy?
Another thing to consider when buying a flute is how long it will last. Certain beginner flutes can be upgraded as your skills develop. Such upgrades can usually be done at half the price needed to purchase a new flute that your new skillset requires.
Finally, when buying a flute, make sure you get the right size. While there aren’t necessarily size variations in flutes, you can, however, find a curved headjoint for a smaller beginner. Curved headjoints reduces the amount of stretching required for bringing the keys of the flute closer to the player’s body.
Curved headjoints can be expensive, however using a headjoint that requires stretching can result in neck and back pain over time. This can also ingrain a bad posture into the player, and this can take years to correct. You can, however, prevent all of that by getting a curved headjoint from the onset.
5 Best Professional Flute Reviews and the Best Professional Flute Brands
To help make a decision easier, let’s take a look at a couple of violins that every professional can enjoy.
1) Pearl Quantz Series Flute
If you’re looking for a beautiful flute that can still perform wonderfully, then the Pearl Quantz flute may just be what you need. The Pearl Quantz series flute had been designed for all level player who wish to gain some experience and practice improving their skills. It is ideal for player who are looking for a way to improve on their developing skills and move up from beginner and intermediate flutes.
The Pearl Quantz flute comes with pointed (French) arms, a feature you’ll typically see with the more expensive flutes. This adds to making it a favorite as one of the most important things they’ll need to learn on their journey to becoming expert flutist is the arms.
The headjoint is a solid-silver head joint making it capable of producing some incredible tones, and together with the flute’s pinless mechanism, you can rest assured that the flute will perform excellently and remain very responsive for a good while. Because of the pointed-key arms, this flute is suitable for both the advanced flutist and the beginner.
It also includes a B footjoint and a split E that gives it a quicker response and better intonation when playing the high E note which is usually a problem on a lot of flutes.
Where flutes are concerned, the Pearl Quantz flute is particularly favored by students and professional player because of its excellent price when compared to other flutes of a similar quality. It is also straightforward to play, and it is made using incredibly durable materials so it can withstand some of the punishments common to flutes in the hands of beginners and it’ll remain functional in the future.
2) Gemeinhardt 32B Flute
This is a solid silver flute with an NG1 head joint and a gold lip plate. It has an open-hole body, a B-footjoint with an inline G. The Gemeinhardt 32B flute is an excellent choice of flute for the flutist ready to take his skills to the next level. It has been crafted to help develop your skills even higher.
As expected of an professional flute, it has a solid silver headjoint as well as a solid silver body. Solid silver flutes are usually heavier than nickel silver flutes. It produces a focused, warm and dark tone as well as a clear response.
Apart from the increase in weight, solid-silver flutes also require better handling since it tarnishes easily so in other to keep it in top playing condition, a flutist has to take extra care. It is for this reason that novice flutes are rarely made using solid silver as they are more likely to be less careful when handling their flutes.
Like most professional flutes, the Gemeinhardt 32B flute includes an inline G key. The French (open hole) keys help players improve their overall technique by encouraging the correct finger placement on the flute keys as well allowing for better intonation.
The flute also comes with Gemeinhardt’s latest innovation in flute headjoints; the NG1 headjoint. The headjoint provides an ability to create the color, sound, and tone that every flutist will be sure to love as well as a smooth response that’ll see you perfecting your skills in no time.
3) Yamaha 677H Professional Flute
Most people are somewhat familiar with the Yamaha brand (either through their piano or keyboard) or at least; they’ve heard the name before. The 677H flute comes with a beautiful hand finished silver headjoint, a sterling silver body and silver foot joints with nickel plated keys all befitting the value of a professional flute.
The Yamaha 677H flute has a 0.43mm wall thickness and Straubinger phoenix pads. The headjoint, footjoint, and body are all annealed making it more durable than the average professional flute that you’ll find on the market. Yamaha’s unique annealing process also gives it a fantastic evenness of response and tone from all registers. The G key is an “offset” G key, which is becoming more popular due to its ergonomic benefits.
Like with every other Yamaha product, only the best features are introduced that is why the headjoint, a modified type A headjoint that is common to most Yamaha flutes, has a specially designed cut that gives it an impressive dynamic as well as an incredible response. The combination of the sterling silver headjoint together with the 0.43 mm wall thickness provides the flute with a remarkably rich and warm tone.
The Straubinger phoenix pads, in addition to providing a consistent and more precise seal, also allows the flutist to play with quicker actions and a lighter touch. The keys are the traditional pointed or French key arms. The Yamaha 677H professional flute is an exquisite example of high-level craftsmanship and a visual elegance that is expected of this beautiful instrument.
4) Gemeinhardt Model 3OB Flute
If you’re looking for a classic musical flute of intermediate and professional skill level, then the Gemeinhardt Model 30B flute is worth considering.
The 30B flute is designed to be a B key flute. Some of the features of this flute include proportioned toned holes, a unique embouchure hole design, and an exclusive 4-foot joint construction. Thanks to the pad cups, you can rest assured that whenever you play, you’ll hear and even response and an extraordinary tone for the entirety of the registers.
For easy maintenance, a cleaning rod has also been added to the flute as well as a carrying case so you can easily transport it with you. The Gemeinhard 30B flute also includes power-coined keys that help to underscore the durability and sturdiness of the flute, as well as integrally rolled and drawn holes.
As for the tone, you can expect only bright, healthy and lovely tones. The extra length and gizmo keys that are prevalent in the B-Foot makes for very high notes.
5) Lazarro Professional Silver Nickel Flute
A good number of people tend to rent instruments. But why bother with that when you can get an excellent flute for a very affordable price? If you’re thinking of getting a new flute that’ll be able to fulfill your diverse taste in music, then you may want to purchase the Lazarro Professional Silver Nickel Flute. It is a closed-hole C flute that is but affordable and stylish, and available in an assortment of colors with the option of gold or silver keys.
The Lazarro closed-hole silver nickel flute is perfect for nearly everyone with its rounded rectangular embouchure hole. Hitting the third-octave note will no longer be a problem, and what’s more, the middle-lower register notes have been designed to provide a warm and full feel. The lip plates –made from nickel – will inspire you to play for much longer especially if you have no nickel allergy.
The output of this flute has quite a lovely with a soft C key as well as a superb G key. Even though it isn’t as expensive as brand name flutes, the output sounds are similar which just speaks to the quality of this flute. Some people may look down on it because of the prize or because it is not as popular. However, this isn’t some child flute, it is massive and fully equipped with all the features you’ll expect of a professional flute.
The only people who will ever critique this flute, are those who have probably never used it before. With the Lazarro flute, you’ll get the quality you’ll expect from more popular brands at half the price.
Choosing the Best Professional Flute from the Best Professional Flute Brands
There you have it. Five amazing professional flutes to help you develop your skills, and completely worth every penny.
If you decide to buy a top-notch classical musical instrument such as a flute, the idea behind it should not be to show off the fact that you have a branded musical instrument. It is however so you can guarantee that you get the best sound quality from the device; something you’ll be hardpressed to find with a supermarket brand flute.
If your goal is to dabble and occasionally make some noise, then sure, you can go ahead and purchase any plastic recorder to serve as a flute. But if you are interested in music, and have a passion for it, even if you’re going to be self-taught, then you may want to pick one from the fice listed above.
However like with most things in life, our choices can be limited by our budget so if it’s something affordable you want, there are some affordable choices on the list as well that also provides the same quality as branded flutes.