Bargain Flutes!

by Howard Fosdick © FolkFluteWorld.com

In this article I'll tell you where to find some top notch folk flutes at bargain prices. I've been buying and playing folk flutes for years so hopefully my experiences will prove of value to you.

Chancy Deals

First though, we have to talk about how to weed out those bargains that are risky.

I define a bargain folk flute as one you can purchase inexpensively -- and yet with high assurance that it will sound good, play properly, and be in tune for all notes across the scale.

This is as opposed to what I call a chancy deal. A chancy deal is where you buy a flute and take a chance on whether it's any good.

For example, do a quick Amazon search for "ocarinas". You'll see tons of sweet potato style (or submarine) ceramic ocarinas in the $15 to $30 range. Many rate 4 1/2 stars from reviewers.

And many will prove good instruments.

But look more carefully at those ratings, and you'll see that many of these oc's have one and two star ratings that total around 10 percent. Why? Quality control. It's very tough to ensure good quality control with ceramic pieces sold on the cheap. The vendors simply can't individually inspect each piece for quality assurance at those prices.

To weed out those chancy deals, you have to develop a sense of how to ignore rave reviews by beginners, those who are buying for their kids, vendor shills, and those without musical background. Listen only to reviewers who show some musical knowledge or background.

Of course, the best assurance you're getting a good deal is by your own hands-on testing. Play it in person! If you can buy from a local shop, by all means, do so. In this article, I'm assuming that you, like me, are buying through the internet.

To summarize, you'll encounter some good deals on nice instruments -- and some duds -- among these chancy deals. The "usual suspects" are cheap:

• Wood recorders
• Tin whistles
• Clay ocarinas
• Plastic ocarinas
• Metal concert flutes

With that background, let's find a few bargains. Here's a list in case you want to jump to a specific one:

C-Major "Alto" Ocarina -- Focalink or Night By Noble in Plastic

Having read the above, you'll realize that if you want a low-priced, quality ocarina, plastic should be your choice. Vendors simply can't assure consistent quality for low-priced ceramics. A good plastic mold produces the exact same instrument every time.

By popular acclaim, there are two clear leaders here: Focalink and Night By Noble.

Focalink's Bravura and Osawa models are both priced at $35 to $40 USD, and both boast 4.8 ratings at Amazon.

Their close competitor, Night By Noble, offers a single model. It's available in either black or white. Price and Amazon ratings are about the same as Focalink.

Plastic is durable, and its manufacture is reliable. Notes sound strong and true for every one of these oc's. Either choice will last a lifetime with proper care.

To learn more about ocarinas before buying one, read my complete introduction to them here. (It includes sound samples for these ocarinas, so I won't repeat them here.)

Bass Ocarina -- STL Ocarina in Plastic

With their low, haunting voices, bass ocarinas sound amazing.

Beyond that, you might want one to complete your ocarina collection, or to play the bass part in an ensemble.

Or perhaps you have housemates or neighbors you don't want to disturb, and realize that the soft-spoken bass offers a solution.

Unfortunately, ceramic bass ocarinas are expensive. You can expect to pay at least $200 USD for a good one in "sweet potato" (aka submarine) style. Often they cost hundreds more. Yikes!

Due to the small market for bass ocarinas, nobody makes plastic ones. With one exception: the plastic bass offered by STL Ocarina.

This instrument sounds good, plays well, and is bargain priced at only about $65 USD. Read my complete review of it here. (Review includes sound samples.)

STL Ocarina is the only company I know of that also offers a good ceramic bass for about the same price. But it's available in 6 hole seedpod style only.

Song Flutes and Tonettes -- Buy Old

Musicians often underrate the simplest plastic flutes. Song flutes and tonettes are prime examples. These were used for beginning musical education for millions of schoolchildren for over half a century. Adults enjoyed them, too.

These instruments have limited range and capabilities compared to many flutes. But that doesn't mean you can't create beautiful or interesting music using them. Just listen to these examples:

The secret to acquiring a quality song flute or tonette is to buy it on the used market. Get one made from before 1970 that features a shiny, glossy finish. You won't pay more than $20 USD on Etsy, Ebay, or similar website.

Beware of more current song flutes and tonettes with matte finishes. These sound inferior and are often just junky kids's toys.

Learn all about these instruments in my articles Ultimate Guide to the Song Flute and the Ultimate Guide to the Tonette.

Tenor Recorders -- Yamaha and Aulos in Plastic

The tenor recorder presents an expressive, mellow voice. It's no wonder that so many soprano recorder players take up the tenor next.

The best tenors are fashioned from various hardwoods. But with all wood recorders, the lower their voice, the higher their price.

Where this phenomena especially pinches is with tenors. A wood tenor from a name brand costs hundreds of dollars.

Enter plastic. Plastic recorders first became popular in the 1980s. Two companies -- Yamaha and Aulos -- have led the pack ever since.

A plastic tenor is guaranteed to hit all notes in tune -- versus wood, where the less expensive products prove questionable. Plastic manufacturing processes turn out consistent product in a way that wood producers can only match at much higher cost.

Yamaha and Aulos make several different tenors at different price points. Before you select one, you'll really want to read my introduction to tenor recorders. It will tell you everything you need to know to select the right instrument, including how to ensure it fits your hands, how the tenor differs from the soprano, whether to buy a keyed or keyless instrument, and more.

The good news is that these very high quality instruments from Yamaha and Aulos cost only $50 to $90.

Wood Tenor Recorder -- Adler in Maple

If you really insist on a wood tenor, isn't there anything decent available for under $100?

I have found one that my friends and I like: the tenor in maple from Adler. This instrument shows up sporadically at various U.S. vendors. It's not always available.

This tenor features a beautiful maple voice and meets the needs of an experienced hobbyist like myself. You can read my full review of it here.

Though I love it and find it a great deal, be aware that serious recorders players will find the instrument inadequate. You have to know your particular instrument intimately in order to adjust your breath to play each note in tune.

So serious musicians will want to pay hundreds more for a top quality tenor, but this one meets my needs as a more casual flutist just fine.

Read my Beginner's Guide to Tenor Recorder for more information.

You might also be interested in my article Are Adler Recorders Any Good?

Tin Whistle in D -- Clarke Sweetone

Tin whistles are basically just metal pipes with holes and an attached fipple. Many good ones are very inexpensive at less than $20. The problem is identifying the whistle that is not a chancy deal.

For example, Generation whistles are excellent instruments. But their failure rates place them in chancy territory.

Clarke Sweetones have one of the lower failure rates for their class. They sound lovely and are easier for beginners to start with than many other whistles. Read my analysis of why it should be your first tin whistle.

Generation Tin Whistles -- Tweaked!

Here's another way to get great bargains on tin whistles.

Generation brand whistles are among the best known manufacturers of inexpensive whistles in the world. You can buy them anywhere, online at Amazon or from any storefront. You'll pay a rock-bottom price.

Now, improve or tweak that whistle by making a few simple improvements. My article tells you all about it, explains the process, and links to excellent how-to videos.

Yes, you too can tweak! And when you do, you'll get a great whistle at a bargain price.

Woodi Penny Whistles -- in Plastic

Like the Adler maple tenor recorder, this item represents a real bargain for some. But it may not meet the needs of others.

Woodi whistles come as a package. You get a D whistle, a C whistle, and a nice carrying case that fits three whistles -- all for the bargain price of about $20 USD.

The whistles have a wonderful tone. Listen to this sound sample.

They sound different from metal whistles and complement them nicely. And if you need a C whistle (or have no whistles at all), this is a great value to pick up what you need.

The reason these whistles may not be for everyone is that it's hard to hit the highest notes clearly and cleanly. They have a bit of undertone when most people play them.

These include those notes above high A on the C whistle, or above high B on the D whistle.

With that one reservation, these whistles offer benefits from their unusual mellow sound to their bargain basement price.

Read my detailed article on the Woodis here.

Used Bargains -- Etsy, Ebay, and Reverb

Another strategy to buying quality instruments at low prices is to haunt the major online sellers. This leads to some great deals -- but only if you're knowledgeable enough to spot a true deal when you see one.

You should know a lot about the instruments you intend to purchase, and be confident that the sellers' descriptions and photos assure that you aren't risking a dud.

The major marketplaces are Etsy, Ebay, and Reverb. Happy hunting!

Final Thoughts

If you're on a budget, you can still find many quality folk flutes.

I've managed to build quite a collection at modest cost by carefully selecting purchases. I do "due diligence" on each instrument before I buy.

This takes more time than blindly buying. But that's part of the fun, isn't it? Learning about instruments, carefully selecting those that appeal to you, and then spending quality time playing them.

Here's to your next bargain!

***** SUMMARY *****