Where to Buy an Intermediate Flute
I recommend buying a flute from a vendor who sells woodwind instruments exclusively and who does their own woodwind repairs in the shop (as opposed to shipping the instrument to outside technicians). By doing so, any questions that you have about the instruments before purchase can be answered by a knowledgeable technician. Should you have any issues with your new instrument in the future, you’ll have someone you can speak to in person to fix the issue.
When flute shopping, it is important to try several brands, if possible in one sitting. Some flute sellers, like Kim Jurens (Kimberley Jurens Woodwind Repairs Inc), will ship several instruments to you for a trial with your teacher, which is an excellent idea.
Should You Buy a Used Intermediate Flute?
The consensus amongst many flute technicians is that, in general, it isn’t worth buying a used intermediate flute. Older flutes that have been played extensively or that have sat in storage for years, will eventually need a complete replacement of the pads (an overhaul). An overhaul on an intermediate flute is more time intensive and therefore more expensive than that of a student flute. By the time you’ve paid for the flute and the overhaul, you may be close to the price of a new intermediate flute.
Headjoint cuts on today’s intermediate flutes are also much better than they were a few years ago due to the advancement of CNC machines. With a better headjoint cut, you can expect newer flutes to sound better than older ones.
A better option for some students is to look for an older vintage handmade flute (most will be inline flutes) for a low price and have it overhauled. A handmade flute will have a more precise mechanism and headjoint cut and should last a lifetime. (Expect an overhaul of a handmade flute to cost about $1000-$1500 CAD in 2024).
Every once in a while you may find an intermediate flute that has only been used for a year or two. If it is significantly less expensive than a new flute and a technician checks it to make sure that future repairs are affordable, this can be a good option.
Final Words of Advice
Try several reputable flutes so you can find the best flute for your embouchure
Have someone with a good objective ear listen to you play each flute
Be sure to have the flute checked by an experienced flute technician before your purchase
Last of all: have fun! Buying a better flute is an exciting step in your flute playing journey.
A big thank you to Kim Jurens (Kimberley Jurens Woodwind Repairs Inc) (https://fluterepairs.ca) for spending so much time answering all of my questions about intermediate flutes!
If you’d like more information about buying intermediate flutes, you can watch this video made by four flute technicians on the subject of buying an intermediate (or step-up) flute. I’d like to credit this video with a lot of the information I have listed in this article: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=ublK9xZjTvM
This is also a good article by flute technician Sarah Stockton:
See also the earlier parts of this blog article on buying an intermediate flute:
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