The Musician's Addition Student Flute In White Cooper is the middle flute between the cheap Amazon flutes and the cheap end of the big brand name flute. So is this the flute that meets in the middle between quality and budget? Is this the flute to go with for an absolute beginner? Here is our detailed review on the Musician's Addition Student Flute in White Copper.
As a flute teacher, there was one issue I kept running into with people wanting to learn flute. Whether it was an adult wanting to learn or a parent getting their kid into band, the problem was the same. Flute prices.
Whenever a student needed a recommendation for a new flute, I would very first send them to a very reputable dealer, such as the Flute Center of New York or the Flutisty. Both places are amazing as their staff is friendly, knowledgable, and truly do want to find you the perfect flute. The problem is just the price of a new flute, if you are on a tight budget (as I write this blog, today, the cheapest new flute is almost $500. & it's on sale.). These dealers only work with the big-brand names and there's a good reason for that. Quality.
Working with a flute dealership, you know you are getting a good flute. They also offer warranties. If the flute ever needs to be repaired or its yearly COA, both the Flute Center of New York and the Flutistry will repair the flute.
Now looking on the flip side, many people buy on budget. Amazon offers a wide selection of off-brand flutes ranging from $70-$175, average price is $100. What's the difference between big-brand flutes and flutes from Amazon? Quality.
Flutes from Amazon offer no warranty. If the flute needs to be repaired, most shops will not even look or touch these flutes. You'll just have to buy another one.
Aside from that, in my experience, the flutes from Amazon were very inconsistent with how they were made. I bought 4 flutes for myself to see - the first flute was okay. It was clunky but playable. The second flute had to be adjusted - which normally a flute tech would do. If you were an absolute beginner, you wouldn't have figured it out. The third flute also needed adjustments, but its tuning is weird and cannot be fixed. The last flute I received was unplayable.
So now that we know the difference between the flutes, where does that leave the Musician's Addition Student Flute in White Copper? Here are my true thoughts and experiences with the flute.
My First Thoughts and Reactions
To be honest, when I first got the Musician's Addition Student Flute in White Copper, I had my doubts. My concern was with the material. The big-brand name flutes are made out of nickel and are silver-plated. This flute is made out of white copper, which is a blend of Copper, Nickel, & Zinc. The flutes from Amazon are also made from a cheaper material, so my first thought was they were going to be the same. Comparing my Amazon flutes to this new flute, they didn't feel the same. The Musician's Addition Student Flute In White Copper felt more like my regular Bundy student flute (I know Bundy wasn't the favorite of brands, but they were reputable and my Bundy always treated me well).
Without playing the flute, it didn't feel clunky, it didn't feel like it had the same weight as the flutes from Amazon as well. At this point, I was feeling hopeful. Maybe this flute won't be so bad.
The Playtest
Now came the playtest. How well does the Musician's Addition Student Flute in White Copper play? I decided to start with fast runs, let's go all in. I take that big deep breath and let 'er rip! The result... impressive! The flute was very responsive! The keys were quiet, each note was hit with the same persistence, tone was beautiful, and it was easy to produce a sound. This flute now reminded me more of the Di Zhao flutes, which is my favorite flute maker.
How about its lows and its highs? How well can the flute play in these harder registers? Just going all in, I start with that low C. It rings out easily and beautifully! How about those high notes? I start on high E natural and work my way up to high A. I had absolutely no issues! It played better than my Bundy! You know what? That's it. I'm going to sell my current student flute. I won't need it anymore now that I have the Musician's Addition Student Flute in White Copper!
This flute definitely passes my playtest! I even took it to the studio for some fun.
Pros and Cons
My goal is to always be as transparent as possible, even if it means losing the sale. Your satisfaction really is my priority.
As much as I would love to say there are no cons to this flute, that would a lie. The dreaded question was, "If the flute needed repairs, would the shop take it in?" To find out, I called around to my own local shops. I already knew the Flutistry wouldn't. They only look at the brands they worked with. My first call went... horribly. I had just asked if I could bring this flute in for the tech to look at it and give me their honest opinion. They blew up on me about how all these cheap flutes from Amazon were destroying their business and their life. They wouldn't even look at it. The second shop I called also didn't even want to take a look. So the con, the shop in your town may or may not look at it.
*Update: I was able to find several shops that would repair the flute if need be. If you run into a 'no', just check for the next shop. Some ONLY work on big brand name instruments and some work on all instruments.
I did have one repair shop take the flute entirely apart to see what their opinion was on it quality-wise and what the flute is really like. Overall, good news! But there are some flaws. The tone holes were not all even (common in a lot of student flutes), and the tech was not able to remove the pin ( a pin runs through the key, tubing, and steel to allow for this independent motion.) He said he might be able to remove it if the flute absolutely needed it removed, but didn't want to force it when it was not needed. Pins usually need replacing if they have broken or rusted. The general consensus of the Musician's Addition Student Flute In White Copper was a decent flute and is much better quality than the flutes found on Amazon.
The pros, it definitely is the flute to fill the gap. It played so beautifully and I was amazed at its responsiveness. This flute would work perfectly for a beginner flutist.
Musician's Addition Student Flute In White Copper Review: The Final Score
I would recommend this flute for any beginner flutist. If you really take care of your flute, your flute will take good care of you. Even though I couldn't get a flute tech to look at the flute, I was so impressed with the way it felt, the way it sounded, the ease of play, and its responsiveness. After we ordered our stock, it was my job to test play each flute (don't worry, I sanatized them afterwards), to make sure every flute felt and acted just as this first one. They did. Our flute maker is very consistant in the way he made the flutes.
With a price tag of $275, the Musician's Addition Student Flute in White Copper truly is the middle ground flute between Amazon flutes and the big-brand flutes. It has the feel and playability of the big-brand names without the price tag and much better quality than Amazon flutes. And to put your mind at ease, there is a 60 day warranty on this flute (manufacturing defects only).
Get the Musician's Addition Student Flute in White Copper here:
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