Customer Reviews

Hamlin Silver Flute

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I purchased this flute hoping it would be what it appeared -- a mid-priced student flute that would get my daughter through her middle school and high school band classes. (At which point, if she still wanted to play, I might invest in a better quality instrument for her.)

Unfortunately, it fails to perform. As the music teacher who posted a review commented, we've had repeated trouble with the keys. (Including once just before a band competition!) In addition, it is not in tune -- in order to get it to concert pitch she has to pull the head joint out almost a full inch, which is really NOT acceptable.

If the student plans to only play solo pieces, and has someone available to do the necessary adjustments on the keys, it might be a reasonable option. But for a band, even a student level band, it just doesn't do the job.

Here are a few verifiable facts:

1. The Hamlin Silver Flute was the best selling flute on Amazon.com last year, with hundreds sold.

2. The number of these flutes returned for a refund is zero! That's 100% customer satisfaction! Not a single customer chose to take advantage of the Amazon.com satisfaction guarantee.

3. Yes, I am Mark Nicewonger, the head of Hamlin Music Products, and unlike others who write reviews, I'm not afraid to let you know who I am.

My seven-year-old stepdaughter wanted to learn to play the flute. She wants to try everything these days, so we can't afford to splash out on the best equipment for every activity she tries. We chose this flute as a christmas present last year.

So far we are quite happy with what we got. If we had bought a flute in the UK, where we live, it would have cost us at least £400 (almost $800). This flute has provided an affordable way to introduce her to the instrument.

that said, the metal on the flute is softer than that of the pricier models sold in music stores. As a result, we've just spent £20 on repairs. We've now told her that she needs to be very gentle with it.

Ultimately, we'll need to upgrade if she gets serious about the flute. But for now, we are pleased with the purchase.

well after waiting for awhile i finally got it and it came well nice and stored also it plays wonderful. it is totally worth it. A+

I bought this as a beginner and have been very happy with it. It plays well and looks nice.