Yamaha 211 Silver-plated

Advantages: Cheap student model, good quality, good brand
Disadvantages: higher register not very clear, heavy, dull in colour

...flute to any beginner. Yamaha are very well known throughout the music industry and their range of instruments prove their reliability. The yamaha 211 is as popular now as it was 6 years ago when I first began to learn, proving that it must be a pretty good instrument! It is common knowledge amongst flute teachers world wide that this is one of the greatest beginner instruments. I personally kept this flute until I had completed my grade 5 examinations, ...
...quality of metals used by yamaha is fantastic! I used to really handle mine badly, and it hardly hurt at all. One downfall is that occasionally the screws do loosen slightly, though this is bound to happen with any flute over time. The silver plating also tarnishes with time, and it may be worth having it professionally cleaned once in a while! In a nutshell- definately the best beginner flute on the market! In my opinion suitable up to grade 5, ... Read review

Advantages: Excellent build quality and intonation
Disadvantages: The usual limitations of a beginner instrument

...played both, I'd say the Yamaha is very much worth the extra. The build quality is simply what you'd expect from such a respected make, and that makes all the difference to the tone and tuning as well as the robustness and mechanical reliability of the flute. While not a professional instrument by any means, a beginner should be able to pass several Grades before this flute begins to be the limiting factor in tone production, and the tuning is reasonable ...
...kept to a minimum and with the occasional service the flute will last many years even in the hands of a complete novice. Obviously as with any silver or silver-plated instrument regular cleaning is necessary to prevent tarnishing, but most music shops will bundle a cleaning cloth with an instrument bought new. In all a highly-recommended flute for beginners but beyond Grade 6 or 7, start to think about an upgrade. ... Read review

Advantages: Easy to play, intonation is good, good beginner flute, tone is quite warm, lasts a long time if looked after.
Disadvantages: Quite heavy in weight, dull silver colour, highest register sounds quite muffled.

...beginner flautist. I had a Yamaha 211 for my second flute, and it lasted me till grade 6, but then I know other flute players who have done their Grade 8's and some music college auditions on the Yamaha 211. It produces a nice tone, is easy to play, though has a rather dull silver colour to it, as it is silver plated. Very good for the beginner, I'd recommend off-set keys. It produces a warm tone, and the keys themselves are comfortable. Once the ... Read review

Advantages: Ok as a cheap flute for beginners
Disadvantages: Poor tone, bad value for money!

...managed to teach myself this instrument in only a couple of months, because the finger patterens are roughly the same as the flute. Jazz flute is awsome too. I have limited experience in it, but would love to learn. Unfortunantly, I also have limited experience with Piccolos or Alto flutes. But I'm hoping soon to get a yamaha piccolo. My advice to anyone who wants to buy a flute is make sure you buy a well known brand like yamaha or Trevor James. If your a beginner, most people go for the yamaha YFL211S which is a student flute and is fairly cheap. It doesn't have a solid silver head and is completely silver plated. If you are an intermediate flute player and want a Yamaha flute, go for the 311 or even better the 411, which is made of solid silver. However, to get this flute you are looking at £1400, and advanced flutes start at £1500... Read review

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