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Question: It it a good idea to buy a flute on ebay!?
I don't need a good flute!.!.!. I'm looking for the cheapest one I can get that will still work!. I already have a good one (b foot, open holed gemeinahardt) but I can't use it in the rain for marching band!. I'm looking for a separate one that I can use for marching band and leave in my band locker at school so I don't have to take my good one back and forth everyday!.
If I'm looking for an instrument to serve this purpose, would it be acceptable to buy one on ebay for $100ish!?!? B/c I've heard not to buy instruments on ebay cuz they could be really bad quality and such!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
There are good ones and bad ones on eBay!. As always, check feedback before buying!. Bad sellers get bad feedback!. In the musical instruments category, anything less than about 99!.5% positive is bad!.
Never buy from a seller located in China!. Unless you're looking for a cheap SD card for a camera or something, China makes total garbage!. Especially true of musical instruments!. Although if you need to buy a violin for a kid who's probably going to wreck it, you might want to consider it!. I've bought 3, and even though they're junky, they still play all right!. But for something you'll be using to perform publicly, stay away from Chinese products!.
If you can, find a seller listing a brand you know and trust!. No-name instruments are probably Chinese garbage, even if the seller is not in China!.
Your best deal is on used instruments, and I definitely think you'll get a decent one for $100!. Especially with wind instruments, kids graduate high school and just don't bother playing any more!. It's not like you can rock out in a garage band with an oboe!. You see wind instruments in pawn shops all the time!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Check with a music store!. Some of them sell used instruments and will fix them up for you!. also try checking with people who have graduated form your band, many of them don't play any more and might give you a good deal!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
marmianka told you straight!
i know a business that sells refurbished instruments with warranty!. you could get a good brand flute for maybe $200!. it would work perfect, be repairable-and not be a total p!.o!.s!.
just email me and i'll give you their contact infoWww@QuestionHome@Com
Unless you are an EXPERT at this, do not buy a flute from eBay!!!! Every day, there are about 3,000 flutes on ebay, and 2900 of them are TRASH - and of the remaining 100, at least 90 are overpriced!. If you are thinking "but all I *want* is trash for marching!", think again - these will not survive 2 weeks, and then will be unfixable - most shops will not touch them - soft metal, poorly fitting parts, etc!.
If you had the budge, I would take the Gemeinhardt outdoors, and get yourself a GOOD flute!. Gemmies are NOT considered to be any good any more for serious flute playing!. Look at articles by Jen Cluff ( Google for her - it's not me!) and read them!. You will be AMAZED at how much better you play on a better flute!. For under $2000, you will set for a LONG time!
If this is not acceptable, and you are looking for a marching band flute, then maybe you can find a USED Jupiter or Pearl beginner - Yamahas are hard to find, they get snapped up - and put a few bucks into fixing it up!.
Stay away from those Far East *brands* (not even real brands - they stick ANY NAME YOU WANT on them!) because the are garbage!.Www@QuestionHome@Com