I need a flute! Where can I rent or buy one?

Sylvan Studios has worked with the following two companies with great results! West Valley Music is further away for some students, however, it is a flute specialty store and has the best price on new flutes in the area. It is worth the trip! Music Village is near by, has two store locations and has a great rental program.

West Valley Music, Mountain View
650.961.1566
http://www.westvalleymusic.com/ 

Music Village, San Jose
408.377.2504
www.musvil.com 

There are many other options available, including the used market and online companies, so please feel free to explore them! I am happy to give feedback on the various brands or “test drive” a potential purchase for you. Also, for those looking for advanced flutes, some of the best flute “stores” are online - I have bought 2 of my 4 instruments through reputable online companies.

Which model is recommended for a “first” or beginner flute?

Sylvan Studios recommends that beginners rent or buy the Yamaha 221. Overall, the Yamaha brand is well respected, produces quality instruments throughout the entire line, and has a reliable scale (intonation) for a very reasonable introductory price. The Yamaha 221 is silver-plated, closed-hole, C-foot, and has an Offset G key. To rent/lease this model is usually between $20 and $25 per month and to purchase new approximately $500.

The Yamaha 211 is a good “work horse” for a new student and will be a good quality for a beginning student anywhere from two to five years. The instrument will not wear out in that amount of time – rather, the student will outgrow the limitations of a beginning flute and require a step-up intermediate model in order to gain access to new nuances and produce even finer quality results. 

Sylvan Studios recommends the Yamaha 481H for students ready to make that next investment. The features of the 481H include being solid silver head joint and body, open-hole, B-foot and in-line G key. For those with small hands or need for the Offset G key, the comparable model with that option is the Yamaha 461H. The price is about $1300 at West Valley Music. A cost-conscious alternative is the 361H/381H, which features a silver head joint (but not body) and costs around $900. 

For those high school students thinking about advanced studies and continuing into college, the next set of recommendations would be the Muramatsu GX or Powell Signature. These will run in the $4000 - $4500 range. Beyond those would be a profession model (handmade) flute which is a major purchase requiring a lot of time, patience, effort as well as money to find the right flute. There is no single recommendation at that level!