Tony Dixon gr21058 Polymer Flute, 3 Parts

Lovely sounding flute, great quality and also very robust, can't go wrong if you're just starting out as I was, when I hit the low d the sound is just beautiful, I intended to go on to a keyed folk flute eventually but I am so happy with this one, I take it everywhere, may just keep this one. I do recommend investing in a weighted cleaning cloth to deal with the condensation and maintenance as it doesn't come with one and also you will need some cork grease but these are inexpensive. Comes with a nice pouch to keep it in also.

It takes a lot of practice to get a half-decent tone out of it and the low Eb is impossible. Once you've got the hang of it though and accepted the limitations, it's a nice instrument. You can leave it out as it won't get broken and you don't need to swab it out and then just pick it up any time you fancy a tootle - just like a recorder. The notes in the D major scale are pretty good with a strong low end and 2nd register. The notes at the top end of the 1st register and D in the 2nd sound a bit breathy and could be stronger. I thought this was just my poor technique but I've noticed the same on other players on YouTube. Outside of D major it's a bit hit and miss - so play around and pick your tunes carefully. Intonation is good (with care) and the build quality is very good for the price. It has cork lapped joints and looks like it's been turned from solid pieces. The material is interesting as it's a little soft and resinous compared with the hard ABS typically found on recorders - maybe this is why it gets a more breathy tone.Better instruments might be the Aulos Baroque flutes or higher-end irish flutes but all considerably more expensive. Overall this is a very usable and good value introduction to the simple-system flute. Not perfect but highly recommended.