Mendini MFE-380BNG Intermediate Open/Closed-Hole Black Nickel Plated C Flute w/ B Foot Joint + 1 Yr Warranty, Case, Chromatic Tuner w/ Metronome, Stand, Pocketbook, Cleaning Rod & Cloth, Joint Grease, & a Pair of Gloves

I played a Gemeinhardt student model flute from 4th grade through high school. A decade passed, and I started playing again, but that old flute was out of shape. I recently got a quote for $450 to fix it up, which was more than it cost new. I wanted to "upgrade" to a B foot and open hole model, so I decided to look on Amazon. Saw this black beauty and liked the look of it from the pictures, and I decided to take a risk and buy it.It arrived promptly. The case is nice-- it has a zipper on the side to store some stuff. The metronome/tuner supplied had a malfunctioning LCD screen, so it wasn't usable. The flute stand is cute, but a gimmick. You only put your flute on a stand if you're playing multiple instruments in a gig setting-- never leave your flute standing unattended in a concert setting, and when it is at home you should clean it and put it in the case when you aren't playing.When I opened the flute case, I was a little surprised to find a eyeglass screwdriver and a Chapstick tube with "head joint grease" on the label. I tried assembling the flute and found the head joint incredibly tight, which explained why they supplied this grease. I applied a tiny amount of the grease and the head joint went in with some turning, but it is still too tight and in fact, the amount of force required has caused the end of the head to become bent, which has made it even more difficult to assemble (and might have affected the intonation). I also felt that while attaching the foot joint, the key works felt unusually fragile, as if they might break while assembling the flute.I played some scales and warmed up. It was definitely more playable than my old tarnished student model, yet it seemed a little leaky. I took a close look at the mechanisms and found that two of the keys that close when another key is pressed were not closing as tightly as they should have been. Sure enough, with a little adjustment with the provided eyeglass screwdriver, I made some improvements.After several months of playing, including a full concert with ten 2 hour practice sessions and lots of individual practice in between, I got used to the flute pretty well. I must say that it still seems a little leaky-- the low register seems to require more air than the Gemeinhardt ever did, and my high register playing seems a little shrill. This might be a problem with my embouchure, but I'm not convinced of that, especially considering the need for initial screw adjustment.Aesthetically, the flute looked great at first glance. A closer inspection revealed some rough spots. There are small metal nubs at the end of the joints where it is evident that the meal tubing was cut roughly and not finely finished. The black nickel plating is fun, but it has tarnished quickly near the mouthpiece in what looks like a spit pattern. I think the plating might be sensitive to acid or something else found in saliva. The open hole keys come with rubbery translucent plugs which can be popped out with a fingernail, and seem to go back in just fine. I honestly haven't been playing with the plugs out because it's a lot harder and my skill level doesn't provide for much difference in tone or technique with open hole playing.Anyway, I wouldn't recommend this (or any other gimmicky colored instrument) for a starting musician, as it clearly has some flaws that a new player would not recognize as manufacturing defects. Personally I'm glad I bought it as it has a fun look that people ask about, and it has given me something that I can play in a volunteer orchestra, and it fits my Jethro Tull/rock opera ambitions, but I don't think my playing is going to get much better due to some of the manufacturing and adjustment issues mentioned in this review.

We had several problems with the keys not setting right to begin with (air was escaping) so we had to have that fixed locally from the get-go. Then it seems to need adjusting more often than other flutes — be sure to use the awesome tuner (THAT'S worth the money!) to make sure the thing is playing the right notes and you're not blaming yourself for sounding sharp. Once tuned properly, this flute seems to be fine for a week or so, then seems to need more adjusting (as in, pull out the tools... once, the e flat just stopped working, and we just banged it on a stand, thinking we'd get rid of it, and then tried it again to show how it didn't work; apparently the banging got the e flat working again. Maybe it really is The Magic Flute, LOL!)I know this flute has a LOT of good reviews (that's why we bought it; the first $350 "band flute" died and we needed something fast and cheap for a concert), and I don't want to discourage anyone from this instrument, but just note that it's NOT a concert-quality flute. It's a band-quality flute that has potential, but one you may get very VERY frustrated with due to the need to make [frequent] adjustments. (I think it's the material.)I will say this VERY BIG PRO: IF you get this flute right (everything moving right; keys closing all the way), then take care of it, this flute makes a much better sound than the more expensive ($300+) "band flutes" from music stores. This flute DEFINITELY sounds better than our first one ever could have, and that opinion was from a professional flutist (our mentor). That's important if learning the flute, because there's nothing more frustrating than a freakin bad instrument that even professional flutists couldn't get a good sound out of. Our mentor is much happier with the sound this flute makes than the first "band flute" we had. His frustration with this flute was only in how the keys weren't sealed well to begin with, and the oddball adjustments the flute needed to make the right notes. But it is POSSIBLE to get good sound from this instrument. And that's saying something. (He says it's impossible to get a good sound from almost any "band flute").General flute warning: if your child is going into flute for real, after the first year or so, be prepared to lay out some serious cash ($1,000 minimum) for a BEGINNER flute that's made of better materials (and yet are even fussier to maintain!). The first year(s), you can use this flute or any band flute to learn to get a sound; but after that, to get the really nice sounds, you'll have to go with real concert flutes. AND those things don't last like a piano or guitar, so you'll have to have more than one. Flute music is beautiful, but the instruments are a PITA and quite expensive. Just a general warning. (I'm about to lay out the thousand for the "beginner" concert flute, because my daughter loves flute now. BECAUSE of this instrument, I should add. But three flutes in a little over one year, $1,500, just saying.)

It's easy to play. I like the flute and the case that comes with it. I am how to the flute.

This is not a school flute. For the price it is somewhat of a good deal if you know how to make a few improvements on your own. I have played for 10 years and could tell pretty fast off that the thumb key is wiggly causing leeks in the air and sound. It is a somewhat quick fix but the first layer of the pad started to rip and will need to be replaced by a professional and I have only been able to play it a handful of times. In the instrument world you get what you pay for. In this case they are bundling a lot of stuff together for a very cheep price so I wasn't expecting a professional gold flute. It is a little bit below my expectations but I will be keeping it and be making adjustments along the way as needed. Again this is NOT!! a good starter flute for students. The book has some nice exercises and the metro tuner is awesome. The flute stand is a little cheep and should be used with caution. The polishing rag should not be used to clean out the spit inside the flute. It is much too harsh. A light cotton rag will work much better and improve the life of the instrument. The cleaning rod is plastic and that is great. Metal ones will scratch up the inside of the flute. I am amusing they included gloves for when you are polishing it but any polishing job that requires gloves should be done by a professional. Same goes for the cork grease. DO NOT MESS WITH THE CORK IN YOUR FLUTE! Seek professional help if you need your flute tuned or the cork adjusted.

Great flute for the price! I have a student Yamaha that cost me almost 4 x's as much. I like the open hole sound, now that I have tried both. The stand works, but is a tad flimsy, I am careful where I keep it. The package came right on time and as promised.

Perfect, I received prompt shipment and received exactly what I was expecting!.

poor quality, flimsy construction, returned the product for a full refund

The teacher of my kid told us it's a used one, which should be brand new as advertised. I also found additional rubberized fabric, which is not a original part of the flute. Maybe was attached by last user. Also we found the sound is weird and the quality is very poor. I have to rent a Yamaha flute from our local store.I tried to return it but found the returning window has been closed. All the money just wasted. So depressed and disappointed.

Awesome flute for the price, just can't beat it.Kudos to you Cecilio.....yeah!!!