Eastar EFL-1 Closed Hole C Flutes 16 Key Nickel Beginner Student Flute -Musical Instrument with Carrying Case Stand Gloves Cleaning Rod and Cloth

The media could not be loaded.  UPDATE: My lip plate patches arrived earlier this week and they've done wonders! My rash is almost entirely gone. So if you have a nickel allergy, I'd def recommend getting some and covering the lip plate. Also helps with slipping, so great if you're in a marching band.I haven't played the flute since elementary, but decided to get back into it after about 18 years. Since I've had to relearn pretty much everything, I decided to get a cheap flute before investing in a good one.For the price, this sounds great. The case is nice, and I love that it includes everything to clean the flute after playing. The stand is pretty cheap, but I prefer keeping the flute in the case when not playing anyway.I will say, if you're allergic to nickel, you might want to pay more for a silver flute or at least a silver headjoint. I forgot I'm allergic and got a rash on my chin after a few days of playing. I got some lip plate patches so hoping that helps, but did want to warn y'all since the rash is not fun haha.Attached a video of me playing Harmony from the videogame Runescape to show the sound. High notes are rough and a bit airy, but I'm pretty sure that's due to me being out of practice and not the fault of the flute.

UPDATE: Nearly three months in...I finally broke down and bought myself a Gemeinhardt 3OB because after three months, I had a lot of trouble with certain notes (mid E, F, A, and high C). I had watched several videos that said often, beginners on cheap flutes quit, thinking that they are at fault for the lack of quality. I'm here to tell you... it's absolutely true. So - still 5 stars, still worth it for a beginner, still stand by my original review, but know that once you really start to understand how hard you're working to produce good tone, it may be time to move up into something better. Eastar's flute will have a place in my heart as the start of a great adventure, but after three months, five days a week, one hour a day... I finally had to move up and now? I've got a tone like butter... (or at least beginner butter. Ha ha ha!)Original Post:... I'm still playing it and enjoying it. A few things I'll touch on, which don't make this flute less than five stars, but are considerations for anyone wanting to buy a flute.1) If you are acidic, (like me and my wit - ahahahahahaha), expect this thing to begin to tarnish within two weeks (playing ~5 days a week). After nearly a month, the point where my left hand index finger holds the flute is black, the 4th finger key is black, and tarnish is showing up on my lip plate and other contact points and keys. Flutes do tarnish, and it doesn't affect the sound, but it's something to keep in mind as the price of this flute costs less than it will cost to get the tarnish removed. (And yep, I clean it after every use - inside and out.)2) It is a very bright and brassy sound. This isn't a mellow flute, for that, you're going to have to up your price point significantly. I don't think less of it for that simply because... I got a flute for 75 bucks.3) It's 75 bucks. Don't think you're going to get a $3000 sound out of it, or even a $300 one for that matter (though watching a professional play this flute on a YouTube video did make it sound maybe $200-ish). Make your peace now. It is fantastic for adults (like me) who are wanting to try out the flute to see if it's an instrument they'd like to continue. It seems like it'd be stellar for elementary school students (4th-5th grade) who are starting out as well. But - if it breaks, you're going to be buying a new one, as the price to repair it will be over the price to just buy another one to start out.So why five stars? Because I was ready for a $75 dollar instrument. That said, it impressed me with the workmanship. It is actually pretty solidly built, which is great. It comes with everything you're going to need to take care of it. It comes with a stand. It even comes with a pair of gloves so while you're cleaning it, you're not just getting fingerprints all over it again. It has a decent sound and, hey, did I mention it's $75 dollars? It is well worth that price. If you're on the fence, go for it. You won't be disappointed.

I did a lot of research before buying this instrument. I have been playing the flute for 20 years and I needed a low cost option for my niece who has just started to show interest in playing the flute, but didn’t want to buy her a low quality instrument. After seeing a YouTube review on this instrument, I felt comfortable buying it for her as a beginner.The flute came carefully packaged, the keys were protected by pieces of cork and everything was wrapped in plastic. After I unboxed it, I played a variety of excerpts on it and was pleasantly surprised.The tone is okay, doesn’t sound dull or muted at all. The mechanism did require a tiny bit of adjustment, there was a small leak that was easily fixed by tweaking a screw or two. The pads look very durable and the action feels very responsive. I can’t speak on the longevity as of right now, but I can say that due to the low cost I doubt it will be worth paying to fix when something major goes wrong. (She’s in middle school, something will eventually go wrong lol)I would definitely recommend this for a beginner or even someone with previous experience who wants to get back into it. Very good starter flute.

Updated Review:I have to give five stars for their customer service. Eastar reached out to me to discuss the problem with the B natural key, which was not working. I received a replacement flute and everything is working wonderfully. All keys are working and no leaks. It's a solid flute that sounds beautiful. The low register is rich and warm. The middle register has a nice, clear tone. The third octave is a bit more rustic sounding but still sweet.I also spoke to Eastar about my son's saxophone which I also purchased from them. They were very helpful in answering my questions and giving recommendations for my son's saxophone, and he is very pleased with it. Thank you Eastar for reaching out to me and making things right. I am definitely happy I purchased from this company. 😊Original Review:I gave an extra star because the flute has a lovely sound. I was hoping Eastar would be different, but the thumb key, for the B natural, does not work on the flute sent to me. The only way to play this flute is with the B flat thumb key. I can play everything beautifully, except B natural because of the thumb key not sealing properly. So disappointing as this is the 3rd Amazon flute I have purchased with a problem. The first flute was unplayable. The second had leaks that could not be fixed without it costing more than the flute itself. The third is the Eastar flute. And No, it's not me. The flute I rented did not have any of these problems. I really liked the sound, feel, and look of the Eastar. Now I am worried about my son's Eastar saxaphone. How long before the problems start to show on his saxaphone too. So, so, upsetting that this did not work out. I can't take a chance on purchasing a fourth Amazon flute. Looks like I'm back to renting again. Three Strikes, YOU'RE OUT! 😔

The flute has quality look and feel, the keys act smoothly, absolutely no stickiness or looseness. It was well packaged with small pieces of cork under the keys to prevent movement in shipping. The nickel coating has no visible flaws. I checked intonation, I found it a bit sharp at first, but after I pulled the head out slightly, it was within a few cents with discrepancies in both directions (sharp and flat) so the problem is my poor beginner's technique, not the flute. I find the foot-body joint quite tight, it's challenging to assemble and disassemble without grabbing the keys, but quite possible with a few seconds of careful twisting. The head-body joint is easier.I'm very impressed with the completeness of the kit: a cleaning cloth, another cloth with a weighted string that drops through the flute, a stand, a little card with fingering corresponding to notes, even white gloves. The only thing missing is an instruction sheet: how to put it together, how to clean it, and where to go for a dead-beginner lesson (pick one from YouTube). Oh, and how to assemble the stand: it took me some fiddling to figure out that the cap unscrews and the feet fall down out of the tube - metal feet, not plastic, which is also impressive.I bought it so my daughter has no excuse when she "forgets" her band flute at school, but I like it so much I'll be picking it up too. I also own an Eastar violin, which I bought used from someone else last year. It also provides exceptional value for the money. The Eastar folks really seem to care about providing affordable musical instruments, not just crap that *looks* like instruments, like some companies sell. Truly impressive, I couldn't be more pleased for the money.