Mendini By Cecilio Flute, 16 Keys C Flute Instrument Closed Hole For Beginners with Carrying Case, Cork Grease, Stand, Lesson Book, Cleaning Kit, Gloves (Black)

I am an advanced (but not professional) flute player with over 25 years of experience. For reference purposes, I own a $2500 dollar Pearl open hole/b-foot flute, and a $600 Yamaha student flute. I honestly bought this Mendini simply for the cool black color. Reviews are mixed, but it was cheap and had a return policy which eliminated any concerns about wasting money on a piece of junk. I had low expectations for quality playability, but I am more than pleasantly surprised!The pros: This Mendini has a beautiful, clear, and consistent tone across it's entire range. The high register is crisp, clean, and effortlessly responsive, which is unusual in cheaper flutes. It has offset G keys (easier to reach with left ring finger), and a split E mechanism (makes high E - a notoriously difficult note in the flute world - easier to play and control). These are features that usually drive up the price of student and professional models by a few hundred dollars. The key pads are decent quality with no leaks, no airy sound, and no stickiness. I daresay the Mendini surpasses the performance of my Yamaha, and comes decently close to my Pearl. This flute is perfect for a beginner through intermediate/early advanced player, and will carry a student through middle and high school bands, orchestras, marching band, ensembles, and chambers. It would also be great for a casual hobbyist or adult learner. The case is durable and functional, and the flute fits snugly with no wiggling (but it's tacky as heck...see cons below). The accessories are a nice addition, and would cost about $40+ to buy separately if they weren't included. The colors are a cool option. I LOVE the black body with silver keys. It looks unique, but still respectable.The cons: The black body color is a plastic-like coating which might peel right off if scratched or damaged (think shrink-wrap). The lip plate is nickel, which will probably cause a bruise-like stain under my lower lip after repetitive use and exposure to sweat/moisture - don't worry, this cleans off easily with an alcohol or baby wipe, and can be prevented by applying a layer of clear nail polish or tape to the lip plate. The case that is included has a massive and tacky logo embroidered on the front, and the zip pouch is too tight to hold the cleaning rod, cloths, and stand that is included. These cons are purely aesthetic, have easy fixes, anddon't impact the sound quality of the instrument. I stand by my 5 star rating.For less than $100, this flute far exceeded my expectations. It's perfect if you have a kid interested in playing, but don't want to invest a lot of money in case they lose interest, and it's cheaper than rental programs.I would also recommend this flute for marching band players because it's cheap enough to not worry about damage from weather, being set down in the grass/dirt, and from drops or collisions.It would be great to have as a reliable back-up flute to keep on hand in case your main instrument is in the shop for repairs. Ever drop your flute 2 days before the recital, and have to watch as your rival plays the solo you practiced all semester?!?!...Never again!In my opinion, the nay-sayers that gave negative reviews fall into one of 3 categories: Elitist flute snobs expecting the quality of a $14,000 Nagahara or custom Powell for 75 bucks, poor players, or someone who received a genuinely defective instrument. "It doesn't play in tune" is not a defect, its a skill issue - adjust the headjoint and correct your lip position like all flautists have to do! LOL.

I'm giving this flute 5 stars because it is perfect at being what it is: a cheap (and fun colored!) flute. If you want a pro-grade flute, go pay for a pro-grade flute. But if you want to play flute for under $100, I see no reason not to buy this one.I'm a multi-instrumentalist and music teacher. I'm new to picking up flute. I've had this flute for two days, and I can already play my scales on it. Prior to this, I had literally one week of experience with flute over a decade ago in college.I'm reading some comments here like "it's overly difficult to play because of poor construction." I don't have the experience to say whether other better flutes might be easier, but I don't see this flute as being at all non-functional. One person claims to be a flute maker, and laments that some girl isn't playing songs within three weeks. That girl is obviously not getting requisite training and practice. I can play songs on this within a day. There's even a review here that says the instrument is "out of tune with itself" (that reviewer also says that his previous rental flute was out of tune with itself; which tells me he probably just doesn't know how to play and has trouble with any flute you hand him). That, of course, is a problem with online reviews for ANY musical instrument. People who don't know how to play complain that they can't play and blame the instrument, but that doesn't follow.I'm also reading comments here that the flute is falling apart, or that it broke quickly. Again, this is often less a problem with the instrument and more a problem with the shipping or the user. Mine came with no screws loose (and it comes with a screwdriver to tighten them even if it did). Nothing is broken. Nothing is bent, and frankly, I think you'd have to do something to it before it would bend. Every woodwind student is instructed on day one to be careful when putting the flute together so as not to bend the joints and the keys. I'm not saying that this flute is made of the world's highest quality materials or that it is more durable than more expensive flutes. I'm not even saying other reviewers didn't get theirs in some kind of bad condition; what I can say though is that mine is in good shape and looks for now like it will stay that way. When I read "this flute sucks because my 12-year-old broke it" I don't find that review to be helpful.So, to sum it up: if you want a really nice flute, go pay for a really nice flute. I don't doubt it will be better than this one. If, however, you want a cheap flute that will get the job done, buy this one, and then don't blame it for your inability to play or failure to care for it.