Altieri
Compact: Flute, alto flute and piccolo bag
This has a nice modern design to it that doesn't give it away as containing a valuable instrument. The inside padding is white, which is always an interesting choice, and soft to the touch while being firm enough to provide peace of mind. Your instrument case can be secured in place using a row of strong drawstrings. It has a number of carrying options, including backpack straps that can be zipped away. The front pocket is large enough to carry A4 sheet music and the main pocket has plenty of space to spare around the instrument – and this is only the compact version! This really is a do-all bag, perfect for students and professionals.
BG France
Discovery combo pack - flute and piccolo CPFLP
Instrumental upkeep is one of my least favourite parts of being a flautist, so I welcome anything that will make the process easier. This pack, with its pair of body swabs, pad dryer and glove, does exactly that. All of the cleaning materials are made of a high-quality, washable microfibre which is great at drying and picking up dust. The swabs come with a little rubbery weight to make threading them through a cinch. Given the price tag it would be most useful to a teacher overseeing a large stock of flutes and piccolos, or a professional doubler wanting to get the most for their money.
Flute Discovery Kit DKF
This is quite a basic kit, consisting of a lip-plate cleaner and pad dryer, which is the same as the one in the pack above. While I first found the repeated pattern of the BG France logo to be quite garish, it actually came in handy when I momentarily lost track of where I had put it down – a useful property for absentminded students and teachers alike. Along with the cleaning materials, this pack comes bundled with a pair of stickers used to help with hand positioning. Nice to the touch, they would undoubtedly help with comfort and posture. A good piece of kit for any student to start off with and for any tutor to have on-hand.
Flute Stand A41
An interesting design, opting for two separate solid plastic pieces that slot together rather snugly to form a nice wide base. This, along with a tight fit, ensures that there is no wobbling when the flute is standing on it. The whole things packs away in a matter of seconds and should fit in the front zip pocket of most standard flute case covers. For the cost it's hard to go wrong, though a lack of padding on the feet may make it impractical for uncarpeted floors.
Bo-Pep
Flute finger saddle
The overly large box folds out rather delicately to reveal a small velvet bag. Inside is a fairly innocuous piece of kit, a simple piece of curved plastic that can be effortlessly snapped onto the body to aid with left-hand positioning. I could feel a slight difference in that it forced my wrist to remain turned away from me so it seems like it would make a good training aid for those just starting out on the flute – the box says patent-pending and I can see why they're keen to get one. If someone could make this cheaper, it would be a no-brainer for new instrumentalists. At this price, I wouldn't want to be the one trying to justify it to parents.
Fusion Bag
Soprano saxophone, clarinet and flute bag
This bag seems tailor-made to ease the mind of player, parent and teacher alike. Sturdy and durable, it provides protection without being bulky or heavy. All of the carrying handles feel secure, with no risk of suddenly coming loose, including comfortable shoulder straps that zip away. There are two pockets on the front of the bag, one of which can comfortably fit cleaning tools and a travel stand, but the other feels superfluous. A few snacks, a practice diary, a tablet and stationery would fit, but needing a second bag to carry unfolded sheet music prevents this bag from being perfect.
Hercules Stands
Flute/clarinet stand DS64088
This is a robust and reliable stand. While I am not a fan of its aesthetic, it being too chunky and yellow for my taste, it is undeniably good at what it does. The legs swivel away and the peg is detachable to make it a bit more compact, but there is no getting away from its size. This will make it an asset for the home or practice room, certainly. The bag it comes with is a bit big for it, is not overly comfortable to carry, and comes in the same shade of Hercules yellow – you may wish to find something more subtle.
TravLite flute stand DS460B
To paraphrase Elizabeth Barret Browning, ‘how do I love this stand? Let me count the ways.’ A more sleek and elegant design you are unlikely to find anywhere else. This velvet-clad cylinder fits nicely into the head joint, meaning that you can always have it with your flute, without worry. The four legs fold out and away smoothly and form a base wide enough to secure your instrument. An absolutely gorgeous feat of engineering.
König & Meyer
Compact flute stand 15232
This stand has quite an interesting design that is a little tricky to explain. Basically, it is a tube which you need to unscrew, fold the legs down and then screw back together. It isn't immediately obvious and took me a while to figure out. It feels a little cheap, which it is comparatively, but it still held a flute upright without causing me any concern.
These items were made available for review thanks to the following suppliers:
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All Flutes Plus
König & Meyer stand, Bo-Pep and Altieri bag
www.allflutesplus.com -
Fusion
www.fusion-bags.com -
Hercules Stands
herculesstands.co.uk -
JHS
BG France accessories
www.jhs.co.uk
