My daughter was outgrowing her beginner flute so we came here to help her pick out a stepup flute. William was super helpful in guiding her with the comparison and even provided sheet music for her to try! We ended up picking an excellent flute (Amadeus 680 by Hanes). If you have specific flute options you want to try, I recommend double checking well before your visit if they are on site since the options at the SF location are relatively limited but they can have items shipped in to try if you provide sufficient notice. One other thing great about Flute World is their Flute Care program and the value and peace of mind it provides. The flute specialist initially charged us for the intermediate flute maintenance plan instead of the lower cost stepup plan (maybe a testament of the Amadeus 680 playing as well as other intermediate flutes?). But you may want to double check that the plan you get in person matches what is quoted on the website. read more

Flute World - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Francisco, California

Cyron at Flute World SF is now the only technician to whom I will trust my flute. I have played at a high level for over 30 years and, after it received service from Cyron, my vintage Powell has never played so well. read more

What a treasure! I haven't played in 25 years and the gentlemen running flute world were so kind, welcoming, and encouraging. Particularly salesperson William. He let me try several models and helped walk me through the nuances to each. They also allowed me to trial an instrument for 5 days at home which helped me make up my mind. The store was continually populated by customers whom the staff clearly knows well and has a relationship with. They even spoke of some clients flying in or driving up from SoCal. A deserved loyalty! Thank you William and Flute World for your helpful courtesy! read more

This flute store really IS a gem! Located in North Beach on a side street, it's WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE and you can make an appointment, so that you are the only customer in there, which is nice for those of us who still care about Covid safety! William greeted us when we arrived and had already picked out some flutes for me, a complete beginner, to try. I knew I wanted something with at least a solid silver head joint for tone. William was very patient and friendly, responsive and encouraging. I tried a bunch of different options and wound up falling in love with a Haynes Amadeus, which emitted a beautiful sound when I blew into it! I'm very happy with my purchase and look forward to my new musical hobby! read more

Flute World - The curated selection I chose from, based on what I was looking for. - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I can't believe I'm the first to review this place as there's so many reviews on Google Reviews but I think it's worth it to all the people who primary use Yelp (like myself) to know what this place it about. If you are looking for a flute, whether beginner or professional, this is pretty much the ONLY place you should be going to. Their services is top notch and their selection is probably the most extensive on the West Coast. But to express just how awesome this place is, I will tell you my journey of finding a flute...(fair warning, this is going to be a long story) About 25 years ago, my parents bought me an intermediate Gemeinhardt flute. Although it was a great flute for me for most of high school, I've come to realize that I had already outgrown it in just a couple of years. Regardless, I still chugged along with my flute through high school band, honor bands, university band, university orchestra, community bands, and a couple of paid gigs. However, all this time, I've been wanting to get a new flute. Well, life happens and often times, financial resources get diverted to other things. Today, I found myself wondering why I've been wasting my years wishing I had a better flute instead of just buying a better flute. So finally I set off on finding that better flute. I opened up amazon.com and search for "professional flute". a couple of Pearl flutes popped up and after some research, decided on the Pearl Elegante series flute. Before I clicked on "buy", I decided to go on some flute forums to see what other people were saying about that flute. One thing led to another and I realized that I was going about this all wrong. Every single person suggested that when searching for a flute, you have to try all the flutes you can because there's no way you'll know what you want unless you try them all. This is where Flute World comes in. I called the shop and a person named Lindsay picks up. I talk a little bit about what my budget is and what I'm looking for. She then tells me that she actually has the Pearl Elegante in the shop for me to try. Since she had an open appointment slot (currently, the shop is by appointment only because of covid) and I was literally in the shop in less than an hour from when I first made the call. I walked into the store and she had about 4 flutes ready for me to try. She gives me a little intro about each flute and I play a few scales on each flute. I instantly say "no" to the Pearl. Yes, the flute I thought I wanted was not a good fit for me just being able to play it for a couple of minutes. (NOTE: This is not anything bad on Pearl especially since I play a Pearl piccolo.) Then try the Altus. That was a "no". This narrowed it down to the Muramatsu, Miyazawa, and the Haynes. I ended up really loving the Miyazawa. So naturally, Lindsay offered to let me trial a couple of the Miyazawas. I came back the next week and although I loved the Miyazawas (amazing mechanisms), I revisted the Haynes. After playing that, I was certain that I had found what I wanted. I asked Lindsay to have the Haynes Q Fusion for next time so that I could purchase it. In the meantime, she sent me home with a Haynes Q3 to get acclimated to Haynes and to make sure that I love it. I come back two weeks later, and being the ever indecisive person and ever curious person, I began to be curious about the Powell flutes. Well, on a whim, I decided to try the Powell flutes and their array of headjoint choices. I tried all of them and once I tried the venti cut, I instantly fell in love! So, I changed my mind again and insisted that the flute I wanted to buy was a Powell flute with a venti cut. Always patient and ever-smiling, Lindsay did her magic and told me that it would take about a week. A week later, she had the Powell flute set up for me and ready to go. I played it for a couple of minutes and knew instantly that that was my flute. I literally handed her my credit card and well, the rest was history. I had finally found MY flute. The thing that makes this place the BEST is Lindsay. Not only is she full of advice, full of wisdom, full of knowledge, she also happens to be the most patient person I know. I know that I tested her patience because I was sure I had found my flute on at least 3 different occasions. But stuck with me and eventually she helped me get there. She is also a flute teacher and you can tell because she had a lot of great tips and pointers as I was trying the flutes. She's literally what made this experience a thoroughly enjoyable experience. read more

I took my piccolo there in September to have repaired. At the time, there was no service specialist there, so William helped me ship it off to North Carolina to get a complete overhaul. Got it back in December. Played great until recently. I got back in touch with the staff and they had me go back to SF Flute World. Cyron, who is now there, took great care of my piccolo. He was so attentive and made the experience great. He is a true expert at his job, and very personable and professional. After a few hours of detail work, he got it back to being 100% correct. I really am thankful for the guys there. I felt very welcome and right at home. Thank you William and Cyron. read more

I recently purchased an amazing flute at this location. I was hesitant due to the fact that I have only recently started playing the flute as an adult, and thought that flute world was for the elite and experienced flutists only. William helped me realize that beginners are just as welcomed in the store! He was very welcoming, friendly and patient and helped me get comfortable and test out the different options until I found the perfect fit. As a beginner I had been struggling with a cheap internet purchased flute and I had almost given up playing. My new flute from flute world was an entire different experience: what was daily practice struggle changed and I am now able to see my daily progress, but most importantly I did not give up and now I have so much fun playing my flute. Thank you William and Flute world for helping even the beginners like myself with this journey! read more

Our almost teen was in need of an intermediate flute and William was so kind and patience enough to help her find the right flute for her. We would definitely go back for her next flute and highly recommend to Bay Area folks that its worth the drive to get the right one for your passion at Flute World. Thanks again William. read more

William is very knowledgeable and was the epitome of patient in helping find the right flute for our teen, who has been playing for more than five years and needed to upgrade from a very basic beginner model. We spent well over an hour trying a range of options from different makers. We never felt rushed or pressured in any way, and left with a beautiful instrument. The entire experience felt like pairing with a wand at a real world Ollivanders, practically magical. read more

Lindsay helped me to select from three flutes. This was all done remotely via FedEx due to covid. I tried flutes by yamaha, pearl and powell. The powell seemed like the best match for me. The action was a heavier and a little less refined, but the headjoint was really what sold me. Plus, it helped to have my teacher listen to me play all three models. I've had my Powell Sonare 501 for six months now. It's holding up very well and my flute teacher is also pleased with my step up flute decision. I love playing it everyday! Thanks Lindsay and FluteWorld. read more

My son plays the flute, and it was time to graduate from his student flute to the "real thing." I'm very glad we went to Flute World. Cyron's expert guidance and patience in finding exactly the right match for him were amazing: we are very happy with our purchase. I would definitely recommend Flute World and Cyron! read more

We brought my daughter's flute in to be repaired here, as recommended by her teacher. Cyron was delightful! He was super patient with my daughter, answered all her questions and gave us a veritable lesson in flute repair! It was fascinating. It is so wonderful to come across someone who is clearly passionate about what they do. I couldn't recommend Cyron more highly! read more

I'd like to report on my most positive experience working with the Fluteworld Grant Avenue store! I've spent most of my life as an avid violinist and chamber musician. During the "virus period," I found myself with a bit more time to explore new interests. I've actually also played the one-keyed baroque wooden flute for a long time, along with the recorder. Anyway, I got the idea to broaden my musical horizons and pursue learning the modern flute. When shopping for a new instrument, you're greeted with an incredible array of options available -- at all price points. Experience has taught me that you have to physically try out the instruments and close compare them with others. I therefore did not pursue an instrument online. I was looking for a first class instrument that could be my "lifetime flute." Fluteworld was an obvious San Francisco place to explore instruments. I made an appointment and worked with Lindsay in the shop. She was most patient and generous with her time, as I oriented myself with all the flute options. I generally succeeded in staying focused over my 2 hour visit. I did select a flute that particularly suited me -- a Miyazawa 202 (heavy-wall, plus all the extra trill, split-e, rollers, and gizmo features). I discovered during my visit that the body of the flute provides only a fraction of the instrument's ultimate playing experience. Special attention needs to be focused on the headjoint and embouchure hole. Fortunately, Fluteworld stocks a number of choices to explore. Miyazawa itself offers 5 different head cuts, not counting the addition of different metals to the riser and lip-plate. The way that a headjoint alters the sound and playability of a flute is remarkable. I went with the Miyazawa MX1 headjoint, with 958 sterling silver heavy-wall, plus 14k gold riser. All together, the flute "sounds expensive," without completely breaking the bank. I'm still developing my flute skills, but on a good day the flute has got a lovely clean tone, right up to the top notes, and smooth elegant mechanism. I'm most pleased! This instrument was my personal choice, but obviously your personal taste and playing style (and pocketbook!) will take you in your own direction. I do definitely recommend that you check out Fluteworld. read more

Like all the reviews mentioned, this store is "flute heaven". Lindsay was so patient with me and spent an afternoon helping me test out beginner flutes, and even giving me some tips to make me play better. There really is no better flute (or any other instrument) purchasing experience than this. I highly recommend the store and the shopping experience! read more