Yamaha YFL-222 Intermediate Flute for Student (International Version) Musical Instruments

This is the second Yamaha student flute I have purchased off of Amazon. Just like the first, this is authentic, looks great, plays well, and is half the price of what the local music shops sell it for. My daughter loves it. We had to buy a second one because marching band takes a toll on instruments and we needed a back up for when her older flute was in the shop or she forgot it somewhere. From what I was told, these are overstock flutes from different countries and as such, Yamaha will not honor the warranty. But the warranty really doesn’t cover anything anyway and you would have to pay for shipping there and back. Unless this has a major manufacturing flaw, you are better off bringing it to a local music shop. So far, so good with this flute.

Excellent quality, excellent tone. Makes the last three flutes I owned look bad! I’ve played for 45 years.. this is a really great silver flute!

I played the flute back in school 30+ years ago and have only recently picked it up again as a hobby. Off and on over the past 2 years, I’d been playing a used Yamaha YFL-221 that was in decent shape, but I decided to go for a brand new, slightly upgraded student flute.Like many others who have posted here, I was very concerned about the authenticity of this model given the seemingly low price for the Yamaha brand. I did a lot of research before finally pulling the trigger, and I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. Delivery was quick (2 business days), and when I took the flute out of the packaging I went over it with a fine-tooth comb. It was flawless: the overall appearance and quality of construction (pads, corks, screws, etc.) were exactly what I’ve come to expect from Yamaha. The sound is bright and the tone is quite good for a student flute. The pointed key arms add a classy touch, and the hard and soft cases and cleaning rod/cloths are nice inclusions.Overall, I think this was a great purchase. I hope to post a follow-up in the coming months when I’ve had a little more practice under my belt.

I was not sure if it is genuine or if it is fake as the price is much lower than the US version and its bag and box looks different than the US version and people had mentioned that they have bought lots of fake Yamaha flutes on Ebay. But I ordered and have it tested by a flute teacher. She told me it should be a genuine one and actually it sounds very good too! So very happy with my purchase and I recommend ordering it.

I waited until I had this flute for 6 months before writing this review. I took up the flute 8 months ago with a cheapie flute from the bay. After 2 months of self-study, I could not really play, but my interest was only increasing. So I got serious: bought this flute and got a music teacher to come to the house every week for an hour.Now I know enough to give a competent review:Everyone says you can’t buy a flute in a poke; trials and techs and repairmen and teachers must all be involved. That’s fine for someone who knows these people, but what if you’re just starting out and want to get an instrument without this support?This is where Yamaha shines. Go to any flute message board (I like the r/flute subreddit) and the ONLY flute anyone feels confident in suggesting buying blind is a Yamaha. Almost every thread goes like this: “What flute should I buy?” “Well, you have to get a team of 6 experts together to examine the offerings and xray your skull cavities while you play.” “Can’t I just pick up the Yamaha?” “Oh, sure, if you want to spend money.”I bought the YFL-222 blind because I’d had absolutely no flute training, but I made no misstep here. I LOVE this instrument and there’s a lot to love. It has become one of my most cherished possessions.It plays easy, the embouchure hole must be perfect. Low tones are mellow, highs are crisp. Attacks are easy, it responds to articulation effortlessly. I swear I can get nicer notes out of my 222 after 6 months than my teacher can get from his Artley after 6 decades. His Bb sounds like an ocarina while mine is a host of angels.I’ve played this heavily (even playing outdoors on occasion), the light patina that’s starting to form is attractive and soft. But the instrument looks just as pretty as when it was new. The screwheads, rods, springs all look unblemished and without corrosion. The pads look new and there are no leaks from the lowest to highest notes.The only 2 quibbles I can find:1. The hard case (inside the soft carrying case) has no handle. I like to tie my cleaning cloth to the outside of the case (so the wet rag isn’t in the case with the flute) and tying it to the handle would be great. I had to add a brass eyelet to the outside of the case to hold the rag, a handle would have been more elegant.2. The D# trill key is just a hair too close to the D key. With my huge mitts (I can palm a basketball) and thick fingers, I sometimes graze the trill key when fingering the D which renders it mute. I’ve been getting better at avoiding it. My teacher claims it’s a non-issue, if I was fingering correctly I’d be fine. But his Artley definitely has a few extra critical millimeters between those keys.The tone of this instrument is world class. It has been reliable, seems robust. Love it, makes me smile. I claim it’s the only flute that a student working alone can buy without risk.