When I decided 7 years ago to purchase a new flute, I played hundreds of them. I immediately fell in love with the YFL-881. It still plays like new, and has never been serviced. The key response is very quick and very light. I bought a Yamaha EC headjoint with the flute, and then purchased a Powell headjoint later. The EC is a great headjoint. I bought the Powell because I liked the larger, more undercut tone hole.

I've played the Yamaha 881 through most of my undergrad and entire masters degree in flute performance. I love it. I added a Drelinger headjoint which just enhanced the sound.

I am extremely pleased with the quality and performance of the Yamaha 881. The sound projects extremely well, and the lower notes come out with greater ease than any flute I've ever tried. I love how quickly the keys respond, and the way the embouchure hole is cut works very well with my embouchure. In addition to all this, I like the way the keys feel against my fingers. If you are looking for a nice and high quality hand made flute, check this one out. I believe it to be great quality for its price range.

When some of my friends were paying twice as much for their flutes, I bought this one despite some skepticism. After putting a Drelinger headjoint on it, the low notes respond much better. I wouldn't pay more for a flute unless I went gold!