Product Reviews: Guo 'Tocco' Composite Flute

I've been borrowing a Tocco from the local flute shop for 2 weeks now, originally because I have a couple of kiddywinks due to make the transition from fife soon and I wanted to assure myself of the quality of the product before I suggest to parents the purchase of a plastic flute at this price.

I am thoroughly convinced of the value of this product for teaching young children due to it's light weight, ease of playing and after a full check of construction what I think will be a more durable option in the first couple of years than a cheap standard flute. The mechanism is put together in the same way as a standard flute and will therefore lend itself to repair and parts replacement. In addition 2 other features will in my opinion remove the 2 most common causes of a trip to the repair shop amongst young students;

1. The synthetic pads will not warp when the kid neglects to dry their flute
2. The flute come out of the case ready to play so that key mashing and twisting during assembly and packing away is a thing of the past.

The only slightly negative comment I might have is the pads/action is a little spongy, however a positive finger action overcomes this giving an overall good and quick response. An abundance of adjusment screws will also allow the teacher/repairer to fine tune as neccessary.

The case seems robust, not unlike something Bob the Builder might keep his laser level in, but then I didn't try to hit cricket balls with it. The case cover on the other hand is unlikely in my opinion to see it past the first year, but I'm sure Granny can provide a replacement when the need arises.

The sound is more like a wooden flute than a metal one and over the past 2 weeks I seem to have become possessed by the spirit of Chris Norman! From a player's point of view this flute lends itself well to folk music and music of the baroque and early classical period. I have in short thouroughly enjoyed playing on it and have no intention of returning it to the shop, but to purchase it. As a teacher and player I see a use for this instrument on the occassions where a wooden flute might be the choice if I had one or when I am very uncomfortable about my Miyazawa type II lying unattended in the presence of little people.

In short; an excellent choice for kiddywinks, but also lots of fun for the more serious player and an easy sell to your spouse if you need to convince them why you need a £450 plastic flute.