I'm in such agreement Kenny. My Flute is a Yamaha Solid silver headed flute, a higher end student flute. But I much prefer playing my cheap Chinese Alto flute, which has the unfortunate name of Parrot. My old sax repair guy hated Parrots. If read on the internet how bad they are and many complaints of how it's not possible to play low C (which is actually G) because the metal is too soft for the key work to hold it's shape. This is rubbish, I've had it years now, and it's fine. They just need to get theirs sorted, it's more likely they just had some small leaks that mounted up.
When I came travelling, I took the cheap Alto, despite being bigger, because I new if somesthing happened to it, it's replacement would be be better, simply because I am playing the worse alto flute. However the yamaha would get replaced with the same and would cost more to get the same.
I sold my Baritone, it just wasn't practical, I loved the experience of playing it. But again if I would replace it, I would get better, so maybe something to return to in years to come.
My Soprano sax is probably the most expensive instrument I own. Yanagisawa make great sopranos, are renowned for it, and even though it's the bottom of their range, they do not make student flutes. My ex (the one I get the name Scoot from) paid about 2/3rds of the price 10 years ago as a thank you for taking time off work, and renovating her house in Manchester, that she then sold for big profit. I can't sell this, it has a story that is personal to me. When I looked into having this shipped or taking as hand luggage, I looked up the weight on the shop I bought it from and was stunned to see its now new value. It's twice what we paid.
So I have a Flute in C, a Flute in G and Soprano in Bb. So when I learn a melody, I learn iit to play all three keys on all three instruments. I have really noticed how my ability to transpose has come along. Once I have the initial melody learnt, and the phrasing down, I can work out the rest.
My new steps into playing the guitar are really having positive effect on my confidence to tackle chord progression. I get the theory, I just afraid of it. I'm stuck in modal playing of my winds. I am hoping this will break me out of it.
Having bought an Epiphone, I am assured that they make a good enough standard of instrument for me, I don't need to kid myself I need more. So looking at Fender's Squier J and P basses, I don't have any hesitation in investing in one. I'm living in a Hotel at the moment, waiting for Work Permits, Apostilles and Document to be legalised, and my probation period to end, so It will be a few months at least before I buy anything. In the meantime I can work on scales in a few positions and arpeggios, something that will transfer over to the bass. So when I finally get it, it will feel more familiar, and I can just focus on my getting my right had to catch up with my left.
The acoustic guitar I picked up in Vietnam is Japanese, funnily a Suzuki. So I play a Yamaha Flute and a Suzuki Guitar. It's a good enough quality it plays pretty nice from what I can tell, and from when other more adept have picked it up.
With a Bass I think I'll be completing my set up, Being able to bass, chords on the guitars, melody and harmonizing lines on the winds. Before I have to suppliment with anything from within Sonar. I'm just glad for things like TH2 and Markbass, so I don't have to get Amp envy.
Sorry all my posts seem quite long in this thread