Armstrong 103
A student-tier open-hole flute from Armstrong, a brand tracing to a 1931 Elkhart, Indiana repair shop and today part of Conn-Selmer, still built in Elkhart with top-adjusting screws specifically for ease of repair, per the manufacturer's own listing.
A student-tier open-hole flute from Armstrong, a brand tracing to a 1931 Elkhart, Indiana repair shop and today part of Conn-Selmer, still built in Elkhart with top-adjusting screws specifically for ease of repair, per the manufacturer's own listing. Suited to students ready for (or specifically wanting) open-hole keywork; less suited to an absolute first-time beginner than a closed-hole model.
Key specifications
| Manufacturer | Armstrong |
|---|---|
| Product status | Current |
| Body/Headjoint | Silver-plated nickel |
| Key Configuration | Open hole, Y-arm keywork |
| Foot/G Key | Inline G, C foot (per this listing; other 103-series variants offer offset G / B foot) |
| Adjustment | Top adjusting screws for ease of repair |
| Built | Elkhart, Indiana, USA |
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- Open-hole keywork is a genuine step-up feature versus fully closed-hole beginner flutes, encouraging correct hand position as students progress; top-adjusting screws are a documented ease-of-repair feature.
Weaknesses
- Open-hole configuration is a bigger adjustment for a true first-time beginner than the closed-hole ("plateau") flutes elsewhere in this guide; Armstrong sells several similarly-named 103-series variants (open/closed hole, inline/offset G, B/C foot), so confirming the exact configuration matters more than for a single-configuration competitor.
Playability and construction
Not assessed hands-on — this review is based on specification and market analysis (see the badge above), so no subjective playing-feel claim (response, intonation tendencies, resistance) is made here. See the Verdict below for what this assessment is and isn't.
Construction
Silver-plated nickel body and headjoint.
Competing models
Verdict
A student-tier open-hole flute from Armstrong, a brand tracing to a 1931 Elkhart, Indiana repair shop and today part of Conn-Selmer, still built in Elkhart with top-adjusting screws specifically for ease of repair, per the manufacturer's own listing. Suited to students ready for (or specifically wanting) open-hole keywork; less suited to an absolute first-time beginner than a closed-hole model. See our full The Best Beginner Flutes guide for how it compares to alternatives.
Where to buy
Prices and availability are checked periodically, not a real-time feed.
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