Top 5 Intermediate “Step Up” Piccolos

If you're an intermediate flutist ready to elevate your playing, upgrading to a wooden piccolo can make a world of difference. The piccolos in this guide, all priced under $3,000, offer a richer, warmer tone and a more refined playing experience that will help take your skills to the next level. From trusted brands to exceptional craftsmanship, these piccolos deliver reliable intonation and expressive sound, making them perfect for advancing musicians.

Wooden Piccolos Under $3,000

Resona by Burkart Piccolo - $2,950
First on the list is an instrument that seems to sell out as soon as we restock—no matter how many we get! The Resona by Burkart Piccolo features aged Tanzanian grenadilla wood and expert hand-cut headjoints, offering a warm, resonant sound. Crafted by a team led by Lillian Burkart, often called the “first lady of flute making,” this piccolo showcases solid silver fittings, the precise Burkart scale, and elegant key work to ensure balanced intonation, ease of play, and the unmatched reliability of a Burkart-crafted instrument.

Yamaha Piccolo Model YPC-62 - $2,607.99
The Yamaha YPC-62 Piccolo is crafted from grenadilla wood, delivering a rich, full sound that’s perfect for advanced players. We find Yamaha flutes and piccolos to be among the most reliable and well-made instruments on the market, and the Yamaha 62 is no exception.

Trevor James Blaze Piccolo - $1,825
The Trevor James Blaze Piccolo is designed specifically to make transitioning from flute to piccolo feel natural and effortless. This piccolo features a grenadilla wood body and a modified wave headjoint, offering a warm, full sound. With silver-plated keys, a Split E mechanism, and quality Pisoni pads, this piccolo is built for both comfort and reliability, making it ideal for advancing players.

Pearl Piccolo 165 - $1,944
The Pearl PFP-165E Piccolo is the one piccolo on this list that isn’t all wood. Instead, it brilliantly combines the warmth of a grenadilla wood headjoint with the durability of a Grenaditte body, offering a rich, resonant sound that’s more resistant to cracking than the all-wood piccolos on this list. With features like a silver-plated mechanism, pointed key arms, and Split E mechanism, this piccolo delivers professional performance and reliability in any playing environment.

Di Zhao Piccolo 201 - $1,850
The Di Zhao DZP-201 Piccolo features a grenadilla wood headjoint and body, delivering a warm, focused tone. Equipped with a silver-plated mechanism, Y-style key arms, and reliable Pisoni pads, this piccolo provides smooth, responsive playability at an exceptional value. It’s not every day that we get to collaborate with the very namesake of a brand, but Di Zhao himself remains at the helm of Di Zhao Flutes!