I've had this piccolo for a year now. At first I couldn't a sound below the low f. I tried a few more times, still without result. So I gave the piccolo to a female friend as a "present". After nearly a year she gave it back to me, having had it never played.
This time I tried again and, hey presto, I could a decent sound below the low f. So what happened in the year in between ? I decided to buy a Yamaha YPC -32 beginner model and practiced about two hours a day virtually every day.
So what did I learn from this ? If you're complete beginner or returner after many years, I recommend to buy a beginner model to avoid many wasted hours of frustation, or giving up completely. And, secondly, wait for at least 9 to 12 month before you step-up.
Finally, thirdly, put this piccolo on your wish list if you;re beginner or returner.
It has a semi-professional mellow sound, is made of durable material & the mechanism is excellent for fast play.