I am looking to buy a low D wooden flute. I can't afford to pay the going rate for a new one, so I am trying to buy a decent used one. I have found a few on auction sites that say they are in the key of DD. Is it safe to assume that they are talking about low D. If not, will DD be in the same key as a normal session (now there's an oxy-moron). Last time I checked DD was a bra size. Help please!
ps: If anyone has a low D flute they would like to sell me at a bargan basement price, let me know. Thanks yawl!!
D is the usual key for an Irish "concert" flute. You'd be well advised to spend some time learning more about what's available, what you need, and what you can afford to spend. Buying a bargain basement flute is not a really good idea for starters, as it should probably stay in the bargain basement. I know how you feel -- I would have bought a BB flute myself, but fortunately never had the chance. Boy, am I glad now.
Be careful when buying an used flute. Unfortunately, due to the popularity of Irish music, good antique flutes are more expensive than new flutes. Many cheap flutes that show up in eBay are just FLOs ("flute-like objects"). Try to ask someone knowledgeable before you buy, or be prepared to lose money.
Rather than buying an used flute, my recommendation is to buy a M&E or Seery plastic flute (M&E is http://www.irishflutes.net, Seery is http://www.csagraphics.com/seery.htm). I have a nice wooden flute now, but to be honest, my M&E sounds almost as good, and it cost a fraction of the price.
For wooden flutes, one of the best values (in terms of price and performance) is Hammy Hamilton (http://www.hamiltonflutes.com). Eamonn Cotter is also about the same price, but much harder to buy from, since he doesn't have email (but feel free to contact me if you want to try).
Email the maker, talk to the maker, ask questions, before you buy. Ask the maker if you'll be able to return the flute and get your money back if it doesn't work for you.
I agree with all that Glauber posted, there's some other options you might want to know about. I don't know if you know the difference between conical & cylindrical bores or not. In short conical bores are better but also cost more. That being said, if you just want a cheap cylindrical bored flute there are the Hamiltons but you can just as easily make one yourself for less than US$1 out of PVC http://www.cwo.com/~ph_kosel/designs.html
all you need is a couple of bits, some care & a drill. They are enough to get you started. However you will quickly outgrow it. Another cheap cylindrical is the Dixon Low-whistle/flute combo, plays very easily but again if you are serious you will quickly outgrow it. Up the ladder is Ralph Sweet's flutes, they are exactly what they are: good, cheap flutes. They are conical, you won't get the same quality that you'd get out of a super-duper expensive flute, but it will get you started. I myself am not a big fan of the plastic rings that are supposed to look like ivory and some of the other cosmetics on them. The M&E's & Seery's are also good picks as they are also conical. Another bonus is that a Seery or M&E make for good all weather low maintainance flutes, in other words playing at festivals, rowdy sessions etc (IOW you'll always have a second workhorse, which can be sat on by a drunk with little fear). I just bought a Skip Healy student flute which goes for US$500. It's blackwood, conical & the only difference between the student & the three piece is it only has one tenon (two pieces instead of three) they play just as well as his standard simple systems & have a nice balance. They go from smooth toned to reedy at the drop of a hat. They're also upgradable to three piece, keys etc.. You can try Ebay - sometimes you get a deal, sometimes you get what you paid for.
The M&E and Seery are serious flutes, and should keep you busy for at least one year. By the time you feel the need for something better, you will have a lot more knowledge about flutes and will be able to make an informed choice.
I think a Seery or an M&E are both nice & serious, they also could outlast a single year. I didn't go that route though due to my tight fiscal outlook on life - for another US$150 you could get a flute which is upgradable, when you'd like to move on you can more affordably. Healy will upgrade the student model for less than the cost of another flute. It grows with you. Contrary to most flute players outlook - how many flutes does one person need anyway? I think one good one is enough.
Brad, if by "upgradable" you mean keys can be added, this is true also of the M&E and Seery flutes. Glauber has previously said he doesn't like the keys as they're made for the M&E, and I have no first-hand experience of keys on either flute. But both makers do offer that "upgrade"--any number of keys can be added to your existing keyless M&E or Seery. Both makers also offer flutes in wood, though offhand I don't know what they cost or how well they play.
I don't know where dumpingsirkey lives, but the invincibility of the polymer flutes is a major blessing to those of us in seriously arid or otherwise extreme climates. They are the perfect travel flute--impervious to overheated car interiors and bumps to the luggage. And they consistently play and sound as well as wooden flutes at three times the price.
Another popular less-expensive flute is the bamboo model made by Patrick Olwell.
Bamboo is a nice sound, but typically with intonation problems due to cylindrical body. Also due to the cilyndrical body, the finger stretch in a D bamboo flute is brutal. I love bamboo flutes and have a number of them, but i wouldn't use one as my main Irish flute.
I have a 6-key Cotter now (that is, an 8-key minus the C and C# which he doesn't make). I love it. It's somewhat harder to "fill" than the M&E (due to Pratten style body), but excellent sound and nice box, as Ottery said.
I probably should set the record straight about M&E keys... I have a keyed M&E flute, a rather old one. The keys in it are not as pretty as you usually see in a keyed flute; they seem to have been bought rather than custom-made. I don't think he makes them. Probably because of this, there is a major problem with the G# and the long F; if you twist the flute the wrong way when disassembling, the G# hits the long F and bends it. I've done it 4 or 5 times, then cussed at myself, and then fixed it by carefully unbending the long F. It still works fine.
On the plus side, the keys work fine, don't leak, and have silicone pads, which will probably last longer than the flute.
Also, this is an older flute; maybe it's gotten better since, i don't know.
It pains me to say anything bad about the M&E flute. I like Michael Cronnolly dearly, and i know he sells a high-quality product for less than it costs him to produce it, for the love of the music. Keys are not his priority (he believes his flute is 100% chromatic without the keys). I don't know any other flute that's as loud and responsive and at the same time so easy to play.
Well keys are one; silver tenons & footjoints are another upgrade. I played a keyed plastic flute & the thing weighed alot. The keywork was clunky, it worked though. I would steer clear of bamboo flutes (except for the novelty aspect), they have a lot of disadvantages which you don't need when your learning. If I were you dumpingsirkey, I'd go with any of the flutes that Glauber gave a price list for above.
I bought one from Thom Larso at the Whistle Shop for less than US$200. It's a decent whistle. I got Bill Ochs, who I take a class with in Manhattan, to give it a try, and tell me if it was adequate for a beginner.
He seemed reasonably impressed. I wouldn't say that he liked it, but he seemed surprised that anything made of plastic would sound that good, and he thought it was definitely adequate for a beginner.
(Just to be clear, there are two different Dixon polymer flutes: the PVC straight bore, and the Delrin lathe-turned conic bore. This is the conic bore, which is the more expensive version. I haven't heard many nice things about the Dixon PVC.)
Gosh I suppose I should chime in since I did promise to keep everyone updated on my flute buying endeavor. (see post called flute shopping if you want to know more that I won't got into here)
Over the summer, I contacted several makers, including everyone mentioned on this page, plus a few more. I should mention I contacted them all by email. All makers responded with amiable & timely responses, but usually with a waiting list requirement. Actually I never did hear back from Skip Healy, sorry Brad, but since he makes mostly Prattens & I was looking for a Rudall & Rose, it turned out OK anyway.
So this is the hard part, but I guess I need to talk about it. Michael Cronnolly from M&E sent me a polymer keyless D flute in his new Rudall & Rose style, without asking for a deposit or anything! I was so thrilled to get this little bitty package postmarked Ireland, so small it could fit in my post office box. Anyway, for the most part, it played beautifully! I was absolutely thrilled!!! Especially b/c I live in high desert country & was concerned, like Will, about the humidity. However as I played it more, I began to realize the C# (no fingers down) was really flat. Almost a complete Cnat. I tuned to A440, I rolled out, I sit up straight, I attempted every compensation that 20+ years of semi-professional flute playing could offer me, but I really started picking up some bad habits. My first clue was when I went to play Star of Munster, which the first note is a Cnat. As I have mentioned before, I have been trying to unlearn the classical fingering for Cnat, & that weekend was a contra dance, & what I found was that it was easier & more in tune to play the C# open to achieve the pitch of a Cnat.
OK, not a big deal you say. Cnat is probably not that important a note in ITM to worry about right? Well glauber can tell you, when I was in possession of this flute, I absolutely agonized with myself, second-guessing my own ear, my own abilities, etc. I asked Mr. Cronnolly what he thought, he said I should try it a little longer & build up the 'mussels' in my face lol, his spelling! He also said he had played my specific flute before sending it, & really enjoyed it. That made me feel so awful, let me tell you!!! But in the end, I realized I was picking up some really really bad habits, & I did send the flute back. *sob* I wanted nothing more that to adore this flute, & establish a relationship with great maker, esp one as esteemed as Michael Cronnolly! I still feel conflicted about my ultimate decision, but whenever I do, I remember sitting in my practice room (the laundry room with the best acoustics haha) & just absolutely struggling, & after a while, just didn't even want to practice since all my time was devoted to struggling with this one or two note problem.
The super duper happy ending, is that I bought a Rudall & Rose blackwood by Casey Burns. He specializes in flutes for 'small hands' which I thought one of my problems might be & so contacted him. I even sent him a tracing of my hands, & he said we had almost exactly the same hand size as him! The flute that arrived surpassed my wildest expectations. So beautiful! & so easy to play, so warm, forgiving, responsive, & 100% in tune, like breathing.
So the moral of this story, is, well, I don't know exactly. If the M&E polymer R&R improves in the future, I will scarf one up in a second, but I have actually heard of this happening to other ppl, ie intonation problems. I am nervous about the care of my wooden flute, but have oil, & humidifier etc. I would love nothing better than to send M&E my money & get a practically indestuctible instrument that can withstand both sessions, camping & climate changes, but in the meantime, Casey Burns has provided me with excellent service, advice, & a gorgeous instrument, for under $1,000. I'm thinking of adding a G# & Fnat key later, but as Brad said in another post, any flutist worth her salt should be able to half-hole a Fnat, so I guess I'll see how that goes for a while.
Emily, congratulations on your new flute! I'm sure it will do just fine in the desert, unless it gets snatched by a coyote. You did the right thing returning the M&E. Hopefully it will be a good flute for someone else.
I have no experience with the new "Rudall" M&E model, BTW, just the old traditional one (which has finger holes and spacing like a Rudall, but is not contoured nicely, it's just basically a straight cone). I've heard good and bad things about the "Rudall" model. I expect that he'll iron out the problems with time.
Wow, the Casey Bruns flute sounds terrific! Thanks too for posting his web site link---aaaaarrrrggghhhh...not *another* choice in the grand offerings of wooden flutes!!!
BTW, at last night's session I got to play a Dave Copely keyless D flute in balckwood, which the owner says cost him around $600 US. Easy to fill, the Copely really stood out on the low octave, rich and full with that trad reedy sound all the way down to and including the low D. Great volume, good intonation, and well constructed--a great flute and a real bargain.
I'm on a 12 month waiting list for a keyless Olwell flute which will probably run something like $1200 to $1300. (I'm also on his 7-8 yr waiting list for a keyed flute-by then hopefully I'll deserve it)
I recently saw Mike and Mary Rafferty perform at a small intimate concert in Vermont. Mike was playing a keyless Olwell and it sounded great. I like the loud bark of his pratten flutes and I hear that they are very easy to fill. Great session flutes....can't wait for mine.
My former flute teacher, Brad Hurley has said good things about the Dave Copely flutes. Actually, he has a great wooden flute website with a directory of flute makers.
I heard that Matt Molloy had his Olwell stolen. I forgot who told me that one. But I've heard about his old pratten boozie flute that is extremely hard to fill from several people. I guess he got so used to it and played it so long that it was second nature to him. I wonder what his son Peter plays.
To answer the question about the flutes played by the two Molloys - I'm friends with Peter and he plays a blackwood, keyed Olwell Pratten, which came with an interchangable Eb, unkeyed section as well. He tells me his dad plays an Olwell these days also. I know for a fact that Matt also has had at least two of Mike Grinter's flutes, but seemed to prefer the Olwell. One of the Grinters he owned, a keyed model in cocus, is now in the posession of a Boston musician and I had the chance to give it a go.... it is one of those flutes that seemed to play itself.... truly sublime.
I was playing with the lads at Matt Molloy's in Westport a couple weeks ago during a visit to Ireland and sat next to a young flute player who said that Mike Grinter had made Matt a fully keyed acanthus leaf model D flute in cocus with 6 diferent headjoints and sent it to him to have along with the headjoint of his choice. Apparently Matt's preference, as I mentioned before, was the Olwell. So the lucky young flute player, 15 at the time, got posession of the Grinter and all the headjoints for about 6 months before Matt sent it back.
Now, this is certainly not to suggest that Olwells are better than Grinters or vice versa - it's just a matter of personal preference. After-all, Kevin Crawford, Mike McGoldrick, Brian Finnegan, Sylvain Barou and Gilles LeHart are all playing Grinters now!
Best,
Chris
And the waiting period for a Grinter, isn't it something like 5 years now? They're beautiful instruments, though i'm not likely to cross paths with one soon (need to stay closer to Earth).
I recently re-visited my M&E keyed flute because i friend needed to borrow it. I feel i should put the record straight again, just in case. I initially bought that flute thinking it would be a good way to learn how to use a keyed simple-system flute. I had trouble with the keys, and i assumed they were bad. Now i have a nice 6-key Eamonn Cotter flute (Pratten body), and man, i have to say, the keys in it are fnger busters too! In fact, they're worse than in the M&E.
Now, going back to the M&E, i can say that the keys in it feel comfortable when compared to other keyed simple-system flutes. In fact, after playing keyed simple-system flutes for a few months, i understand much better the motivation to create the modern (Boehm) flute. Boehm's keywork is a work of genius, always under your fingers and unobtrusive.
Anyway, i just didn't want to do Michael Cronnolly more of a disservice. His keys may not be pretty, and there's the problem with the long f colliding with the g# which i hope he figured out how to fix, but they work as well as it can be expected.
Flute buying question
Flute buying question
I am looking to buy a low D wooden flute. I can't afford to pay the going rate for a new one, so I am trying to buy a decent used one. I have found a few on auction sites that say they are in the key of DD. Is it safe to assume that they are talking about low D. If not, will DD be in the same key as a normal session (now there's an oxy-moron). Last time I checked DD was a bra size. Help please!
ps: If anyone has a low D flute they would like to sell me at a bargan basement price, let me know. Thanks yawl!!
# Posted on October 21st 2002 by dumpingsirkey
Re: Flute buying question
D is the usual key for an Irish "concert" flute. You'd be well advised to spend some time learning more about what's available, what you need, and what you can afford to spend. Buying a bargain basement flute is not a really good idea for starters, as it should probably stay in the bargain basement. I know how you feel -- I would have bought a BB flute myself, but fortunately never had the chance. Boy, am I glad now.
Check out http://www.woodenflute.com, and Brad Hurley's flute site at http://www.firescribble.net/flute/index.html There's lots to learn and think about before you head down to the old bargain bin...
# Posted on October 21st 2002 by Gzeg
Re: Flute buying question
Be careful when buying an used flute. Unfortunately, due to the popularity of Irish music, good antique flutes are more expensive than new flutes. Many cheap flutes that show up in eBay are just FLOs ("flute-like objects"). Try to ask someone knowledgeable before you buy, or be prepared to lose money.
Rather than buying an used flute, my recommendation is to buy a M&E or Seery plastic flute (M&E is http://www.irishflutes.net, Seery is http://www.csagraphics.com/seery.htm). I have a nice wooden flute now, but to be honest, my M&E sounds almost as good, and it cost a fraction of the price.
For wooden flutes, one of the best values (in terms of price and performance) is Hammy Hamilton (http://www.hamiltonflutes.com). Eamonn Cotter is also about the same price, but much harder to buy from, since he doesn't have email (but feel free to contact me if you want to try).
Email the maker, talk to the maker, ask questions, before you buy. Ask the maker if you'll be able to return the flute and get your money back if it doesn't work for you.
Good luck!
g
# Posted on October 21st 2002 by glauber
BTW, i didn't want it to sound so harsh. It may be ok to lose money in eBay, and it's probably part of the fun. Just be careful.
# Posted on October 21st 2002 by glauber
Re: Flute buying question
I agree with all that Glauber posted, there's some other options you might want to know about. I don't know if you know the difference between conical & cylindrical bores or not. In short conical bores are better but also cost more. That being said, if you just want a cheap cylindrical bored flute there are the Hamiltons but you can just as easily make one yourself for less than US$1 out of PVC http://www.cwo.com/~ph_kosel/designs.html
all you need is a couple of bits, some care & a drill. They are enough to get you started. However you will quickly outgrow it. Another cheap cylindrical is the Dixon Low-whistle/flute combo, plays very easily but again if you are serious you will quickly outgrow it. Up the ladder is Ralph Sweet's flutes, they are exactly what they are: good, cheap flutes. They are conical, you won't get the same quality that you'd get out of a super-duper expensive flute, but it will get you started. I myself am not a big fan of the plastic rings that are supposed to look like ivory and some of the other cosmetics on them. The M&E's & Seery's are also good picks as they are also conical. Another bonus is that a Seery or M&E make for good all weather low maintainance flutes, in other words playing at festivals, rowdy sessions etc (IOW you'll always have a second workhorse, which can be sat on by a drunk with little fear). I just bought a Skip Healy student flute which goes for US$500. It's blackwood, conical & the only difference between the student & the three piece is it only has one tenon (two pieces instead of three) they play just as well as his standard simple systems & have a nice balance. They go from smooth toned to reedy at the drop of a hat. They're also upgradable to three piece, keys etc.. You can try Ebay - sometimes you get a deal, sometimes you get what you paid for.
# Posted on October 22nd 2002 by B Rad
Re: Flute buying question
Here's the link to the Healy student model http://www.skiphealy.com/frames/fr_instruments.htm
# Posted on October 22nd 2002 by B Rad
Re: Flute buying question
The M&E and Seery are serious flutes, and should keep you busy for at least one year. By the time you feel the need for something better, you will have a lot more knowledge about flutes and will be able to make an informed choice.
g
# Posted on October 22nd 2002 by glauber
Re: Flute buying question
I think a Seery or an M&E are both nice & serious, they also could outlast a single year. I didn't go that route though due to my tight fiscal outlook on life - for another US$150 you could get a flute which is upgradable, when you'd like to move on you can more affordably. Healy will upgrade the student model for less than the cost of another flute. It grows with you. Contrary to most flute players outlook - how many flutes does one person need anyway? I think one good one is enough.
# Posted on October 22nd 2002 by B Rad
Re: Flute buying question
By all means, do that then.
In terms of prices, more or less, you have:
Dixon (polymer): US$300 (150 pounds)
M&E or Seery: US$400
Healy entry-level US$500
Hamilton or Cotter keyless US$600 (635 Euro)
So there you have it. Personally, any of these would have served me well. As i keep saying, my M&E still plays very nicely.
# Posted on October 22nd 2002 by glauber
Re: Flute buying question
Brad, if by "upgradable" you mean keys can be added, this is true also of the M&E and Seery flutes. Glauber has previously said he doesn't like the keys as they're made for the M&E, and I have no first-hand experience of keys on either flute. But both makers do offer that "upgrade"--any number of keys can be added to your existing keyless M&E or Seery. Both makers also offer flutes in wood, though offhand I don't know what they cost or how well they play.
I don't know where dumpingsirkey lives, but the invincibility of the polymer flutes is a major blessing to those of us in seriously arid or otherwise extreme climates. They are the perfect travel flute--impervious to overheated car interiors and bumps to the luggage. And they consistently play and sound as well as wooden flutes at three times the price.
Another popular less-expensive flute is the bamboo model made by Patrick Olwell.
# Posted on October 22nd 2002 by Will Harmon
Re: Flute buying question
Bamboo is a nice sound, but typically with intonation problems due to cylindrical body. Also due to the cilyndrical body, the finger stretch in a D bamboo flute is brutal. I love bamboo flutes and have a number of them, but i wouldn't use one as my main Irish flute.
# Posted on October 22nd 2002 by glauber
Re: Flute buying question
I bought a keyless blackwood flute from Eamonn Cotter about three years ago. It cost
# Posted on October 22nd 2002 by Ottery
Cotter
I have a 6-key Cotter now (that is, an 8-key minus the C and C# which he doesn't make). I love it. It's somewhat harder to "fill" than the M&E (due to Pratten style body), but excellent sound and nice box, as Ottery said.
# Posted on October 22nd 2002 by glauber
M&E Keys
I probably should set the record straight about M&E keys... I have a keyed M&E flute, a rather old one. The keys in it are not as pretty as you usually see in a keyed flute; they seem to have been bought rather than custom-made. I don't think he makes them. Probably because of this, there is a major problem with the G# and the long F; if you twist the flute the wrong way when disassembling, the G# hits the long F and bends it. I've done it 4 or 5 times, then cussed at myself, and then fixed it by carefully unbending the long F. It still works fine.
On the plus side, the keys work fine, don't leak, and have silicone pads, which will probably last longer than the flute.
Also, this is an older flute; maybe it's gotten better since, i don't know.
It pains me to say anything bad about the M&E flute. I like Michael Cronnolly dearly, and i know he sells a high-quality product for less than it costs him to produce it, for the love of the music. Keys are not his priority (he believes his flute is 100% chromatic without the keys). I don't know any other flute that's as loud and responsive and at the same time so easy to play.
g
# Posted on October 22nd 2002 by glauber
Re: Flute buying question
Well keys are one; silver tenons & footjoints are another upgrade. I played a keyed plastic flute & the thing weighed alot. The keywork was clunky, it worked though. I would steer clear of bamboo flutes (except for the novelty aspect), they have a lot of disadvantages which you don't need when your learning. If I were you dumpingsirkey, I'd go with any of the flutes that Glauber gave a price list for above.
# Posted on October 22nd 2002 by B Rad
Re: Flute buying question
I highly recommend the Dixon polymer conic...
I bought one from Thom Larso at the Whistle Shop for less than US$200. It's a decent whistle. I got Bill Ochs, who I take a class with in Manhattan, to give it a try, and tell me if it was adequate for a beginner.
He seemed reasonably impressed. I wouldn't say that he liked it, but he seemed surprised that anything made of plastic would sound that good, and he thought it was definitely adequate for a beginner.
(Just to be clear, there are two different Dixon polymer flutes: the PVC straight bore, and the Delrin lathe-turned conic bore. This is the conic bore, which is the more expensive version. I haven't heard many nice things about the Dixon PVC.)
# Posted on October 22nd 2002 by MarkCC
Re: Flute buying question
Gosh I suppose I should chime in since I did promise to keep everyone updated on my flute buying endeavor. (see post called flute shopping if you want to know more that I won't got into here)
Over the summer, I contacted several makers, including everyone mentioned on this page, plus a few more. I should mention I contacted them all by email. All makers responded with amiable & timely responses, but usually with a waiting list requirement. Actually I never did hear back from Skip Healy, sorry Brad, but since he makes mostly Prattens & I was looking for a Rudall & Rose, it turned out OK anyway.
So this is the hard part, but I guess I need to talk about it. Michael Cronnolly from M&E sent me a polymer keyless D flute in his new Rudall & Rose style, without asking for a deposit or anything! I was so thrilled to get this little bitty package postmarked Ireland, so small it could fit in my post office box. Anyway, for the most part, it played beautifully! I was absolutely thrilled!!! Especially b/c I live in high desert country & was concerned, like Will, about the humidity. However as I played it more, I began to realize the C# (no fingers down) was really flat. Almost a complete Cnat. I tuned to A440, I rolled out, I sit up straight, I attempted every compensation that 20+ years of semi-professional flute playing could offer me, but I really started picking up some bad habits. My first clue was when I went to play Star of Munster, which the first note is a Cnat. As I have mentioned before, I have been trying to unlearn the classical fingering for Cnat, & that weekend was a contra dance, & what I found was that it was easier & more in tune to play the C# open to achieve the pitch of a Cnat.
OK, not a big deal you say. Cnat is probably not that important a note in ITM to worry about right? Well glauber can tell you, when I was in possession of this flute, I absolutely agonized with myself, second-guessing my own ear, my own abilities, etc. I asked Mr. Cronnolly what he thought, he said I should try it a little longer & build up the 'mussels' in my face lol, his spelling! He also said he had played my specific flute before sending it, & really enjoyed it. That made me feel so awful, let me tell you!!! But in the end, I realized I was picking up some really really bad habits, & I did send the flute back. *sob* I wanted nothing more that to adore this flute, & establish a relationship with great maker, esp one as esteemed as Michael Cronnolly! I still feel conflicted about my ultimate decision, but whenever I do, I remember sitting in my practice room (the laundry room with the best acoustics haha) & just absolutely struggling, & after a while, just didn't even want to practice since all my time was devoted to struggling with this one or two note problem.
The super duper happy ending, is that I bought a Rudall & Rose blackwood by Casey Burns. He specializes in flutes for 'small hands' which I thought one of my problems might be & so contacted him. I even sent him a tracing of my hands, & he said we had almost exactly the same hand size as him! The flute that arrived surpassed my wildest expectations. So beautiful! & so easy to play, so warm, forgiving, responsive, & 100% in tune, like breathing.
So the moral of this story, is, well, I don't know exactly. If the M&E polymer R&R improves in the future, I will scarf one up in a second, but I have actually heard of this happening to other ppl, ie intonation problems. I am nervous about the care of my wooden flute, but have oil, & humidifier etc. I would love nothing better than to send M&E my money & get a practically indestuctible instrument that can withstand both sessions, camping & climate changes, but in the meantime, Casey Burns has provided me with excellent service, advice, & a gorgeous instrument, for under $1,000. I'm thinking of adding a G# & Fnat key later, but as Brad said in another post, any flutist worth her salt should be able to half-hole a Fnat, so I guess I'll see how that goes for a while.
In closing, after this ramble, here is Casey Burns' website. http://kendaco.telebyte.com/cburns/
Good luck!
# Posted on October 22nd 2002 by emily_bmore
Re: Flute buying question
Emily, congratulations on your new flute! I'm sure it will do just fine in the desert, unless it gets snatched by a coyote. You did the right thing returning the M&E. Hopefully it will be a good flute for someone else.
I have no experience with the new "Rudall" M&E model, BTW, just the old traditional one (which has finger holes and spacing like a Rudall, but is not contoured nicely, it's just basically a straight cone). I've heard good and bad things about the "Rudall" model. I expect that he'll iron out the problems with time.
g
# Posted on October 23rd 2002 by glauber
Re: Flute buying question
Wow, the Casey Bruns flute sounds terrific! Thanks too for posting his web site link---aaaaarrrrggghhhh...not *another* choice in the grand offerings of wooden flutes!!!
BTW, at last night's session I got to play a Dave Copely keyless D flute in balckwood, which the owner says cost him around $600 US. Easy to fill, the Copely really stood out on the low octave, rich and full with that trad reedy sound all the way down to and including the low D. Great volume, good intonation, and well constructed--a great flute and a real bargain.
# Posted on October 23rd 2002 by Will Harmon
Re: Flute buying question
I'm on a 12 month waiting list for a keyless Olwell flute which will probably run something like $1200 to $1300. (I'm also on his 7-8 yr waiting list for a keyed flute-by then hopefully I'll deserve it)
I recently saw Mike and Mary Rafferty perform at a small intimate concert in Vermont. Mike was playing a keyless Olwell and it sounded great. I like the loud bark of his pratten flutes and I hear that they are very easy to fill. Great session flutes....can't wait for mine.
My former flute teacher, Brad Hurley has said good things about the Dave Copely flutes. Actually, he has a great wooden flute website with a directory of flute makers.
http://www.firescribble.net/flute/index.html
Joyce
# Posted on October 23rd 2002 by JMH
Olwell
This is what Matt Molloy uses, right? Has got to be good.
g
# Posted on October 24th 2002 by glauber
Re: Flute buying question
I heard that Matt Molloy had his Olwell stolen. I forgot who told me that one. But I've heard about his old pratten boozie flute that is extremely hard to fill from several people. I guess he got so used to it and played it so long that it was second nature to him. I wonder what his son Peter plays.
Joyce
# Posted on October 25th 2002 by JMH
Matt Molloy's
So it was, according to this:
http://www.firescribble.net/flute/loststolen.html
Bummer, looks like it was a very nice flute.
Here's the interview where Matt talks about some of his flutes and preaches the gospel of Olwell:
http://www.firescribble.net/flute/molloy.html
# Posted on October 25th 2002 by glauber
Interviews
There are many good interviews in that site, including with Olwell and Eamon Cotter. I've read each one several times:
http://www.firescribble.net/flute/interviews.html
# Posted on October 25th 2002 by glauber
Matt and Peter Molloy
To answer the question about the flutes played by the two Molloys - I'm friends with Peter and he plays a blackwood, keyed Olwell Pratten, which came with an interchangable Eb, unkeyed section as well. He tells me his dad plays an Olwell these days also. I know for a fact that Matt also has had at least two of Mike Grinter's flutes, but seemed to prefer the Olwell. One of the Grinters he owned, a keyed model in cocus, is now in the posession of a Boston musician and I had the chance to give it a go.... it is one of those flutes that seemed to play itself.... truly sublime.
I was playing with the lads at Matt Molloy's in Westport a couple weeks ago during a visit to Ireland and sat next to a young flute player who said that Mike Grinter had made Matt a fully keyed acanthus leaf model D flute in cocus with 6 diferent headjoints and sent it to him to have along with the headjoint of his choice. Apparently Matt's preference, as I mentioned before, was the Olwell. So the lucky young flute player, 15 at the time, got posession of the Grinter and all the headjoints for about 6 months before Matt sent it back.
Now, this is certainly not to suggest that Olwells are better than Grinters or vice versa - it's just a matter of personal preference. After-all, Kevin Crawford, Mike McGoldrick, Brian Finnegan, Sylvain Barou and Gilles LeHart are all playing Grinters now!
Best,
Chris
# Posted on October 27th 2002 by ChrisLaughlin
Grinter
And the waiting period for a Grinter, isn't it something like 5 years now? They're beautiful instruments, though i'm not likely to cross paths with one soon (need to stay closer to Earth).
# Posted on October 27th 2002 by glauber
M&E Keys again
I recently re-visited my M&E keyed flute because i friend needed to borrow it. I feel i should put the record straight again, just in case. I initially bought that flute thinking it would be a good way to learn how to use a keyed simple-system flute. I had trouble with the keys, and i assumed they were bad. Now i have a nice 6-key Eamonn Cotter flute (Pratten body), and man, i have to say, the keys in it are fnger busters too! In fact, they're worse than in the M&E.
Now, going back to the M&E, i can say that the keys in it feel comfortable when compared to other keyed simple-system flutes. In fact, after playing keyed simple-system flutes for a few months, i understand much better the motivation to create the modern (Boehm) flute. Boehm's keywork is a work of genius, always under your fingers and unobtrusive.
Anyway, i just didn't want to do Michael Cronnolly more of a disservice. His keys may not be pretty, and there's the problem with the long f colliding with the g# which i hope he figured out how to fix, but they work as well as it can be expected.
g
# Posted on December 5th 2002 by glauber