Are there many other Scandinavian flautists here? I’m flying to Ireland for the summer tomorrow and I’m going to try and get my first wooden flute (played Yamaha for 12 years ). Any tips for making it not crack in two because of the wheather when I come back home? And wgat do you think would be the best wood for this climate (dry and cold in winter, wet in the summer)?
I’ve also heard of this guy in Stockholm who makes wooden flutes. Any info on that?
My flute (by Hammy Hamilton) arrived to Finland in the dead of the winter. At first I did nothing to keep the humidity balanced, but when the rings started coming loose I started spraying some water into the case when the flute wasn’t present. It helped. In the summer there’s obviously no need to do so. Seasonal oiling helps keep the flute healthy as well.
You can also keep a damp piece of cloth in the case to maintain the certain level of humidity. (And btw this does not mean that one is allowed to neglect swabbing the flute dry after playing, you don’t want to get loads of moisture into the bore of the flute in an unbalanced way)
Have you thought of a maker t contact yet/have you got something sorted out already?
I’ve not got a maker ready but I have some recommendations and phone numbers so I think I’ll try those.
Lennän tosiaan huomenna kaverini kanssa Dubliniin, ollaan siellä yksi yö ja jatketaan sunnuntaina Galwayhin bussilla. Limerickin suunnalla on siis suomalaisia, vai? Asutko vai kyläiletkö?
I am slightly curious about the recommendations - always interesting to know what kind of information has found its way to Finnish brains.
In Galway you might be able to score a keyless Sam Murray flute from a music shop. There are loads of people here that’ll tell you that you can’t really go wrong with Murray. Otherwise there would be some waiting included, although the price might be lower when buying straight from the lion’s den. Another maker in Galway whose flutes I’ve had the pleasure of trying out is Glenn Watson. He might still be one of the best kept secrets around … oops.
Asun täällä vielä kuukauden. Sitten vähän kierrellään ja katsellaan. Kaustiselle pitäisi ehtiä keikalle.
If you’re really worried about the flute cracking, you can always get an M&E or Seery. However, as Markus points out it’s more than possible to have a wooden flute in Scandinavia.
Many people don’t know this, but Seery also makes wooden keyed flutes, though I have heard from some people that they can be a bit of a ‘challenge’ get setup properly. But if you are going to be near Co. Wicklow in your travels, it might be worth the effort to swing by his shop in Bray. You would be surprised the people you meet when you go to flute maker’s workshops…
i never say flautist for classical, i prefer flutist. for irish music, i say flute player; its all a matter of preference. there is nothing wrong with any term i dont think, as long as one makes sure to not call tunes songs or songs tunes!
I live in Sweden and have two wooden flutes: one wooden flute developed a crack in the head joint in Feburary one year, a couple of months after it came from New Hampshire. It didn´t affect the playing, but the maker made a new head joint for the flute. The other flute a Dave Williams is 24 years old has lived in Sweden all it´s life and is fine. I brought a Martin Doyle keyless in 1998 and the second winter in Sweden the head joint & barrell split open, right througn the embouchure hole too, so there you go. With the two flutes I use now I make sure during the winter that when not being played they both reside in their cases inside a plastic bag with a piece of damp sponge. So, yes it´s ok to have wooden flutes here as long as you take a few simple precautions.
Yup, if a flute is made where it’s humid, then it’s likely to crack if it ends up in an environment that gets significantly drier. Best to find out what the range of Relative Humidity is where the maker lives/works, and then set-up a storage environment for the flute that comes close to the same RH.
If you get a chance to be any where near Bray, I would certainly stop in and see Des Seery, he makes great flutes made from Wood or Delrin. He will make you an awsome keyed flute for less than most other makers and he stands behind his instruments 110% I have played both wooden and Delrin from Seery. I prefer the Delrin my self. It has the same tone but I don’t worry about it cracking, shrinking, chipping, breaking or worry about having to put it up. but thats me. They have a great sound with a lot of bark and are very responsive. Another little known fact is that he makes whistles as well. I have a Fred Rose whistle in blackwood. It is a very nice whistle, but after trying Seery’s I am thinking about selling my Rose as the Seery plays better.
It’s not Finland, but in Colorado we get pretty cold in the winter and the air in our houses gets pretty dry.
I have a couple of relatively inexpensive wooden flutes and have not had cracking problems with any of them. None of these flutes have metal anywhere. I’m under the impression that lined heads are the problem area - the wood dries, shrinks, but the metal liner does not. Crack.
If you’re going keyless, you might consider the all-wood option.
My wife has a nice wood clarinet. She has had its metal rings reglued a couple of times. She uses a plastic film can with a couple of holes punched in the lid. Fill the can with cotton and dampen (not soak) the cotton. Put that in the case - instant cheap humidifier.
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). Any tips for making it not crack in two because of the wheather when I come back home? And wgat do you think would be the best wood for this climate (dry and cold in winter, wet in the summer)?
