Adding Holes

Irish Flute
1

I have a Skip Healey 6 hole flute, as well as one of his 8 hole fifes.

I like having the extra holes: ‘C’ and ‘Eb’…

I’d like to find someone who able to add the ‘C’ and ‘Eb’ holes to the flute. Obviously, exact placement and hole cutting is paramount, which makes me less confident of a carpenter and more confident of someone well versed in the hole calculations and cutting.

Any suggestions?

Anthony

2

One option would be Maurice Reviol. (info@reviol.co.nz). A month ago I sent him an email regarding a low whistle. He responded within a few hours and I received shipment from New Zealand to the US relatively quickly. He is referenced on C&F regularly as doing excellent work adding keys to keyless flutes; exactly the precise hole drilling skills you need. His Facebook page is the best way to see his work.

Very good guy and excellent customer service.

His Low whistles are amazing–right up there with the best of the best.

3

Maurice Reviol is indeed a very good option.

Question for the OP though: Is Skip unwilling or unable to do the work for you? I know he relocated to Switzerland, but he’d be my first choice.

4

Maurice is seriously on his game. He has added keys to some of my flutes for a couple of folks and I saw the results–gorgeous work.

5

Why not check with Skip Healy himself? He’d seem like the obvious first choice.

6

Thanks for replies:

I have reached out to Skip…he was quick to respond with options…I replied within a day…and crickets. I reached out to him again and…crickets.
I have had similar past experience with Skip when he was still in RI…were he to respond, that would be my first choice…however, now…

Reviol makes wonderful flutes…I had one I sold a number of years ago which I should have kept…and I would like to avoid sending a flute half way around the world.

Anthony

7

Shame about Skip not following up with you. More than once.

Looks like you’re in the U.S., Kentucky is it? If you don’t want to ship to Maurice, your best bet is probably to simply start contacting U.S. based wooden flute makers to see who’s currently willing to take on this sort of work - often makers simply don’t have the time or interest in dealing with repairs or custom work on flutes not of their making.

Theoretically, any maker you find who is willing to do the work could contact Skip to request the hole sizes and locations. He may or may not respond, but it’s worth a try. Regardless, any competent U.S. maker should be able to do the work, if you can find one who’s interested.

8

Yes…I agree with all you say.

Jon Cornia said he would do the work (he does fantastic flute work), but I would need to supply hole location…difficult as he is in CA and I am in Louisville. Which may be the direction I end up taking.

Thanks