Sometimes I (briefly) play my
low D Chieftain like a transverse
flute, blowing sideways over
the window. Doesn’t sound half
bad, and it occurs to me that
a transverse flute made with
an Overton or Chieftain body
might sound very good, or at
least different in an interesting
way. Also wouldn’t cost a
whole lot to make.
Any opinions? Is this design
practical? What would it
sound like?
Hammy makes a practice flute that sounds like you describe, out of a metal alloy. Very inexpensive and (I’m told) a fair intro to a simple system flute if you don’t want to go the cane flute route.
Check out http://www.cavewinds.com for some nice looking alloy flutes. These might be pretty decent, judging from the website. The price is pretty lucrative, too. Has anyone tried one of these? Who’s up for doing a review?
Micah
Hmm, interesting idea. However, his order page says that he’s not taking orders at present, and that page shows as being last updated in June of 2001…
Loren
Loren,
Yes, a bit of a lag…perhaps that’s a website thing, not a flute thing? At any rate, the only way to find out is to contact the fellow, which is what I’m going to do. I’ll let you all know what the response is.
Micah
Incidentally I’ve played someone else’s Alba (the Scottish whistle company) alloy flutes. It looked like a alluminium tube with holes in it, was cylindrical and the sound was that of a metal pipe. On the whole it wasn’t that good but it did produce 2 octaves when you blow it, so I guess it might be able to act as a beginner flute. I’ll play the M&E Rudall over that anytime though.
I’ve got an alu. low d whistle with a flute head joint - it’s a bugger to play put has a nice breathy tone like low whistle or shacuhatchi(?), very different from a wood flute. It looses it when you want to get it playing loud but sounds o.k. in the second octave - can’t remember who made it, so maybe different maker’s would play easier - it’s all in the blowhole!
Alloy flutes already been done…known as Boehm 
Of course then we’re back into the cycle of metal flutes all over again, aren’t we? As they say, history shall repeat itself.
True, but we don’t have enough or large enough fingers to play a keyless Boehm flute…
Anyway, it’s now been a week since I emailed CaveWinds flutes, and no response. Given the unupdated web site and the lack of response, I’m assuming that CaveWinds flutes are no longer available. Too bad…they looked like they had possibilities.
Micah
A keyless Boehm?
I don’t think it’s even possible.
Right, it’s a Celtic 6 hole
alloy flute we’re considering.
I think an Overton body
with a well crafted blow hole
in the right place might
be a good flute!
And it wouldn’t cost
very much, either.
It would be interesting
to see…
I think the guy that makes Serpent whistles also makes (or used to make) flutes. They were of Molybdenum Steel.
Don’t know how they sounded but seems like they’d be a great asset in a pub brawl. 
Doc
The keyless Boehm being impossible was precisely my point…looking at simple system alloy flutes is totally different than looking at the commonly found alloy flute–the Boehm flute.
Micah
On 2002-11-13 23:39, jim stone wrote:
Right, it’s a Celtic 6 hole
alloy flute we’re considering.
I think an Overton body
with a well crafted blow hole
in the right place might
be a good flute!
And it wouldn’t cost
very much, either.
It would be interesting
to see…
The obvious question here then Jim is:
So, have you contacted Colin to ask him if he’s ever made an alloy flute, and if so how it played?
Loren
No, I haven’t. Good idea. Things
are now rather frantic, as we’re
beginning the rather mad move
from CA back to Missouri, etc.
But I can do it at some point.
Thanks for the suggestion, Jim
Jim – which part of it is mad, moving, or moving from CA to Missouri? 
Both! But we have to go back;
the wife’s academic position is
there. This was a half-sabbatical.
I’m really glad to have had an
opportunity to live in the LA
area for six months–much good fun!
More parrots here than in St. Louis,
too.