In the spring, on a trip to Ireland, I purchased a rosewood flute from a shop at a crafts village in An Spideal (sp?). I wrote down the makers name, but have since lost it. If anyone has any clues as to whom the maker is who supplies that shop, please let me know.
was it made in Pakistan. sometimes they put names on them.
That's what I had been thinking. No indications marked on it, but the price was such that it's possible. It was mixed in with local handmade flutes from a pipemaker in the area, I wouldn't think he'd want to be associated with Pakistani work.
I know that Malachy Kearns, a local bodhran maker and instrument supplier (based in Roundstone methinks), was supplying Pakistani flutes.
A student of mine at the time bought one. It had a sticker on the box saying that it had been made by MK, which was strictly true I suppose: he had made the BOX I think… hmmmmm.
Regards,
Harry.
That’s rich! Well, it sounds alright regardless I guess. I’m a whistler and fairly new to flutes, so it will be a while before my ability to play is restricted by a lesser instrument.
That isn’t necessarily true. A really horrible flute will cause major discouragement very soon and there goes the career in fluting. A serious “lesser instrument” can be a serious detriment to progress and to desire to play. Even with a good/decent flute moments of encouragement (hitting the sound head on) come slowly. With a poor to bad flute they may never come at all.
BillG
A suggestion - if you know any experienced local wooden flute players, ask them to have a go at it.
Your flute may be a real marvel, a real horror, or anywhere in between - but as a beginner, you won’t be able to really tell. Get someone more experienced to have a look at it - you may be pleasantly surprised. And if it IS a bad flute, you’ll know not to be unduly discouraged.
Believe me, I know - I recently went from a poor-quality “beginner” flute to a good-but-inexpensive instrument, and made more progress in the first month with the good flute than I had in the preceding year. There are still days when my embouchure is off and I can barely play - but now, I know that a good sound is possible, and the good days help keep me going through the bad.
If you do have a poor player, it may still be possible to put it right (I’ve seen several folks post that sometimes just replacing the cork makes a huge difference). And IF your flute is bad and IF it’s unsalvagable, there are several well-thought-of beginner’s instruments in the $300 and under range. But whether by tweaking your current flute or replacing it, you’ll find having a flute that works with you instead of against you makes a huge difference.