I recieved my new blackwood Copley with silver tuning slide last week. Luckily I caught up to the postman just as he was leaving and avoided waiting another day to for this much awaited package. I took it inside and with my family around me opened up the package and took out the nice hard case. I opened up the case and the I couldn’t believe how nice it looked. It was way better than expected (hope Dave puts up some better shots of his work on his website that give his flutes justice!) The first thing that came to mind was “I’m not worthy!”
The blackwood looks beautiful contrasted by the bright silver rings and tuning slide.
The slide has Copley & Boegli stamped in it. I thought this was well done and it gives me comfort to have the makers mark of confidence.
I decided not to play it until I had all the support equipment I needed such something to swab the bore with. I also wanted to pick up some grape seed oil to use on the flute (I read a thread on the woodenflute list about using grapeseed oil and it caught my interest and decided I would try it).
When I got every thing together I took it out and assembled it. I have never seen a flute with a fully lined head. It looks cool and the bore is nice and smooth. Playing just a week I realize I haven’t even scratched it’s potential as I’m still adjusting my embouchure. One thing for sure, it is the most expressive flute I have every played. It dosn’t play the notes it literally sings them. I’m thinking eventually I could pull an Eddie Van Halen and eventually get this thing to laugh and cry and maybe even talk! It is most capable of being nice and sweet to grindy and reedy.
I think my playing has improved as well. I now can get my embouchure so tight I’m not sure where the air is coming out. I can actually feel the sound resonate within my mouth. The sound is nice, loud and steady and real reedy. It’s kind of a weird numb feeling that I have never experienced. I’m not sure what I’m doing but when I occasionally hit it just right (embouchure) I think I am using as much air as I do when playing the whistle. The Copley came at a perfect time in my life when I finally reached a new stage in my playing.
I have since learned ‘Kid on the Mountain’ and the nice deep lows and clear highs of that tune are nicely expressed on the Copley.
Anyway …thanks much to all of you on the site that post your experience with makers and such.
For those of you that are beginning the irish flute, never give up becouse you will get to that point eventually, where practice goes from being a chore to something you really look forward too.
