Greetings!
I’m a young Danish guy, 25 yo, who have been playing Irish Flute since the age of 17, when I heard the Danish Irish folk playing group, Ash Plant, and got to know the flute player.
I’m still learning, but would define myself as an intermediate musician, but nothing compared to you guys.
You have probably seen loads of these posts before, so forgive me if it is ‘another one of those boring posts’.
Long story short, after an inherited house of mine is sold, and I plan to swap my keyless D-rosewood M&E-flute with a keyed, now I got some spare money to use.
The flute I’m playing is in my honest opinion easy-to-play, and pretty powerful.
It’s a bit high pitched on F# and second octave, but ok to play, though it is not that expensive. It’s definitely a good flute, so why do I want to swap it? Basically, I miss the freedom of more keys.
What I am looking for, is
an easy-to-play flute in D
a 6 or 8 keys (preferred with C or B-keyed foot joint)
a flute where I can play silent but still with volumen when needed.
a quality investment, which I am probably going to play for the rest of my life and grow old with.
I’m not a concert flutist, and I don’t really need a Rolls Royce, but a Mercedes would be great.
I havent heard of that many flute brands, so I really need some help on choosing.
Which flute brands should I look at, if finance is not a problem?
I strongly recommend you set out to learn a good deal about the whole issue before investing, especially as you do not need to hurry. Your choice is primarily between good antiques and top-end new/modern made flutes. Both are relatively readily available, here in the Instrument Exchange, on eBay and elsewhere. If I were you, I would first read the following websites thoroughly just to get an understanding of the instruments and their history: http://www.oldflutes.com/ & http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/. Then I would systematically work my way through all the makers’ websites on the Makers List both to see what is available and to learn about the instruments more. You can also research the best antiques here on C&F by searching the forum for old posts about e.g. Rudall & Rose, Fentum, Potter, Metzler, etc. Then you can ask for more specific advice as and when you need it. Good luck!
I’ll go through the background on the sites and flutes you mentioned.
I play a Rudall’n’Rose replica, so thats the only brand i know fairly well - is there a reason why you mentioned Rudall & Rose, Fentum, Potter and Metzler? What is your experience with these brands?
I got an advice, that I should keep away from new flutes, as they are more likely to crack, than the antiques.. Is that a rumor?
The vast majority of antique flutes will have old cracks. If they haven’t, they probably won’t/are a low risk as they’d have gone already if they were going to, but they could at any time. Wood never becomes totally stable. Good modern makers should take account of the now well understood risks of lining a wooden tube with a metal one (the main cause of cracking) in the way they design and construct their flutes, but of course nothing is certain with new wood. I think most reputable makers will offer some kind of guarantee on that front. At least with a modern flute you have some come-back if anything does go wrong. I would not consider that issue to be a major consideration in choosing between a new-made or a modern but second hand flute or an antique.
I asked Grinter who did not have any experience with B-feet…
Thank you! Now I try to forget that I have placed the order, so I can be surprised when I suddenly got a notification that I can come and pick it up in Schwitzerland..
oooooooffffff…wow…now how’s that for a huge presumption, eh?
you’d be surprised my boy how well-off you might actually be. But no matter; no skill required in order to post in this forum!
The vast majority of antique flutes will have old cracks. If they haven’t, they probably won’t/are a low risk as they’d have gone already if they were going to, but they could at any time
You stalled me on this one, Jem. You know better, but i did like your “qualifiers.” Take a flute whose life was spent in your part of the world (humid) and place in mine (dry) and not take appropriate steps to acclimate them, and…crack. But of course I know you knew that.
Just remember this, Womba…“one man’s trash is another’s treasure.”
judge for yourself what you’d like to play, acquire it, then care for it.
'nuff said.
I am selling a recently made Olwell flute. Cocus wood. Pratten model. Six sterling keys. Fancy silver rings. Silver tipped tenons. Olwell has made fewer than twenty of these in his 35 year flute-making career. This is of the last he made. They are indeed amazing flutes.
If you want one of the best flutes ever made – and one that will appreciate in value over the years – then please contact me for price and pictures.
