I’m pretty new to the flute still (got my first, a tipple, in late december) but have really fallen in love with it. I’ve been looking at getting another, probably an Eb flute, probably, but am a bit limited at the moment on resources, which has caused me to look into the bamboo flutes.
I’ve heard some good things about the Olwell bamboo flutes, but it seems these are no longer in production, and the used ones i’ve seen are a bit out of my budget regardless. Anyway, what i’m asking is, is how are bamboo flutes in general? Do they generally play comparably to their wooden counterparts, their delrin or polymer counterparts? Are they flimsy, or pretty solid, are they tricky to take care of/maintain and such?
I’m looking specifically at the Miller bamboo and the Erik the flutemaker bamboo. Anyone have any experience with these? Are they similar to the Olwell in quality and playability and such? Are they worth buying, playing, or would it be better to just wait until i have the budget for wood, or would i be better served getting another tipple? I really do like my tipple flute, but am just looking to try other materials without too much expansion of my budget.
I apologize that this post is a bit rambling (i should have went to bed an hour ago, lol) but any help/insight would be appreciated. Thanks!
Since you already play a cylindrical flute (the Tipple) you’ll have a pretty good idea of the way a bamboo flute may play.
A conical flute responds differently - easier to fill and control I find.
Personally I love bamboo flutes - I have 2 of them (2 Olwells and a Miller). I find them very rewarding to play.
After bamboo gets heat treated it is very strong, so these flutes are in no way flimsy.
Olwells work is in a league of its own IMO.
You may want to save your pennies for a conical (derin or wood) flute, whilst you practice on your Tipple flute. It’s only been 3 months, you don’t need another key, really
I have a Tipple, and it’s an impressive flute. That said, I’d agree with the suggestion that you stay with the Tipple while saving your pennies toward another flute. For instance, to get a flute which plays better than the Tipple, you likely could spend 3 or 4 times the price of a new Tipple, unless you happen to get lucky and find a used one at a nice price. Good deals sometimes do come along.
I have 2 Erik The Flutemaker bamboo flutes (F and G) and they don’t even come close to the Olwell Bamboo (F) I got from Doc last year. There is just no comparison. But they still get a semi decent sound so they could be a good choice for you in the short term and then save your pennies in a big jar and get an Olwell bamboo.
Interesting to hear the comparisons here! I have an Erik in G that I like a lot, and last year I found three of his ‘minor’ flutes on eBay for about $20 combined.
All play well, and I enjoy owning the different sizes and types, but they don’t get an awful lot of play. Honestly, I have made PVC flutes as good or better with little trouble. I haven’t played Miller or Olwell flutes.
I’d probably agree that saving up for a good conical flute is the best course.
Is that Billy Miller from North Carolina? I’ve got a nice D bamboo flute by him. Seems when I bought it, he made two different D flutes, one was a little larger in size.
It’s probably not Billy Miller. I haven’t heard anything from him. Last time I saw him play, he was doing some South American music on his guitar.
Yep, I googled Billy and found his websites. He’s in Floyd, VA now. I know someone who’s got a place near Floyd. He says there’s two kind of natives in Floyd. “You got yer natives and you got yer alter-natives.” I’d say Billy’s the latter.
When starting out, I played a Miller D and chose it over the Tipple due to it being a bit smaller in width and hole size/spacing. I love the sound of bamboo over PVC and had a good time with it. I did play the Miller in a couple of fairly high-caliber sessions and it performed well and people enjoyed how it sounded. Like most cylindrical flutes, the second octave A and B were quite flat and I had to lip it up to the max to get them close to in tune. Thus, the wedge in the Tipple is a great innovation by Doug which works well to keep the upper notes in tune.
I ended up getting a conical wood flute shortly thereafter, and have now just bought a delrin Cochran (Jon C.) Rudall/ Pratten hybrid. So, I never play the Miller anymore; there really is no comparison between the bamboo and a good-quality conical flute, at leat for playing Irish Trad Music. Good advice to save for a conical flute.
I you really want a bamboo flute, though it sounds like you want an Eflat, you can buy my Miller D for $40 (that includes the shipping). I’ve modified it to bring the low D up (it was too flat for my ear) and slightly undercut the embouchure to open up the sound. PM me if you’re interested.
I’ve been given the opportunity to try a Miller Eb, i guess i’ll find out first hand how bamboo is