I’m curious about experiences controlling (holding)
Bbs. I find I need to keep my right hand ring finger
down, my pinky isn’t enough. How do you
all hold these beasties?
Just wanted to add a postscript:
I bought the first Casey Burns Bb with a
blackwood head–it’s actually the very one
in the picture on his site.
When I bought it I was using piper’s grip
on my right hand on all my flutes, and had little trouble
playing the larger flute. Then I took
a lesson with a teacher who told me
to abandon piper’s grip entirely–this has taken
several months of work. During this time I was
having trouble contolling the Bb. In the
last week or so however this conversion
is coming together and I have control over the Bb flute
again. I’m playing it alot now.
I want to say that this is a good flute.
It’s sonorous, it has a good low end,
and it sings nicely in the second octave.
I can take it into the third octave, too.
(I began losing the low end at one point
and found the remedy was rewrapping
the bottom foot tenon.)
I don’t know what Olwells, etc. sound like,
but I do think the CB Bb is
fine. Best
Last summer, 2003, I had a go on a Chris Wilkes Bb flat keyless and was very very impressed as it was easy to blow and had a very deep bottom end. It was the first time I’d come across a Bb flute and I didn’t expect it to be so easy to play. A pleasant surprise indeed.
Tonight at the Tional Concert here in St. Louis
john Skelton performed on a mopane Casey
Burns Bb flute. Very impressive sounding
and in John’s hands capable of
playing very fast stuff.
It had lovely silver rings which
he told me he had CB retrofit
for him. Best
Those rings must be brand spankin’ new because that flute didn’t have rings when I took some lessons from John early February.
FWIW, I think the all Mopane flutes look much better than the Blackwood/Mopane combo’s.
Loren
Yes, they’re new. The mopane on John’s
Bb is especially beautiful. Fortunately
for all concerned I left the whipped cream
in the car.
I was just a couple days late of getting to try that flute. I was in Casey Burns’ workshop right after he added the rings and shipped it off to Mr. Skelton… 
Cheers,
Aaron
Might this be Mr. Skelton’s flute? Ofcourse it might aswell be someone elses. It’s listed as all-Mopane Bb with sterling silver rings.
Strange colour differance between the foot and the rest of the flute. Looks like the foot is brand new, but could the difference be that big just because of a couple years of age and oiling? Anyway, beautiful flute.
Yes, that’s John S’s flute, alright.
It’s lovely looking, isn’t it?
The foot is new, he had a longer
vented foot made for reasons
of balance. Also he may think
it improves the low end. Best
Now I know what kind flute to get after I’ve got the 6 key’s for my M&E and a pro model D flute in wood. If all-Mopane CB Bb is good enough for John Skelton it should sertainly do fine for me as well.