Hi all, i have not posted for ages, was very busy to lean with my new flute. I’m now playing with a small group, mainly accordions. And I find it diificult because my flute is in key of D. I think it would be easier with a flute in key of G and I’m looking for on Internet … I have seen the P. G. Bleazey flutes at : http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/bleazey/F/flutepage.html
Does anyone have an opinion about them ?
I have also inquired about the Patrick Olwell cane flutes but he seems that he has a lot of commissions …
I have a Bleazey whistle, so I can comment on the quality/workmanship but not the instrument. I would say that it is very good quality it seems he tries hard to produce quality instruments. I think Chas has one of his Flutes and I know IDAwHOa does.
I have a Bleazey boxwood G with a brass tuning
slide. It’s quite good.
Another, less expensive, option is the Sweetheart
g fife. I have one in rosewood. It’s also quite good,
though I like the tone of the Bleazey boxwood
better. But the Sweetheart fife is a fine sounding
instrument. It has no slide and it is hard to
make it go sharp; also it’s flat when it’s
cold. However this is no difficulty if I’m
not playing in some cold venue (e.g. outdoors).
Finally the Doug Tipple G is a still less expensive
but very good G flute. It has a tuning slide.
The sound is perhaps a bit less good than
the Sweetheart, because PVC sounds less
good to my ear than wood does. But
it’s a good enough sound and it has
considerable volume.
Many thanks for your replies. It’s a little hard to decide without trying … I didn’t know the Sweetheart flutes. What is the difference between flute and fife ?
I have a Bleazey D flute, but not a G flute, so I can’t comment specifically. I really like the D Rudall-Rose-style flute. The embouchure is very easy, I have a boxwood flute, and the sound sems really well-suited to boxwood – very mellow. I find myself playing the Olwell mostly now, but still break out the Bleazey more often than some other flutes.
As for the Sweetheart, I also have one of those (also in D), and definitely find it a quality instrument. It doesn’t have a slide, so may or may not be appropriate for group playing. I find the sound a little more open than that of the Bleazey. I also like that it weighs 5 ounces (150 g).
The Healy G is quite expensive, 600 dollars, I believe,
when last I checked. It’s hard to believe one
can’t get a quality G flute for less.
The Bleazy was 235, again this was
a couple of years ago.
I had a nasty and expensive experience with a Bleazy D flute once.
Really turned me away from his D flutes as it was my
only experience with them.
The G is a winner, however.
wow ! a lot of replies !! and last, as I think that this flute will not be for the main use, I had a look at the Patrick Olwell cane flutes which seem to sound very good and to be very inexpensive ! I have inquired for the delay and he replies very quickly and sympathetic : it’s not long…
