Bryan Byrne keyless flute for sale: SOLD

Irish Flute
1

I just got off the phone with Bryan Byrne in Vermont: he finished making a new keyless flute a few days ago that is ready to ship, but the person who ordered it is now out of the market. So this flute is available now, directly from Bryan.

Medium-hole Rudall style flute in grenadilla (African blackwood) with silver-lined headjoint, silver rings. Price: US $1,600 firm. Contact Bryan at (802) 433-5536.

I played the twin of this flute last weekend and it’s fantastic: strong clear tone, very powerful bottom D (you have to know how to play a Rudall style flute to get it), gorgeous second octave. And like all of Bryan’s flutes, the workmanship is impeccable.

Bryan also mentioned that he has now completed all the orders on his waiting list, so anyone who wants to order a keyless flute should contact him. He’s not taking orders for keyed flutes at the moment.

2

Why the price? It seems steep. No offense intended,
just an expression of doubtlessly culpable ignorance.

3

No, that’s a good question; I asked Byan that myself.

Bryan feels it’s a fair price for a flute. He recognizes it’s at the high end of what the most respected makers are charging for keyless flutes (and I would certainly put Bryan in that category), but it’s his decision.

4

No money… going to cry.

5

Could anyone comment on “how to play a Rudall style flute” ? Are there certain things you do differently in general on a Rudall?

By the size of the holes on my Tipple, I assume it’s more of a Pratten, although since it’s cylyndrical this may not apply at all. The Burns folk flute I used to have may not fit into the Pratten/Rudall types either.

-Brett

6

I agree that prices of flutes are relatively inexpensive for the amount of work, but one could get a great flute from Hammy for half that price.

7

It takes a while to get the hang of playing a bottom D correctly on many Rudalls. For me, it works best to “lip up” a little so I’m blowing more across the hole, tighten my embouchure, and give it a good punch. Otherwise it can sound flat and a bit weak.

8

True Eilam, but based on what I know, Bryan invests significantly more time in labor, and the results are evident in the workmanship. No insult to Hammy intended, I see Bryan’s and Hammy’s flutes being aimed at somewhat different markets, in terms of cost and cosmetics.




Loren

9

Brad, could you post a picture of the flute?

10

Nope, no photo, sorry – Bryan doesn’t have internet or a digital camera. But from a photo it would look like any other high-quality blackwood keyless flute, such as an Olwell. I have a scan of my 6-key Byrne flute that I could post, but you’d have to imagine it without keys :slight_smile:

I think the price diff between Bryan’s and Hammy’s flutes has more to do with the market: the Irish and English flute makers have traditionally charged less for their flutes because people over there couldn’t afford more; the high-end American makers have tended to charge higher prices. I’m not sure what Patrick Olwell’s charging for his keyless flutes now, I would think at least $1300 by now but I haven’t checked recently.

The going prices don’t make much sense when you compare across instruments. $2,000 will get you a factory-made run-of-the-mill violin. It’s kind of amazing that you can get a world-class, hand-made flute for under $2K.

11

Here is a photo of my keyless Byrne, taken by its previous owner. I don’t know, of course, how it compares to Bryan’s new one.

Highly recommended!

Carol

12

I played an early Byrne flute years ago, when I was living in Nashville. It had a brass tuning slide (which I didn’t like), but other than that, seemed very nice. Olwell is charging $1350 now.

13

Brad I’d love to see a keyed by Bryne I have so much respect for makers, especially because it’s a hard way to make a living (not that there is an easy way).
thanks Carol for posting the picture.
By the way, and along the same line - I’d love to get my hands on a keyless Wilkes, if anyone is considering selling his, or trading.

14

Okay, here’s a link to an image (large) of my 6-key Byrne. This is NOT the flute that Bryan has for sale, that’s a keyless!

Bryan has developed some new models in recent years; his recent medium-hole flutes have more power and depth to the sound, I’m really impressed.

http://www.firescribble.net/flute/Images/Byrneflute.jpg

The bit of stray thread on the heartjoint tenon is my fault, sorry!

15

Thanks Brad ! real beautiful work.
eilam.

16

Loren,
I’ve looked at the photos included on this thread, and I have to say that I just don’t get what you’re talking about. My Hammy 6-key seems to have far more attention to detail then the Byrne flutes illustrated. Of course, Hammy’s are cork-lapped, with silver tenon reinforcements (OK, see Jessie’s next message for the correction), maybe a bit prettier, and have half-lined heads.

Kevin Krell

17

Not to split hairs, but the reinforcements are actually steel or nickel (or nickel alloy), not silver, as well as the tuning slide, which is certainly nickel or nickel alloy.

18

Loren, is it the slimness of the Byrne, versus the somewhat thicker profile of the Hammy that makes you say that? Maybe a bit less elegant-appearing, comparatively speaking?

Because my Hammy is beautiful, the tone holes are somewhat rounded under (not what you’d call bevelled, exactly, but something like that) and the footjoint is very nicely finished, as are the silver rings. There is the fact that the headjoint is only partially lined, which I find I favor these days, and I really like the emboucher on mine. Altogether, a gorgeous flute, for a keyless. I’m thanking Hammy every day that I play mine.

Mary

p.s. Jessie, what a charming avatar!

19

Mary, the different profile has to do with the original flute that there modeled after,
I think both stay fairly close to the originals. I too, think of Ham mys flute as top for Pratten model, and I feel that were all really lucky that he is willing to keep the price affordable.
The medium hole size R&R model that Byrne is making is more of a specialty item among us ITM types.

20

I should have known my post would require a follow-up reply that was more extensive than I usually have time for in my alloted daily computer PC time…

The short answer to the questions regarding my comment is this:

I have seen some of Bryan’s work, and some of Hammy’s work close up, and there is a difference in the workmanship, things that most people would not notice, but then I do make very expensive wind instruments all day, so I’m somewhat more sensitive to such things. What things? I’ll just list some examples, not necessarily comparing Hammy’s work to Bryan’s item for item, just general things that most people might not notice…

The bore - How smooth is it? Was it reamed with a good reamer and then sanded with multiple grades of sandpaper until it looks like glass, or does it still have some banding, ridges and roughness.

The rings, are they hand made or machine made, and how well are they made? Silver, steel, aluminum? Not always a given that they are silver, as Jessie pointed out.

Sockets and tennons, how well were they cut and finished, are there chips from tear - out? Are they completely concentric with the bore?

Tone holes and embouchure - how round, and how smooth, both inside and out? I’ve seen plenty of flutes where the holes have been drilled and then the maker has obviously spent no more than 5 minutes finishing the tone holes. This irks me since I often spend an hour working on a single instruments tone holes after the tuning has been done, in order to make the holes as aerodynamically free flowing, and cosmetically perfect as possible.

And so on, and so forth, I could continue ad nauseum, but I’m sure I’ve already added some nausea here so… :laughing:

Anyway, you get the idea. Some of this stuff affects performance, some, does not. I think Hammy makes killer flutes, they sound and play great, if you’re into Pratten Style instruments. OTH, I don’t guess he’s interested in making works of art, just really good flutes at a fair price. From what I know about Bryan, he’s a total perfectionist, striving for a somewhat different outcome with his work. Sometimes this means more manhours in labor, which can translate into higher cost.

My $ .02