buying a Fife or a Bb flute

Irish Flute
1

hi to all.

What are the best model or fife for a beginner? The budget is 200-300$.

I’m also considering a 5 key Bb flute, maybe in ebanite or polymer

2

I suggest you check sweetheart fifes. I play the A, and the G. They are really very good and not expensive.
I’ve never played the Bb fifes they make, but I would think they are as good as the others.
Perhaps someone with more experience can help here.

3

I was going to suggest Skip Healy’s fifes - I had one that was the best I’ve played - but his website is no longer active, so I can’t check the prices.

Pat

4

Here is his web page from 6 months ago with contact info.

http://web.archive.org/web/20120709054137/http://www.skiphealy.com/instruments

A nice fife used by the old guard and several other fife and drum bands, these fifes have a a tapered head like a boehm flute and large bore giving them a strong lower register. The square embouchure gives it a huge “sweet spot”. I have one and he was easy to work with and his fife is a solid playing instrument.


Ralph sweet makes a two piece fife that has a bit of a different taper to it’s bore (I think the classic body constriction). Haven’t played it, but both He and Walt are good to deal with.
http://www.sweetheartflute.com/milfifes.html

Walt makes a 2 piece and a one piece fife. For solo stuff I see no reason not to get the one piece stealth unless you want a more chromatic 10-11 hole fife.
http://wdsweetflutes.com/enfield.php
http://wdsweetflutes.com/stealth.php

I’m sure Cooperman has some good stuff, but I have not had any experience with any of their newer fifes or their company.
http://www.cooperman.com/fife-news/cooperman-mcdonagh-models/

I don’t know about the taxes/exchange rate/shipping/etc, but you may have an easier time finding a 5 key bandflute/piccolo/fife in the EU, but many of those will not be in A=440. Searching for a used/refurbished band flute in 440 could yield a real bargain though.

It really depends on what you what to play, how you want to play it, and who you play with. Doesn’t look like reenactment is your goal, so most of the one piece fifes would be less appropriate, and you most likely don’t need a A=452Hz British band pitch band flute to play in a marching band. But that is just speculation on my part.