You may note that Casey B has a photo of
a Bb flute, blackwood headjoint, mopane body,
on his website. The flute was the one I ordered.
This is the first Bb flute I’ve ever seen, but
now that I have it I want to say somethings
about it.
First, I can play it easily, even quickly, right
away. I’m maybe 5’9 and I don’t have big or
small hands. Average. Casey is very good at
ergonomics and his design really works on
the keyless Bb flute. There is no problem playing it.
Second, we chose a blackwood headjoint and
a mopane body, the former to help the intonation,
the latter to keep the price down. This has a
striking look to it; it looks beautiful. The
craftsmanship and design are superb.
Third, the flute is perfectly in tune. It plays easily
in the third octave, more so than any other
flute I’ve played. It sounds very good,
deep, sonorous, the way Bb flutes are
supposed to. This after having it for
three hours. I expect it to open up
considerably in the next few days.
If you’re wanting a good Bb flute that’s
easy to play, without a long waiting list or
paying a lot of money, these are worth
considering. I’m grateful to Casey for
making this for me. Best
Is it very heavy? How does it compare in weight to your other flutes? Is it in good balance so that holding it doesn’t stress the Left hand thumb? How about the angulation of the right hand when you hold it?
It’s about as heavy as the Seery polymer, maybe a
little less. Because the flute is long it’s top-heavy,
that is, the balance is toward the head joint,
but this is no problem. My right hand
pinky down works fine. The right wrist is
straight. I’m not having any trouble balancing
or with the left hand. I’ received it today, you see,
and can only play for an hour (though I broke
the rules). I’m not as used to it yet as I am to
the D flute, but it works fine so far. Casey is good
at making flutes people can play.
If you’re at all interested you can call him
and talk to him. I have a Sweet C, and
what I find remarkable is that the left hand
holes on the Bb are in the same position
relative to each other
as those on the C; the difference on the
right hand is that the low hole is maybe
a third of an inch lower. But the holes
are further away from the embouchure
hole, of course.
Best
Does your flute have the off-center 3rd and 6th holes shown on the photo at Casey’s website? If so, how much easier do they make the reach? Do you know if Casey makes an “inline” model as well?
Yes, it does. It is that very flute. Yes they help,
but probably they’re not essential.The spaicing
tween holes isn’t that great. I’m sure
Casey will make the flute as you want it.
Jim - I’m currently considering a Bb Lehart. Thanks for the informative post.
Jens - I play a Burns with the offset holes and it’s a wonderful feature. You might want to contact Casey and see if he’ll let you try one if you’re not fully convinced of what you want. He’s great to work with.
