Tom,
I sure have seen Eilam’s flute. I searched and searched for a price list, but he must only have made it for himself - I thought it was flat out gorgeous!
Eric
We had a thread on this on the whistle board a little while ago. I started it but can’t now remember what I called it. Reading it, I started out confused, then got charmed, then got confused again.
To start, different makers prepare the wood with different oils and in different ways. I’m talking about whistles but this would have to be true of flutes too. Some, like Chris Abell, have done so much preparation that you don’t even have a playing in period. Most haven’t. You would be wise to follow the instructions of each maker and, in my opinion, very unwise to develop a favourite theory and go with it regardless of the flute without first at least checking with the maker.
Second, the oil serves two purposes. One is to help prevent the wood from absorbing too much moisture. This is obviously an on-going process. The other is that ‘new’ wood undergoes a chemical change which hardens it when exposed to oxygen in a recently oiled state. It seems to me not at all unlikely that changing oils might interfere with one or both of these processes but I simply don’t know. Why take a risk?
One reason that different whistle makers had different approaches is that they didn’t quite agree amongst themselves exactly what function oiling had.
Has anyone had a chance to compare the Casey Burns Beginner’s Flute and one of Fred Rose’s flutes? Fred’s flutes are about the same price (£160/$275). I’m thinking I’ll probably order one or the other after the 1st of the year.
It may come down to which one I can get quickest, assuming there’s not a big difference between the two. I’m currently leaning towards the Burns for the ergonomic thing.
-Brett