I am looking to purchase a Delrin keyless Irish flute in the Rudall style. I’ve heard tell that Jon Cochran makes a fine instrument, but I have no idea how to get in touch with him. It was recommended that I post a note in this forum and cross my fingers. I have now done both and would love to hear from Mr. Cochran, or anyone who has an opinion on the delrin flutes.
I have been playing a McGee flute, which I love, but am now living in Papua, having come from the dry, dry part of Arizona. I chose not to bring the flute here for various reasons, one of which is the drastic humidity change. I’m hoping the delrin will do the trick for me.
Aanvil - I love the sound of the Pratten, and I tend to play very strongly myself, but the right hand reach is just a bit uncomfortable for me. It’s that millimeter of difference between the second and third fingers.
That’s odd.. I don’t find any difference in the hole spacing on a friend of mine’s Hernon Pratten and my Sam Murray. On the other hand, Sam says his flutes have more or less evolved into his own design, so it might be wrong to call it a R&R just because it has a two-piece body
I guess the same is true about different makers ‘Prattens’ as well
Sure, I understand. I think it’s often more the hole size than actual spacing. But I have giant hands and long fingers so…
Jon makes a great R&R keyless patterned on the later larger holed variants.
He does silver or faux ivory rings. You should do fine with it. Best thing about Delrin is you just can’t destroy it. You can shower with it, take it snorkling or wade a rain forest jungle rivver. You’d have to go far out of your way to break one. You can use it to club any dangerous PNG critters too.
Jon’s flutes are very nice. Copley’s are dandy as well though not Rudalls in the strictest sense. Garry Somers makes two models of Rudall in delrin which are excellent as well. Then there’s always M&E which is Rudall. Lot’s of good choices in delrin.
I also have a Martin Doyle as well as a Dave Copley Delrin. Both are excellent instruments. The only complaint I have with the Delrin (and I’m sure this is applies to any Delrin flute) is that I find it gets “slippery” on my lower lip and it’s therefore difficult to maintain an accurate embouchure for long periods of time. I find the flute changes position, especially if I’m playing in a warm room. Drives me crazy sometimes. Anyone else have this problem?
A completely off-the-wall suggestion that just occurred to me … I wonder if a very light dusting of rosin powder (as from a rosin bag) on the lower lip, or a dab of Gorilla Snot (rosin paste), might solve this problem without interfering with embouchure? Might be too messy.
I find that’s true of wood flutes, too. My answer is a flute beard. I could never do the Joe Burke thing, but grow a short beard in the winter and keep a soul patch in the summer. It provides enough traction for me.
I’ve owned Rose, Seery, Cochran, M&E (old-style and R&R), and Copley (modern-cut and oval embouchures), and I find the Copley head-and-shoulders above the rest. I normally play Rudall-style flutes, and Dave’s delrin flute doesn’t require any adjustment for me.
My delrin has a slight texture applied to the entire thing. It’s sort of a “grain” effect that Jon applies.
That being said, I’ve play many different types of flutes made from polished non absorbent materials, porcelain, silver, pvc and I can’t say I’ve ever had a problem with slippage. I sport one of those micro flute beard patches so perhaps that helps with grip… I doubt it though.
I have a Chinese concert flute with a gold-plated lip plate. Over time the gold plating cracked and came off where my lip touches the lip plate. To remedy this I use a piece of masking tape to cover the area where the plating has come off. I actually like the way the textured surface of the masking tape feels against my lip more than I did the smooth plated surface. Of course, it is easy to change the tape whenever you want to, especially when patches of green begin to appear under the tape. Yes, I know that masking tape on the lip plate won’t win any prizes for cosmetic appearance, but, functionally, it works just fine.
I wouldn’t have to worry about the micro-thin gold plating coming off of the lip plate if I could afford a lip plate made from solid gold. Nina Perlove, a concert flautist and teacher, recently purchased a flute with a 14 carat gold flute body, and she shows off her new flute in a youtube video. She is playing some of the same pieces that I warm up with. Not. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKR5BOgdiTQ&feature=share
Really now. Perhaps it’s the love and care that one puts into the build of such an expensive material that makes more the difference that the material itself that and the enjoyment one gets from playing “a golden flute”.
Honestly I think her flute just goes to 11.
Wicked good playing though.
She’d probably sound just as good blowing a garden hose.
OK, OK. It’s karats for gold and carats for diamonds.
Karat is a measure of purity, and carat is a measure of weight.
It’s hard to keep things straight around here.
