I’ve played the whistle for around a year and a half and really enjoy it. I love the sound of the irish flute and it seems like it would be a sensible transition from the whistle. I’ve also come to the conclusion that after my few feeble attempts at making my own, I should probably buy one from someone that knows how to make them. THis brings me, finally, to my question: which is the better flute for a beginner (or for anyone for that matter), a Tipple or a Dixon?
I welcome comments on other makers, but I’d rather not spend more than $150 on something I don’t know how to play yet.
It’s OK to buy something where you recover your money
by selling it, IMO–if you have the money to begin with.
You don’t lose money, you just convert it into
a flute for awhile.
In that spirit the Casey Burns folk flute is pretty attractive,
because it’s wood, it is a whole lot closer to an Irish
flute than something non-wood, it’s conical, and so on.
Or you might try for something better still, but sellable.
If you really want to play flute you will almost certainly
end up with something better still. If you are willing
to work at flute (it takes a good deal of work) and you
really want to play,
then there’s something to be said for getting
a good flute and going for it–again, you can
buy something sellable.
I have a Dixon 2-piece. My advice: go for the Tipple. If you were planning on getting a Dixon Low D anyway, spending the extra $15 or so for the flute head is probably worth it, but if you’re paying the full price, get the Tipple.
But if you can stretch for the Burns Folk Flute, do so. Easier to play, better sounding, and you won’t outgrow it for some time, if ever. Plus - if you decide that flute isn’t for you - it’s a lot easier to resell and recover your money.
Hi,
I started on a Tipple Flute half a year ago. Still people are bewildered that mere pvc provides that tone. Especially when my teacher plays it.
Mine is the speckled bore-type. Mind to get the Fajardo-wedge as well in case you order one. It really makes a difference.
I started on a Tipple-design (home-built to his specs), then added an old German flute, then a Hamilton Practice Flute (Irishflutestore). Now I play more traditional Irish flutes.
Were I to do it over again, I’d leave out the German. Both the PVC and the Hammie are nice players in their own right, and they provided for an easy transition to other flutes. I still play PVC’s regularly, but the Hammie is lent out to a friend, who’s coming along just fine. I even got him to toot on a Pratten-style flute, and he managed a couple of tunes nicely before his hands cramped up from the finger-spread.
Another vote for the Tipple. And it’s worth the extra few bucks to get the speckled bore, wedge and lip-plate. It plays amazingly like a decent wooden Irish flute, and you’ll probably never sell or trade it, even if you do move up to something better. Casey Burns’ folk flute is a good one, but remember this is one-third the price. (About what a decent whistle costs).
Thanks for all the input, it’s much appreciated. From what I hear I think I’ll go with the Tipple with a wedge. It sounds like a great instrument to start out with to see if I enjoy the flute (I’m sure I will). Thanks again for the response,
On the “I’m bored” thread I saw this photo of Michael Flatley’s decorated flutes.
In case you are one of the bored ones and would like a little more sparkle in your flute playing, at my website (making an Irish flute page) I give instructions for decorating your flute with vinyl shelf paper. Depending on your taste at the moment, you could have a flute with sparkle on the outside and speckle on the inside. Just a thought for a dark, rainly morning.
Go for the Tipple over the Dixon 2-piece. But, if you can put a little more money together, I’d say go for a Casey Burns Folk Flute or M&E polymer. I had both a Tipple and M&E in the beginning and stuck with the M&E, but I am looking to get a wood flute soon. If you can find a Folk Flute, I’d say go for it.
The Tipple flute that I have has way bigger holes than the dixon. The tipple is a little harder to play, but is far more in tune and capable of a much nicer sound. It seems so much more like an “instrument” than the dixon flutes, including the polymer.
