Just wondered how it feels and sounds compared to the ones made with blackwood. Thanks, J.
Yes, and I prefer it over blackwood. It smells great and it far less heavy. It is interesting to look at (golden) and the tone is different, too. I would describe it as more organic. There’s a creaminess to boxwood that blackwood doesn’t have. I think blackwood is more harsh than Boxwood.
Jesse is it a Nicholson or Pratten? Thanks, J.
Jessie with an “i”…
Loren
I agree with Jessie. I have an Olwell “Pratten” boxwood. He makes three flutes with different size holes. To refer to them as Pratten or Rudall is a bit misleading. The design in each case is his own. Olwell’s Pratten would never be confused with a historic Pratten or with Hammy’s more obvious Pratten design.
To my ear, when I play the boxwood it seems a bit softer and mellower. But I’ve played it in sessions and it holds its own with no problem. Blackwood has a bark, or rasp on the lower end, that boxwood doesn’t have.
I can’t say I prefer boxwood over the other woods. It depends on the venue: whether I’m playing for a gig, with a harp, or solo, indoors or outdoors, or alone at home.
Dr. Bradshaw and other physicists notwithstanding, and with all due respect, the wood does make a difference in the sound of the flute- for whatever reason.
Other flute-players have commented that the Olwell boxwood with medium holes is the best flute that they have ever played, regardless of hole size or kind of wood.
hi David. So do you usually play the blackwood Olwell Pratten at sessions? What hole size? How are his Prattens different from the others? Thanks, j.
I have boxwood Rudall and Nicholson, and blackwood Nicholson and Pratten. I am expecting another boxwood Nicholson and a boxwood Pratten D with C and Eb bodies.
Whatever I said would have no meaning unless you had tried all the different woods. The different wood accounts for perhaps 2% of the sound and the player accounts for the other 98%. Having one wood or another won’t make very much difference in your sound until you have played for a few years.
As I said in an earlier post, when you’ve found the perfect tune and can play it perfectly, the perfect flute will appear. Think first about the music and then about your technique.
Great Irish players don’t fret nearly as much about finding the perfect flute as do Americans.
Here, hear !
Yes, it’s quite mad, the longing for the ‘perfect’ flute.
I think we are most of us playing perfectly
adequate flutes; the real issue is learning
to play them.
But oh is that longing powerful!
Hi Jessie (sp ok!), who are the makers of all you flutes? I may get on Pat’Os list, want something different from the Ruddal style that I already have. Perhaps a Pratten or Nicholson. So I’m fishing for info! j.
I don’t have one yet, but I am on Patrick’s list; he should begin final turning next winter.
How do y’all feel about the lined vs. unlined head issue with boxwood? I would think that having a fully-lined head would take some of the warmth from the boxwood sound, but also might focus the sound a bit better so that it carries more, but at this point it’s pure speculation. I do have to make that trip down to Nellysford before he starts finishing my flute.
The ones I mentioned were Olwells. I also have a delrin Olwell, as well as a lot of flutes by other makers.
Charlie, I see you’re in Rockville MD. Two people you ought to look for in the DC area are Rob Greenway and Josh Dukes. Rob has a boxwood Olwell with an unlined headjoint, and Josh has a boxwood Olwell with a lined headjoint. Get them both in the same room with their flutes and you, and you’ll have your answer. Actually, both of these guys are regulars at the Sunday afternoon and Wednesday evening sessions at RiRa pub in Bethesda, so you could come there sometime and get yourself a field test. Not quite as long a drive as going down to Olwell County in Virginia (technically I guess it’d be Nelson County, but is there anything else of worth there? :->). Although if you’re planning on going to RiRa you might want to get ahold of Rob beforehand (he’s on these boards off and on), since he doesn’t always bring his boxwood flute to the session. Good luck!
I LOVE unlined.
So Jessie how much does Pat charge for an extra body?
Oh, and why are you getting a second boxwood Nicholson-oid (deference to David there )
I’m hoping it’s so you can sell me the other one. 
Patrick
I don’t know what he charges for extra bodies. Whatever it is, I’ll pay.
I am getting a second boxwood Nicholson because it is the best darn flute on the planet and I want to have a backup.
Are you getting a tuning slide or going the all-wood route again?
Doc
All wood on the Nicholson and Rudall. Lined on the Pratten.