Flute Purchace Advice Sought

Irish Flute
1

I have been toying with the idea og getting a flute for quite some time, i have now managed to secure some possible funds for the instrument and i have put together a shortlist of possible instrument, as i wont get a chance to play theese without a huge stroke of luck or a travell budget i would like to call uppon your collective experience for a bit of steerage toward the best option.

background:
I have now spent several months getting up to vaguley half nice noises out of a loan-er poor intonation, badley cracked, old german 8 keyed flute. I love it, but it is a bit banjaxed. In thinking about my first ‘owner’ instrument i have decided that i need the keys, i have growen used to them for certin songs and as a bare minimum i wanted at least 2. I have decided to go for the R+R design as i love the slightly reedey sound that some of players can produce, aditionally, i dont think i have the puff for a pratton.
Though i am a new player, i am looking for a challenge, so im not so much looking for a ‘good for beginners’ rather more a ‘plenty of room for expansion’ with regard to technique and performance

The shortlist:

George Ormiston has quoted for a two keyed R+R flute, its expensive (just beyond the top of my price range, so i may have to beg relatives for a instrumental bail-out) but i have been advised by a lot of people that he is among the best makers arround.

http://woodenflutes.co.uk/flutes.html
three keys, R+R,
seems to play ok from the samples. the three keys allow me the scope for the F natura, G sharp and a low C sharp keys i want. though i am not sure if its ‘thewee keys of my choice’ or F, G# and B flat

6 key blackwood/polymer, looks like a solid construction, R+R, Im intreagued by the polymer, it would definatly assure me that the instrument isnt overly fradgilem, it also looks lovley!. The only downside is the absence of any C area keys, and im not sure how willing other makers would be to reverse engineere them.
http://www.irishflutes.co.uk/products.html

couple of second hand ones here:
http://www.pamelasmusic.co.uk/Flutes.htm
cheepest of the bunch, though im worried that buying theese may leave me with a flute in worse nick then the loaner german job im using now.

2

Chris,

I’m not sure Michael Cronnolly is still making that 6 key model. His latest keyed polymer flute is ebonite, 8 key, and it’s cheaper than the old model.

Here are some pics and my thoughts on the flute: http://forums.chiffandfipple.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=68812&start=0&hilit=ebonite+michael

Looks like he sold one for 400 sterling to a member just a few months back.

I’ve had mine for 4 months now, and love it just as much as ever.

As for the other flutes you’ve listed, I’ve yet to play an Ormiston (but think they’re gorgeous) and I was surpised at the volume I could get out of the teeny holed boxwood Bleazey I played…I really liked that flute.

Eric

3

Personally I don’t like Ormiston’s flutes - I’ve played quite a few over the years and have never been impressed, certainly not by comparison with other modern flutes. They “do the job” well enough, but to me lack any pleasant character and I’m not too keen on his key designs either. That is very much a personal opinion and getting one would certainly not do you any harm and would take you quite a long way in the terms you explained. I just think you can do better for the money, whether in the antique field or from other modern makers. There are plenty of the latter (see The List!) who make excellent flutes at prices competitive with Ormiston and which I would prefer to play and to handle myself.

With the kind of budget you imply, forget the fixer-uppers from Pamela. You’d be better off getting something already overhauled if you want to explore the antique market. PM sent!

4

I love Phil’s flutes, but he doesn’t do a C foot, or even a long foot, so no low C# key. As Eric said (not in so many words), his flutes are pretty much the counter-example of small-holed flutes being quiet. They can be pushed incredibly, although mine doesn’t have the edge to the sound that, say, and Olwell does. At least in my hands.

If you’re interested in the Irish sound, I think the M&E is a better choice. I’ve owned one and played a few, and while I love the sound and playability, I could never come to grips with the weight. Eric, is the ebonite version lighter than the older style?

5

Charlie,

the ebonite M&E is a tad heavier…the extra weight, I would guess, is about the weight of the bottom keys.

Eric

6

Take your time with the old instrument option if it’s going to be your only flute investment. I’m fond of my two old 8-keys but looks and tone aren’t everything. If you’re spending more, rather than taking a cheap punt on a fixer, then make sure you have the chance to play it and that you feel completely happy with the scale tuning before you buy (and that you’re happy about any fingering implications there might be, if you need to vent etc.).

If you want the keys then you might get more bang for your buck with an old flute as Jem says, Just weigh up what you want it for. Do you want something suited primarily or exclusively to ITM? It’s not that easy to ornament those tunes at speed if you feel the need to correctly vent and cross-finger a classical flute (it’s beyond my rather agricultural approach). But then plenty of people do beautiful things with old flutes (Peter Horan) and, for my personal taste, micro-intonation isn’t the most important thing in ITM anyway. But I’m thinking that you also want to play in other music genres as well. Looking forward to seeing what you get and trying it out down the pub in the not too distant future! :slight_smile:

Have fun shopping

7

chris, take a look at gilles lehart web site. his flutes are really good ( volume, tone, look-ok, jem doesn’t like his copper rings, i like it very much…) and not so expensive,with very short waiting list. his keys are post mounted . he lives in france.
marin
about waiting list: i think that more or less,alll makers now have short waiting list.

8

I don’t like Lehart’s weird upper C nat key either (looks very vulnerable to getting bent as well as being IMO ugly), but his flutes are excellent - I’d far rather one of his than an Ormiston! J-M V still plays his old Lehart F and some other odd key ones (though he’s moved on through Wilkes to Morvan for his main D and Eb toots) - you can’t get a higher recommendation than that.

Chris, have you actually done any serious browsing through the Makers List? You’ll learn a great deal from doing so. Try to read thoroughly through 2-3 websites a day for a couple of weeks - make it “homework”!

9

jem, i am totally agree with you concerning c key. i ordered gilles flute without that key, but at the end last year he added me c keys also, so i have now 6 keys with this ‘lovely’ c key, but his flutes are really great.
i just order 6 keyed from sam murray, so maybe in future i will sell gilles flute, but only if i must(would like to keep both if it will be possible).
marin

10

I’ve played quite a number of Ormistons that have come through the store. His older stuff was a bit “polite” IMO. I quite like his more recent work.

Why don’t you drive over and see him and play one? Looks like he’s only a couple of hundred miles away.

Doc

11

thanks for the responces so far. As yet i still havent quite made up my mind, im going to try and get a blow on some of jem’s - will give me an excuse to visit another session at least! the ormiston may be a little out of reech, geographically and financially, failing a lottery win.

the M + E and the Antique jobbies are probably top of my lists at present, really between them its mostly a philosophical debate between supporting the (current) makers coupled with an intrest in polymer as a robust material for a ‘working’ (ie: out every night, covered in beer and used to beat heckelers) insreument and the historical significance (ie: Romance (ie:blagging rights)) of an old model coupled with jem’s first rate reputation as a restorer.

in the meantime i think ill do a little more reserch into other makers, if only as jem’s suggested homework!