I recently acquired McNeilly Blackwood flute, and it is a dandy. It’s a Rudall & Rose design, brass metal including the tuning slide, and a wonderful player. Very easy to fill, it has excellent volume and is strong down to the low D. It is capable of a good reedy sound, and is just a comfortable, easy flute to play. For comparison, my other flutes are a blackwood M&E (yes, WOOD) and a Seery. The McNeilly has definitely jumped to the top of my list.
It is my understanding that Cap McNeilly is a pipemaker who has previously only made flutes for friends, and is now exploring his options in making flutes commercially. For information and availability on McNeilly flutes, Contact David Migoya of Fyfer Restorations (dmigoya1@earthlink.net)