I’m selling my precious Copley keyless D with tuning slide for $700.00. It is only two years old and is in perfect condition. Free shipping in the USA. Contact me by message or email.
BillG
By way of bumpity-the only Copley flute I’ve heard was played to a high order of competence, power and tone, clearly a worthy vessel for the aspirations of its owner. Its owner had a broad repertoire and played it frequently and well. I speak as a novice unable yet to match that level of skill but workin’ on it. -FWIW & IMHO Copley flutes are fine.
NOT - I was enticed to keep playing Irish flute and will keep my Copley – will also keep my Ormiston but continue to look for a buyer for the Healy.
BillG
Seriously, anyone who sells a Copley is off their rocker! I have a keyless, and at some point I hope to buy one of his keyed flutes. Copleys are perhaps among the best 4 or 5 flutes you can get these days.
I’m off my rocker!
Actually, how could I have done such a thing…
You are right about Copley flutes.
M
I sold a Copley, and I’m not off my rocker. I have three traditional rocking charis, one antique glider, and a rocker-recliner. I haven’t fallen off any of them.
I agree that Dave makes a wonderful flute – great sound, impeccable workmanship. But I have yet to find a flute that suits every player. I have trouble with the lower octave on several flutes. I don’t look at it as a problem with the flute, but as a problem with me. I never was able to adjust to the Copley.
Chas, you remember the little conversation we had about Copleys a couple of months ago? You should have given the Copley just a little more time. After almost a year of noodling around, I had the most wonderful pivotal moment with my 6-key Copley. I just realized that I have to cover a larger part of the blowhole with my lower lip than I was used to with the Cotter I played before. Now the lower octave notes are fat, creamy, punchy, you name it. I now proudly take my Copley to gigs and, last weekend, got “Copley”-mented for its sound twice. Persistence pays off, you see 
i’m completely of my rocker and i play only one flute: a keyless copley 
I now have an Olwell pratten and a Byrne rudall,
and the result is that, while I think these are
great flutes, I also appreciate that the Copley
is up there with the best. It really does combine
to advantage both pratten and rudall tonal features.
The keyed flute is a terrific deal
and the waiting list is short.
Yes, but if I get keys, I want 8 keys, but I think he only does six.
I also want two foot-joints so that it’s sometimes a six-key flute and sometimes and 8 key flute,
since I only want the low Cs occassionally.
(Or 3 foot joints if I could get one of those monster ones that goes down to Bb … 
)
But I do like my Copley keyless a lot.
I know exactly what you mean. I don’t think it gets any better than Olwells and Hammys, but every time I lay off my Schultz or Bleazey for awhile, I’m amazed at how those sticks play when I pick them up again (especially the Bleazey when you consider how inexpensive it is). And I’m looking forward to a couple of weeks of camping with just the M&E along.
Just to say that I think Dave C does make 8 keyed flutes.
A couple of years ago he showed me one he made,
and I’ve been secretly (from my wife) thinking
about trading in my keyed footjoint (with only the Eb)
for one with three keys.
In fact Mr Copley does make 8 key flutes, and he obtained and studied several flutes to work on the ergonomics of the lowest three keys (aka C foot).
So if that’s what you want, he’ll make it, and it will rock!
The Copley is my first wooden and also first conical ( conoidal ? ) Flute. Was it anyone elses first? It is ,I believe, from the year 2000 and has a brass tuning slide and has spent its life in the hands of various C&Fers. Some of you know this flute.I reviewed every post I could find going all the way back to the oldest pages on the flute forum and the Copleys were always well spoken of and there were occaisional posts by Mr. Copley himself. From the posts I was encouraged the flute would be a good first choice for me and I am glad I have it and I like it very much.
The Copley is said to have a wide range of tonality and volume. I know this depends alot on the player and as a beginner I have alot of room for improvement. I’m interested to hear from more experinced players about their Copleys particularly for whom it was a first or one their first.Also has anyone played the older Copleys as well as the newer and are there any differences between the older and newer? Thanks for any tips , insights, observations. My flute is keyless so it is the keyless I am interested in hearing about, Thanks
Disclaimer: Beginner here. I picked up a keyless Copley here on the chiffboard last Fall, and have been at the flute thing since. My second-hand Copley is five years old or so and has the silver tuning slide. (I had first ordered a delrin Seery: that was an absolute dog and that I sent back right away.) I’ve tried several flutes since: Olwells, a couple of Murrays, an Ormiston, a Glen Schultz [nice]… The Murrays were both absolutely to die for and the Ormiston spoke when you just started thinking about blowing… great flutes. The Copley has a heavier, more pedestrian feel to compared to them and it took me couple of weeks to get used to it. But it is a wonderful flute. Very rich and smooth with a great character and a real bark or a sweet song when you want it. Solid, versatile feel and it is fairly easy to blow into tune. I absolutely love it. I’ve handed it to better players whenever I find them and one of them said when I told her that I am on Olwell’s waiting list for a keyless blackwood Pratten, “you may want to keep the Copley when Olwell comes.”
Welcome to the dark side, Bloomfield.
I’ve been playing flute for 17 years (simple system for 2), and I’ve had my Copley for a bit over a year now. (There’s a review I wrote when I got it somewhere on the board.) It doesn’t have as broad a range of tone colors Rudall-based flutes do, but it’s also not as demanding to play as a true Pratten-style flute–good compromise. It is, however, capable of both sweetness and bark, which is great. Its tone is right on for traditional music, and it’s capable of good volume for a session. Like Bloomfield said, good intonation comes pretty naturally. The low D is solid. It has good response to finger ornamentation, and the finger holes are comfortably spaced and are a nice size. The keys are well made and functional, but they’re sprung more stiffly that some other keyed flutes I’ve played and aren’t as elegant as Rudall-style saltspoon keywork. Overall, I really like mine (and like it progressively more as time goes on and I really get to know the intrument). I think Copley flutes are a fantastic value and enjoyable to play.
i’m another beginner, started out on a delrin Seery two months back and play a keyless Copley since last month. i had no problem at all with playing 2 octaves right away out of both flutes. i found a Hamilton and Cotter harder to fill. but i love the sound of the Copley above all, and it’s also louder than the Seery, and the holespacing is spot on for me. i might sell the Seery, i’m not sure yet. but i don’t think i’ll need another flute. if i ever get the chance to try an Olwell, then i might, but i’ll have to be further down the line with practising first.
Thanks for the posts Bloomfield ,TinTin and Lixnaw. It’s nice to read others impressions.I thought with so many good comments in the old posts there would be many more persons on C&F with Copleys. I know that there more than likely is and there are any number of reasons they havent posted ( not everyone spends hours lurking here as I do).
Have any “pros” recorded with the Copley? I’d love to hear one played by an accomplished player to hear what this flute is capable of. I did listen to the clips at the Copley site and they are very good yet I would love to hear more.