OK, let’s see if I can make this work. Here are some photos of the new Bb flute I just got from John Gallagher … Apologies for the lousy photography, but hey, I’m a flute player, not a picture-taker!
First, the lovely engraving. It’s like this on all the rings.
Second, the mighty beast in repose:
Finally, next to the wee tiny Olwell for size comparison. Although the reach is easy for me on the Gallagher, the Olwell feels like an F flute when I play the two back to back!
I don’t know if you can see how the toneholes lay out, but in reality they’re not that much more of a reach than the Olwell, except for the E (RH3), but again, it’s no problem since I use a sort of piper’s grip on the right hand. In fact, I’m surprised when I look at the picture – it doesn’t feel like as dramatic a difference as it looks. John has angled the toneholes in a very clever way.
The flute is light, responsive, and lovely sounding (to my ear, anyway!). We decided to leave off the tuning slide to keep the weight down, but it feels very well in tune. It certainly is with itself. I could go on and on, but I would indeed be going on and on as I can’t say enough good stuff about it.
Catski - is that your way of letting out that you also have an Olwell Boxwood ???
what are you thinking ? that we’re not keeping track on what flutes you have, gowad !!!
i have an Olwell Rosewood Bb that i love playing.
it’s so light, and the embouchure is smaller, no slide.
the two flutes look really nice together !!!
beautiful work on the rings.
e.
Your Gallagher is beautiful! I didn’t know he was engraving rings now–they’re lovely.
Tell us more about how it plays. Looking forward to hearing it at the next session! (Hopefully, I won’t get anymore “bugs” from my little students, so I’ll get to come!)
He just started experimenting with ring engraving; I got the impression this might be the test case.
It’s really a lovely flute; fun to play. I’m still trying to figure it out, of couse, and am still breaking it in, but … I’ll bring it on on the 15th. Meanwhile, stay well and I’m sorry you were ill; we missed ya!
Hee, hee! I think you might have been off doing other things during the Great Olwell Fracas; the only “For Sale” thread to ever be locked on ths board, I’d bet!
And hey. When were YOU going to tell me about your rosewood Bb? HMMMMM???
On a serious note, how do you find the arm-extension-torquing factor? I’ve found on the 3 Bb’s I’ve tried, that the arm stretch can be more of an issue than the finger stretch. . .
Gorgeous, gorgeous flute, Cat! Totally beautiful engraving, tasteful and clean looking… I am sure it sounds as good as it looks.
I am still enamoured of my Aebi blackwood Bb. Sounds like velvet.
The toneholes are indeed very manageable on mine, as well.
Like you said, it’s the arm stretch that one notices the most (well, unless you’re a major dude like Brad H. )
Anyway, I’m messing around with Give Me Your Hand, very nice waltz on the Bb.
Any other recommendations for nice Bb-centric tunes???
Only slightly off topic, here, but, considering the stretch of your new Bb flute, have you ever considered a Boehm Alto, in G?
One of my Boehm flutes is an Alto. The response time is very slightly slower than a Concert flute, so plan ahead, and the top register is nothing to write home about, but the tonal qualities of the lower registers caused even Boehm himself to favor the Alto.
Recommended!
Anyway, in regard to your new Bb flute, I admit to a degree of flute envy.
Hi Caths, do you think your flute plays about the same as the one we both fell in love with at Johnny Gallagher’s shop. The Bb made of holley wood, or is it mullbery. I busted my knee playing soccer and can do only sedentary things, so I am going up to Elkins next week and I can play that flute all day long. He wants to re-voice my cocobolo R&R with the silver lip plate. But I am going to wait until I receive in the mail the FV Cerveny to show him. The one shown by Jon C. in the thread about 8 key flutes.
I don’t remember if the one he has had a slide or not. I’ll keep you posted.
Several makers have mastered Bb fingering that isn’t
terribly hard. One can, with a bit of practice,
play jigs and reels at reasonable speed.
And the sound of these wooden conical
flutes is very
sonorous and beautiful, which I believe is the
chief reason we want them. Some makers
will sell additional tubes to play in A.
Olwell for size comparison. Although the reach is easy for me on the Gallagher, the Olwell feels like an F flute when I play the two back to back!
I’ll bring it on on the 15th. Meanwhile, stay well and I’m sorry you were ill; we missed ya!
HMMMMM???