Just received a very impressive
and wonderfully finished Olwell
low D bamboo flute. How does
one take care of a bamboo flute?
It doesn’t come apart, of course.
Do you swab it after playing?
How? Do you oil it? Do you
break them in? The info Patrick
sent along pertained to
his blackwood, etc. flutes.
Any info would be appreciated.
Swabbing it out after playing is a good idea. I took an absorbent recorder swab and lashed it onto the end of a dowel so it would reach the length of the flute. Be VERY careful when you swab not to touch the membrane at the end of the flute (above the embouchure hole). That thin membrane effectively acts like the cork on a wooden flute, and if you puncture it you’ll be out of luck. Don’t get any oil on the membrane either; I suspect oil might weaken it.
Patrick told me to oil the bore occasionally on my C bamboo flute, which I did once or twice at the beginning. But I haven’t oiled it for close to 6 years now, and have had no problems despite living in a harsh climate with cold, dry winters and hot, humid summers. I also have a bamboo flute in G from Chris Dawson (Rhiannon flutes) that I’ve never oiled or swabbed out, and it’s in fine shape, although if I played it regularly I do think I would at least swab it out afterwards.
Thanks! Another question. Are low C
bamboo flutes playable? I’ve tried
some in stores but couldn’t really
close the holes. I don’t have
particularly small hands and
play low whistles, so I wondered
if it was the flutes.
Also what happens to bamboo
flutes if played in cold
temperatures? Do they break
or split? I would not play
a blackwood flute outdoors
in winter; how about bamboo?
Thanks
Low C bamboo flutes are playable, but it helps to have big hands. I’ve got long fingers and even so I have trouble playing my low C Olwell bamboo flute for any length of time; the stretch can be a bit painful. In contrast, I have no trouble at all playing my low Bb boxwood flute (made by Chris Wilkes), as that’s a conical-bore flute so the tone holes are closer together.
As for playing outside in cold weather, you might want to give Patrick a call and see what he advises. But I would think it would be just as risky to play a bamboo flute outdoors in cold weather as a blackwood or boxwood one – warm air going through cold woody material is going to raise your risk of developing cracks.
[ This Message was edited by: bradhurley on 2002-10-31 21:05 ]