Eventually, I’d like to learn the flute (keyless). What are some good, inexpensive flutes? I’ve seen some of the wooden ones, but they’re out of my price range. 
Do’s: Tipple, Dixon Polymer, Hamilton Practise Flutes, Casey Burns Folk Flute (wood!).
Dont’s: any flutes from Pakistan.
I personally would start with a tipple. 
Great bang for the buck. Burns Folk Flutes are good also, but they’re also more expensive.
Honestly, there are two things to keep in mind, here.
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Get going, as soon as you can. Get the first flute you could possibly acquire, perhaps even a “free” flute as a donation to you; put the word out that you have an interest in a study of the flute, and, although it may come as a surprise to you, a flute could suddenly pop out of the woodwork, so to speak. There are many, many unused flutes out there, just waiting for a new home. And while you are at it, locate a reliable, and qualified, flute repair person, one in your neighborhood, because the odds are that any low cost, or free, flute will likely be in need of some repair. Come to think of it, find the repair person first, who just may be able to find the flute you are looking for, and then you will have accomplished two things at once.
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Expensive flutes quite often do play better than low cost flutes, but you have asked for a challenge. On the down side, you will be required to compensate for the musical qualities of a lesser grade flute, but just keep your musical ear intact, tell the flute what to do, and you will thereby gain valuable experience. On the up side, the experience you gain on a low cost flute will eventually be more than rewarded should you later acquire a better one.
Good hunting!!
I started on a M&E polymer just about six months ago, and I am loving the flute. It isn’t wood, but I like the material. I have heard the flute is a little heavier than a wood flute, but I have gotten used to it. The sounds is good, it is loud enough for sessions, and I don’t have to worry about cracks. They are a little more expensive ($380 new I think), but they go used fairly often. I would recommend it.
-Casey
Maybe this would be worth a sticky? This question appears regularly, and we have a sticky for pakistani flutes, and not for Tipple, Dixon and Casey Burns FF…
If you have some more money, there are delrin flutes that can be very good, and are less expensive than wood : M&E, Seery, Ward, Jon C…
Total beginner for the flute so I can’t recommend anything from experiance but, after hours/days of research I decided on the Tipple 3-piece. I didn’t see a bad review for it and it’s cheap (even I could aford it 
).
Boy, you sure weren’t kidding Cork about free flutes! Someone sent me a PM about a couple of PVCs they aren’t using anymore (thanks Chas!). I think this could give me a good start, and eventually I can work my way up to a more expensive flute. I’ll keep my eye out on used flutes that “need a good home.” lol Thanks for the warning about Pakistan made flutes. Well, I guess my next step now is to get a good book!
Hey there, and congradulations on your find!!
Sorry I went rabid on you yesterday, but I was very tired and just went into generic flute search mode, without really thinking. After all, you did specify that you were only looking for a keyless flute, which are not too hard to find.
One of these days I hope to learn to shut this Inter-thingy off when tired, before doing such brainless things.
Anyway, if you go to the web site of Terry McGee, Flutemaker, and tour around his pages, you can there find some fingering charts, which should be of some help. Let your ear be your guide.
Enjoy!!
http://www.eriktheflutemaker.com/ this guy makes great flutes for a very low price. he is a great honest man.
Hello, this is my first post. I have been playing whistle for awhile now and am interested in learning to play flute. I tried making my own PVC flute but that didn’t turn out so well. I think learning to do the emboucher would be easier on an existing flute, but I can’t find a flute I can afford right now (the cheapest I’ve found is about $70). I know this probably isn’t the best way to introduce myself, but since celtic_lass was offered one, I don’t suppose anybody else has an extra cheap flute laying around somewhere?
Hi Woodwhistler, and welcome. You can get a great flute from Doug Tipple in D for $55.00 http://dougsflutes.googlepages.com/home. I ordered the two-piece in D for my first flute, and I still have it. Played it a bit yesterday as a matter of fact. While you can also get the add-ons like the wedge and a lip plate, these aren’t necessary (well, the wedge may be, but you can add it later).
If I would make a list about the different levels of simple system flutes it would look something like this. (From the bottom and up)
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Cylindrical flutes, PVC or cane usually. Most inexpensive, some seems to be very playable, but they aren’t really meant for serious sessions and preformances. Tipple PVC and Olwell bamboo get best reviews. Price range: around $50 to $100+
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Simple Conical instruments. These are usually made of wood or polymer and are conical like the “real” Irish flutes. They are usually all wood, simple 2 or 3 piece construction and lack tuning slides. The best in this range seem to be Burns Folk Flute and Dixon 3pc polymer. Price range: $200 to $300+
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Conical polymer flutes. These are turned out in large numbers by the makers and don’t have as high a level of craftsmanship as the “top notch” flutes. However, they are modelled after great originals like R&R and Pratten, they are fully feathured and play almost like the best of them. Many pro players and serious amatures use these as session flutes. This range include M&E and Seery. I won’t put Jon C here since he has risen far above this level (in terms of craftmanship mainly), but he also makes polymer instruments. Price range: around $400
Thanks for the info Henke. If I ever decide to get a better flute, I think iI may go with a Sweetheart. I’ve heard it’s reasonably priced (not really cheap, but not expensive), and a decent instrument.
celtic_lass, that’s amazing that somebody donated flutes to you. How fortunate! I’m a little embarrassed saying this, but I could use a donation plastic flute for my daughter. 
She plays the tinwhistle at Feises and does well, but she’s really interested in playing the Irish flute. I had hoped to find a student flute for her in the price range of a plastic Yamaha recorder, but the lowest price I’ve seen for a decent flute is one by Doug Tipple on ebay. It’s $60 though.
I can get a nice quality Yamaha Alto Recorder for $16.95 at http://www.courtlymusicunlimited.com/Yamaha.html (Courtley Music). I’m surprised that there are no student keyless Irish flutes made out of ABS plastic. Is this a case of supply and demand driving prices?
I’m sorry to be a bother. This is my first time posting and here I am begging. We don’t have much of a musical irish community here so if somebody could point me to a low cost used plastic Irish flute for my daughter I sure would appreciate it. Thanks.
you are not a bother at all.
if you don’t try, nothing will happen.
I hope that you will get what you wish for
good luck
berti
Yes, I think that it is simply a matter of supply and demand. Thus far, the market for Irish flutes is not perceived to be large enough to warrant the tooling necessary to make and market an ABS Irish flute. Recorders and whistles, yes, but Irish flutes, not yet.
I do find this surprising, considering that someone went to the trouble to do that for the Xaphoon. I can’t imagine the demand for this thing is bigger than that for an Irish flute. I own a xaphoon (though I don’t play it much at all), and I can tell you that it’s a quality instrument. I think someone needs to bite the bullet and make it happen.
Fyffer, I have a few questions about the xaphoon. Is it easy to learn for someone who has never played a reed instrument? I see eight finger holes. I tried to learn to play the clarinet once, but I didn’t have much success. Does it take a lot of back pressure to make a good note on the xaphoon?
The emerald green plastic xaphoon appeals to me.
Methinks this thread has crept a bit, but …
What’s hard about the xaphoon is that it’s very unforgiving. I mean, you can get a sound out of pretty easily – it’s getting a “nice” sound that’s hard. I am a sax player originally, so I’m used to doing what I need to with my embouchure to get the “right” sound out. I’m really not sure what it would be like for someone who doesn’t already know how to get past that initial barrier. Also, it’s very sensitive to embouchure changes: You can bend every note at least a whole tone, if not more (in fact, one of the “notes” in the official fingering chart is obtained this way; by bending the note above it a half-tone down - for the record, I hate that. It’s cheating).
All that said, I can make some nice music on it - and it has a very pleasing sound as well, all from a pretty small, relatively inexpensive instrument. Maybe I’ll post a short sound or video clip somewhere (or maybe I can find one).
For the price, I’d say get one, and see what you can do with it.
My son has a Xaphoon…the quality of the molding is excellent…that’s about all I can tell about it…I think that guy may have been able to afford to push it through because he has a patent on it (?) and can hold off any competition for a while ???
Edit: maby that was the deal w/ the “Flutophone” ???