Information on Seth Gallagher flutes?

Irish Flute
1

Season’s greetings to one and all. I’m new to this forum, but have been enjoying the lively discussions. I am one of those coming to Irish flute playing after playing the Boehm flute for many years as an amateur. For a long time I’ve played mostly by improvisation - so I guess that’s a plus. The flute I’ve played, on and off, since I was in grade school is an older Haynes, recently upgraded with a David Williams headjoint. It was given to me by my father, who was apparently an accomplished flutist in high school and college, but gave it up entirely after going to med school. In fact, I never heard him play even a single note. I remember coming home from school one day (lo, these many years ago) feeling a bit dejected. My parents asked what the matter was, and I told them I couldn’t sign up for music lessons because the school had run out of instruments (trumpets, trombones, saxaphones, and all the other instruments boys usually played). My dad motioned to me to follow him into the living room, where he brought forth, from deep inside a wooden cabinet, a beautiful sterling silver flute in a battered leather case with a burgundy velvet lining. I’d never seen anything like it. So, that’s how I ended up playing the flute. I was the only male flute player in the entire school system, which had it’s benefits, including teaching me not to worry too much about that sort of thing.

Anyway, all this is a prelude to needing some help in my search for a good wooden simple system flute. I don’t want a beginner model. Of course, I’ve been reading different posts here, and have learned the names of a number of makers that you folks respect. I’m eager to get going with it, so I’d rather not have to wait 18 months or more if I can help it. Someone recently mentioned Seth Gallagher, who I gather mostly makes uillean pipes, but now also makes a Pratten style flute. I’m wondering if anyone has actually seen and played his flute, and would like to comment on it.

Thanks, and it’s a real pleasure to have discovered this message board.

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Thanks for your post, and your history with the flute. It’s a heartwarming story.

Seth lives about 30 miles from here and I visited his small two-floor shop about a month ago. Yes, he is primarily a pipemaker and is well respected. His flutes are quite good, totally on par with those of the known and agreed best makers, and he is a well-kept secret just waiting to be told. I predict that his waiting list will be long when more people start playing his flutes. Easy to play AND rich in tone and possibility, the flutes are of successful design and execution. The thickness is similar to an Olwell flute, thinner than a Hamilton or Copley. His finishing is not as pure as someone like Pat Olwell (some of the silver rings stick out a hair further than the wood - which could be on purpose in order to protect the wood better, there is a varnish - without an odor - on the bore to minimize cracking, as opposed a naked wood surface), but the flutes actually play just as well, in my opinion, and are also beautiful to look at. He has three employees who, as far as I know, help him with many of the steps in building his instruments.

A flute made by Seth would be a good choice.

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For those who don’t know, while Seth is primarily known as a pipe maker now, he got his start making recorders and flutes at the famous Von Huene Workshop (the same place Bryan Byrne learned the craft), so flute making is nothing new to Seth.

Loren