Hi all, I am on the Olwell list, but meanwhile… There’s keyless Ormistons for $925 at Celticfire near me.
I am looking for advice- the headjoints are brass-lined; Ormiston said he liked the sound it gave. My friend says the wood WILL crack unless I live in a rainforest, but it is cosmetic.
What say YE ALL about Ormistons, and this issue of the lined headjoint, as well as any opinions on the playability and tone of his flutes.
SHOULD I or SHOULDNT I for $925? THANKS
Hmmmm! $925.00. I paid $780.00 last Oct. from Celtic Fire including S&H. The price seems a bit high but the flute is great. George Omiston a great guy to deal with and ask questions of on the net. Most modern flutes have a metal tuning slide and most do not crack when taken care of properly. Mine is also keyless and in blackwood. Maybe the Euro dollar has increased the cost. You might want to ask at Celtic Fire - he seemed like good guy to deal with.
BillG
I wouldn’t spend $900+ on a flute unless it was something I REALLY wanted. Besides, unlike a Copley, Hamilton, Murray, Grinter, Olwell, McGee, and so on, you’re not likely to get all of your money back when you try to sell the Ormiston, they simply aren’t that popular.
You’d be better off buying a new Healy two piece wooden flute: I think they run around $550 brand new for the Blackwood model. You’ll probably lose money reselling that too, but not as much as you would on the ormiston, and the initial outlay is much less.
Other viable options would be a brand new Seery or M&E (wood or Polymer), or pick up a decent used flute. Mark Hoza’s wooden flutes seem to be quite reasonable (used)and there are other deals to be found.
Honestly, for over $900, the Ormiston is not a good deal at all, especially for something you plan to replace quite soon - don’t do it. Just my opinion.
Loren
I second Loren’s opinion.
Chris