Howdy.
If anyone here has one of those plastic Aulos Baroque flutes in good shape and would like to sell or donate it to me, i would be much obliged. Please contact me by PM.
Thanks,
glauber
Sorry, I don’t have a plastic Baroque flute. I just wanted to say hello. How are you doing?
He has other plastic flutes, however!
How are you, Glauber?
Hey Glauber!
Yep, if you can find a plastic one, then maybe it won’t get baroque.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read one of your posts. Welcome back. 
Hey Glauber!
The cheapest source for Aulos flutes that I know of is Rhythm Band ($215 for glossy and $285 for matt, $425 for Stansby Jr.).
Here’s a link to their web-site (scroll down to the bottom): http://www.rhythmband.com/aulosrec3.html
Happy Hunting!
Aulos = Good! However, if given a choice, go for the matte finish, and not the glossy.
Wouldn’t you know it, but leave it to Sillydill to know a good thing.
Yes, i found that… i was wondering if that’s the real thing or some horrible copy [for no reason, just the cheesy name Rhythm Band]. But the price looks like what it should be for the real thing. If i don’t hear from someone here or the other 2 boards i posted, i’ll get one of those.
g
Hey, Doug! Doing ok, thank you! Any new flutes or other crazy instruments?
Yes, I am getting ready to introduce a high D flute/fife. However, Glauber, since you are a dog, I wouldn’t recommend it. As Cork says, a little ear protection may be needed for the top notes.
Glauber,
Check your PM’s re: an Aulos Stansby jr. flute.
Thanks, Jeanie
Rhythm Band is only the name of the seller, so what’s in a name?
The Aulos AF2S or AF2H, @A=440 Hz is the way to go, unless you could be in the company of those who insist on playing at “period” pitch, A=415, and Aulos makes that flute, too, but as another model.
For the money, Aulos is a great deal. Hard plastic might seem to be a cheesy thing, but it’s not, and to be honest, such hard plastic can do things no wood flute can do. I have an Aulos AF2S, one-key Baroque flute, and it does play, very well!
so what’s the difference between the matte and the glossy? why is the matte more expensive?
I haven’t looked at the Aulos site to know what they say, but I’ve had both matte and glossy versions. In my hands, I get a more nimble response and better tone with the matte version than the shiny version. I thought I detected evidence of hand-finishing on the matte version, but I don’t have both any more so I can’t check this now. I also have a shiny version of the Aulos altered by Rod Cameron, who roughened the bore, (conceivably a reason for the better sound of the matter version???) and who undercut the toneholes, as well as supplying a fix that allows one to play at A415 and 440. This plays better for me than either of the factory versions.
Still, they are handy to have, and a good way to see if you like playing the traverso. In answer to the original poster, I (embarrassingly) don’t remember if I still have a spare Aulos traverso-I’ll have a look. I know I have my Cameron mod version, and that I sold one a few years ago (but which?), but I can’t remember if there is another in the pile…
Hugh
Well, thanks, everybody, i ended up buying the black matte version from Woodwind and Brasswind. With free shipping, that price is hard to beat. Now it’s just the wait and the hoping the magic Internet pixies pick a good one for me.
This will be for traveling, so i don’t have to risk my wooden traverso. In an emergency, it might even double as a session flute.
i seem to have bought the only one they had in stock. It said “in stock and ready to ship”, and now it says “2-3 weeks”.
Glauber –
Glad to see you back here. I’ve missed your posts.
Would you be kind enough to post a review of the Aulos when you’ve had the chance to try it out a bit?
Hi, Jordan, sure!
I’ve only had it for 2 days, but i can say a few things. Keep in mind that i have other plastic flutes, so i’m not plastic-averse. The first challenge is to go past the fact that it is a mass-produced plastic thing.
Having said that, i like it very much. Why would the recorder players have all the cheap plastic flutes? I think it sounds close to the Real Thing (i have a wooden Grenser flute by Rod Cameron) and i’m not afraid to take it to places where i wouldn’t take my good flute.
Should you buy one?
First you have to think why you want a flute: if you want to play Baroque music with other early music aficionados, you’ll probably want the other Aulos model (the “ivory” Stanesby), because it’s on the pitch most commonly used for Baroque music (A=415 or one semitone lower than modern pitch). Also, the Grenser is a late model, considered more of a Classic (Mozart) flute than true Baroque, so again, you may be better off with a different model.
If you want to play Irish music, you’ll probably better off with one of Doug Tipple’s PCV pipe flutes, or M&E. If you’re used to a large-holed Irish wooden flute, the Grenser will feel puny.
What’s a Grenser good for? I think it’s an adequate flute if you want to investigate using the Baroque 1-keyed flute for playing modern music (e.g.: jazz). It may also be a good flute to take with you when traveling, to practice on Baroque and Classical music, and still be able to take to an Irish session if you find one.
These are just my opinions, of course. Your mileage may vary.
One final note: the cork in the Aulos i got is not fixed in place, but moves freely, as it’s common in Baroque flutes (the players then wanted the freedom to adjust the position of the cork where they thought best). This was a surprise - i wasn’t expecting it to be authentic to this point, but it even has a screw cap to help adjusting the cork, as the real Grensers do. It doesn’t have the foot adjustment, since it comes only in modern pitch (A=440Hz).
glauber
Thanks for the helpful reply. I was wondering if the Aulos might be useful for English Country Dance, as a sort of gateway to the Baroque. Sounds like it might.