I can’t speak for David’s Hammy, but the keys on mine aren’t as solid as I’d like – they tend to bend if I’m not careful, which can wreak havoc in the sound & tuning department. However, I’m wondering if they’re sterling 'cos they’re so soft? So maybe nickel keys are the way to go?
Otherwise, a cool flute.
‘As loud’? I’ve deafened myself with my Copley in ways never possible with the Seery,
having made the same upgrade. I feel like the Copley has a better focus than the Seery,
does more volume-wise with the same airstream.
To be honest, I modulate my volume way down from what I -could- get when I’m practicing;
if I didn’t my ears would be perpetually ringing.
I haven’t ever actually played an Olwell or a Hammy, so I don’t know for sure how they
really compare.
–Chris
This was just my experience with the one I tried, which may even have been to the taste of the buyer. I suggest you discuss with Desi your requirements and ask if he can deliver what you want in a wooden flute.
Kevin Krell
I have both a Copley and a Seery; both have good
volume and the former is louder.
My Hammy keys work fine. They have a small coil spring rather than a leaf spring. I’ve had no problem with keys bending. I wouldn’t mind that in any case because I do bend my keys to improve ergonomics. I always bend the long F key towards the middle of the flute the better to suit my challenged little finger.
If you’re looking for a loud Pratten flute, Hammy is the way to go.
How hard is it to play trumpet and sax in the key of D? (I thought that they were Bb instruments)
Would it make more sense to have a Bb instruments?
Would playing a lower keyed flute reduce the volume of the instrument?
Thanks Kathy and David for the remarks on the Hammy keys.
I used to play alto, tenor & baritone sax a few decades past, but my brain has atrophied a bit since then so I’m not positive, but I think Tenor is in Bb and Baritone and alto in Eb. I’m clueless as to the key of a Soprano sax (maybe Bb?).
Regardless, all are fully chromatic so who they heck cares about what key the flute is in?
Eric
BTW, Cathy’s Hammy is so nice to play, I’d say it’s the best feeling flute I have played, it’s costing me a year of wanting to get a flute from Hammy, I know I’ll loose the battle, I’m just fighting like hell (so I can feel OK with myself later on;).
Well - after playing Cat’s flute, I immediately called Hammy the get a Cocus one like Cat’s, but Hammy said he does not have Cocus any more, and since then I’m loosing sleep ( it’s close to a year by now!).
Hey, get one in cocobolo. As pretty or prettier than cocus, has its own sound, and Hammy’s quite willing to work with it.
I have worked quite a lot with Cocobolo, and it’s great, but Cocus is much tighter and more closed grain, also lighter in weight.
Trumpet even though a Bb instrument is not incredibly hard to play in D (E on the Trumpet 4 sharps) because of the fingering system (I also play Baritone Horn in Marching Band which has the same fingerings just an octave lower and is a C instrument when reading Bass Clef which is what I read) Sax is harder but with practice and taking things slowly at first nothing is impossible. Soprano Sax is in Bb think of it this way Bari Eb Tenor Bb Alto Eb it is a pattern. I guess the Hammy is what I need it is kind of expensive but I will just have to deal with it. Logically a Wooden Flute will be slightly quieter because wood has pores and Derlin doesn’t so some air escapes on a wooden Flute but not on a Derlin Flute. Derlin Chanters are the way to go but no way for drones I would rather drink Tab 
. So I will be saving for the Hammy now I got to check the prices and feel bad because I won’t be able to get keys right away probably. I really do need a Flute that can take a lot of pressure as I play GHBs blowing lightly is not my thing. GHBs are too loud for the band.
I know, it has been said before, but the volume of a flute has so much to do with who’s playing it. And I’m not talking about good and bad embouchures. Just a few days ago, there was a flute playing friend in our house, and we played a bit, talked about flutes, embouchures and the like. He plays a Hammy Pratten and I played my Aebi Rudall. I’d say we were more or less at the same volume level. But then after swapping the flutes, both of us did not really perform well at all. So I would have judged that the Hammy is not all that loud and he would have said the same about my Aebi. A lot depends on which flute you are used to. Mouth anatomy may play a role as well.
The loudest flute performance I’ve witnessed over the last few years was in last summer when Barry Kerr was over here. And what make is his flute? Murray! A flute not usually thought of as being particularly “loud”.
Claus
Illogical, Captain. Illogical and awfully awfully wrong.
Looks to me, Onkel. that good / bad embuchures are exactly what you are talking about. Or bad / bad embouchures.
Anybody who can blow well should be able to find how to get any decent flute to work pretty quickly.
You are wrong, Andrew. Or you’d have to define “pretty quickly”.
I would be inclined to agree with mr. Kirby on this one. It seems like most real masters will sound huge on any decent flute. Flutes have limitations, but the really experienced player with a very good embouchure would be able to push every flute to it’s limit. But few of us are that good. I’m certainly no where near that level of skill.
Neither am I, but over the years I was lucky enough to let some of the masters try out my flutes. While some were able to produce a great sound right away, others (big names, mind you) had problems getting a decent tone at first, believe it or not. I’m tempted to drop names here, but… no…
Sometimes it takes some time to get used to a new flute/embouchure. Even for the great masters. This is my experience.
Claus
Go on, Onkel. Drop some names !
None of this " Names not dropped " to protect the guilty !
( And it mat be that the ones who couldn’t play the flute they were trying can’t blow too well anyway The good blowers who have played some of my flutes could get them all to work straight off ! ).
[quote=“Henke”] Flutes have limitations, but the really experienced player with a very good embouchure would be able to push every flute to it’s limit.[quote]
The secret is to be able to push the Flute to its limits I would assume a Pratten copy can take more than a Rudall copy as a very experiecned wind player I don’t find it hard (with enough time to get used to a Flute mind you) to push it pretty far. I emailed SC Hamilton he got back to me in less than 12 hours (which is damn good) saying the wait for a keyed Flute is 2 years but he will send a keyless body and when the keyed body is done he will send that with for no charge except shipping the keyless back and the keyed to the customer. I thought that was a good deal anjd might enable me to get more than just 2 keys.