I want to order a keyless D flute from a european maker. What is best: Martin Doyle or Hammy Hamilton? Please tell me about your experiences with these instruments. Thanks.
Hammy Hamilton, definitely. His flutes are in the top three, I think, of wooden flutemakers anywhere. You may have to wait a year, but you’ll be glad you did.
Jessie
I agree completely. Hammy knows more about flutes than almost anyone. Besides being a world class maker, he is also a superb player (with several albums), and a real scholar. Hammy’s flutes are top notch and so is he.
thanks for advice
sorry guys. i have two flute mad by martin doyle and he is top class. i have an irish one and a baroque one. they’re both absolutely fabulous. perfect tuning, brilliant sound. the guy is a genious!
For a really good flute, keyless or keyed I’d recommend Dave Williams of Waltham, nr Grimsby, England. Dave is a fluteplayer himself, and has been making very very good uilleann pipes & flutes for a number of years now. I have a four key blackwood flute by Williams which is twenty years old now, no cracks, although it’s spent it’s life in a climate that has very dry winters. It plays well too
I have a wonderful Doyle flute in Mopane, but it has no tuning slide which is very disadvantageous in a session. When I phoned Martin to ask him to put in a slide he said he wasn’t doing slides any more!
I haven’t had the opportunity to play one of Martin Doyle’s flutes but I have played (and recently ordered) a keyless Hamilton. Lots of volume, beautiful tone, quality workmanship, and so far Hammy has been a pleasure to deal with. I believe I will be the fourth person at our session to have a Hamilton (the other flute being a R&R that was restored by Hammy), I think that says something very positive about the instruments and the person.
Cheers,
Wes