Hi everyone! I’m relatively new to the wooden flute scene (until now more of a whistle player). I’m in the market for a wooden flute, and am considering having one made by Terry McGee in Australia. I like his web site and the variety of options he offers, but aside from the contact-info-withheld-testimonials he provided copies of, I don’t actually know anyone who has played one, let alone tried one myself. I’m looking for a flute with a loud but deep/round/smooth/sweet tone as opposed to a harsh/breathy/percussive pan-pipe-y sound. Anyone out there with experience with Terry’s flutes?
My first “real” Irish flute was a Terry McGee Metzler conical in boxwood. I can tell you, it was a smooth player, easy to play in both octaves, and in tune with itself. The craftsmanship was superb.
If you can imagine how long ago that was . . . Terry had maybe 6-8 flutes IN STOCK at the time, and I chose from among them. Yipes!
I sold it when I took delivery of a fully-keyed flute from the least expensive keyed-flute maker at the time . . . Eamonn Cotter.
Stuart
I play a keyed Pratten by Terry, which I really like.
Plays extremely easy, very forgiving embouchure, and a huge tone, but you do have to supply the air 
I also like the way the foot is bored, where you don’t feel that bottom notes being choked by the taper. The embouchure is a bit big, Terry says that it measures like the original, but I think the original had more of an oval shape, and Terry’s round rectangle gives a much bigger hole, it allows for a more forgiving bigger sound, but demands bigger lungs as well. The keywork is really nice, and Terry really put thought into every mm of the flute.
Good choice of flute, in my opinion
eilam.
I would be most interested to hear about experiences with and opinions on the different types of embouchure holes Terry McGee offers. (See http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/heads.html). I’m far from being able to play (let alone afford) a McGee flute right now, but I’ve been wondering for a while.
thanks,
Sonja
Sonja, i had once for a whole week a McGee flute with the modern embochure (looks like a silver headjoint made in wood). I have never, repeat, never, played a flute that was so easy to play. Every note was in tune, and it cut through session noise effortlessly. That’s probably a good choice for somebody who’s learned on the silver flute.
I have been playing a 6 key Pratten McGree for a couple years now and I have no complaints. Looking at his web site you get the impression that this is someone who pays attention to detail. Well, it’s true. Let me tell you that the attention to detail and meticulousness that Terry puts into his flutes is second to none.
Some of the things I particularly like is the way the keys fall naturally right where I need them (particularly the G#). I also like the tuning slide the the modifications Terry has made to head off cracking as much as possible. I use the modern embochure and have had no problems with it at all. I chose this embochure because I had played the boem flute for years. Since that time, however, I have played and own several other flutes with different embochure holes and don’t find much problem going between them and Terry’s modern. When I ordered mine he was not yet making the modern embochure with the older look.
Playabily on this instrument is great! It is very responsive and very loud if I need it to be. All in all this instrument fits me like a glove!
Clark
I’m glad to hear people are so impressed with Terry’s work.
Just to play the devil’s advocate for a bit ( 
): Are there any negatives or reservations any of you have about his work?
yeah, i don’t have one.
Yeah, but I don’t want to end up on the bottom of a dog pile, so I’m keeping my opinions to myself.
Loren
To anyone who does have some criticism about Terry’s flutes (constructive or otherwise), feel free to use private message if you’re embarrased ( 
) or fearful of getting creamed 
by devotees.
Also, anyone familar with Peter noy’s flutes? Good and bad comments solicited!
There’s sort of an unspoken rule on the board that negative stuff tends to be discussed privately. I hesitate to say that because it’ll start a flame war, or something, but people do seem very reluctant to say negative things out in the open.
There are all kinds of weird issues wrapped up in it. My own policy is that when someone solicits information, and I have a negative opinion, I tend to send a PM.
I know these are “open” fora, but there seem to be people it’s OK to trash, and Terry’s (deservedly) not one of them. Other makers, including people whose work I think is garbage, seem to get nothing but glowing reviews.
How’s that for a post devoid of information?
Stuart
Here’s a sample of whats on McGee’s website :
The “Rudall Improved” flute by Terry McGee
The “Rudall Refined” flute by Terry McGee
The “Pratten Perfected” flute by Terry McGee
The “Rudall no. 5088” by Terry McGee
So what’s next? How about:
“The Greatest Grinter Ever” flute by Terry McGee ?
“The Olwell Corrected” flute by Terry McGee ?
“A Way Better Wilkes” flute by Terry McGee ?
“I make the best flutes in the world…and I’m humble too” ?
How many top players play his flutes?
Hm. I’d like to hear those opinions as well, so if you have time for a second private message, I’d be very interested.
Sonja
rama,
I’m not sure what you’re after. It does make sense to copy flutes from the old makers, for people who want them, and this is common practice with historical instruments. Terry mentions where and why he changed things from the original. It does not make sense to copy flutes from living makers, as people who want them can just go and buy them. I’m wondering when the first recorders “after Morgan” appear, however…
Don’t get me wrong, it’s perfectly ok to express dislike for anybody without any reason, but if there was a reason in your post, it didn’t quite get through (to me).
happy Sunday,
Sonja
I guess one wants to be careful, as we can do
makers harm and certainly not make their day.
Also I don’t think my negative observations
are particularly reliable, not knowing much
about flutes. Maybe the flute I can’t
play is a great flute. Also the fear that a problem
which is a blip will be taken for the rule.
Actually have trouble knowing what
to make of negative comments.
OOPS 
, I goofed in my last post. I haven’t quite got the hang of quoting from posts yet, and I was trying to keep in mind what Rama posted, and forget what I wanted to say!
I think I know where s/he (?) was going with it. But after all, a maker should be confident in his own product. We know what his opinion of his work is, what I’m looking for is how people who have played his flutes and compared them to others think about them.
Also, I’m not trying to start a war. I thought this might be a good place for honest dialogue. I would hope that if the makers of these instruments were aware of a common complaint or flaw in their instruments from the hoi polloi who plunk down big bucks and actively play their instruments, they would take a look at the problem and thus improve…
We’ve had wars over this sort of thing, I’m afraid.
Many people are fiercely loyal to a flute, and sometimes
to the maker himself.
I have never heard from a maker who doesn’t. I think most of this feedback goes directly from the player to the maker, and from what I’ve heard on this board, most (if not all) makers will try and adjust the instrument to the personal preference of the customer if he or she is not happy with the instrument after purchase. A public board is probably not the right place for this discussion, especially if the makers don’t read it.
So, while I didn’t start this thread, I wouldn’t be interested in hearing which maker is bad or perfect, but rather for which kind of player, for which style of playing his(*) flutes are well or not so well suited, and one way to find that out is to ask people what they look for in a flute, and if they found it in model A from maker B. I don’t know how this question would start a war, but lesser incidents have caused them, I know.
cheers,
Sonja
(*) Are there really no female flute makers?
I do think flute makers are reading this board.
It isn’t that one must never say anything negative,
only that care, skill and sensitivity are in order.
Inviting negative comments about Acme flutes
may not be the way to go–no blame, of course.
And, as always, negative comments need to
be carefully expressed. ‘Acme flutes suck,’
is not good. ‘I didn’t like the embouchure
on the one Acme flute I played, however
that was in 1844 and they may well have
improved’ is better.