I would like to hear some opinions on aebi Bb’s since I am considering ordering one, already play an aebi keyless and am sticking with the same maker 
thanks
berti
Not sure about that stretch! I’d rather borrow one or start on a tipple in C or Bb first.
lixnaw, dunno if you tried it yourself yet, the modern Bb’s are rather comfortable in the stretch on hands. it’s just that you have to adjust your posture/ hold somewhat because of the different dimensions.
but I am looking for more technical info on this aebi Bb’s, how people think they play etc.
anyone feel free to PM me.
berti
Sorry lixnaw, if stretch is a concern, worst advice is to try is a cylindrical flute like a Tipple! I have a Tipple Bnat, and though it is a well crafted instrument with offline holes, these are much larger and further apart than you would expect from a conical flute - the latter are usually much more manageable. Berti, search the flute forum here and several discussions on Aebi Bbs will come up. Maybe onkel (Claus Steinort) can give you a hint to a player near you who owns one. You could always visit Tom’s workshop in Basel, though.
I played a couple of them in Tom’s shop in Basle a few years ago. They’re excellent, and the finger stretch is remarkably comfortable; not much wider than on a D flute. I found them well in tune and they had a strong, rich tone. I’d certainly recommend his flutes to anyone interested in getting a good Bb flute.
This picture with the Olwell Bb on top was enough for me to shun all Bb’s.
Sorry, i didn’t know there was that much difference in comparing Bb’s on finger stretch 
But i’m sure that Tipple Bb prevents Christian from flashing his cash for a low A 
I have one in Blackwood, and adore it. It has a beautiful tone, is nice to play, and fingers easily enough. Yes, it’s big!
When I hear someone playing it who “knows what they are doing”, it sounds gorgeous and is very easily played it up to speed.
As with any new flute, one must adjust to the flute’s emboucher.
That’s the only “thing” I have with this flute.
However, now that I am writing this, I have taken the flute out for a spin, and it is playing like a champ. Must be me!!! 
M
I think if you moved the Bb flute so its toneholes were more aligned with the smaller flutes (see crude manipulation below), you’d see that in fact the stretch isn’t that much bigger, certainly not on the top hand at least. The larger stretch is between the middle and ring finger on your lower hand. On Tom’s flutes this stretch is considerably reduced. You can read some details about this in the interview with Tom on my site: http://www.firescribble.net/flute/aebi.htm.
Go for it, Berti! I still love my Bb Aebi. You can’t go wrong.
Claus
OK…blackwood or cocus then?
berti
Dunno. Mine is blackwood. Cocus is better, so people say, and Tom recommends it as well. I think there has been posted a lot about cocus, allergy and stuff on this board by people more knowledgeable than me.
Good luck!
Claus
I had one here in boxwood for awile that was really lovely.
Doc
Cocus!!!
Well, unless you KNOW you’re not allergic to cocus, I’d go for blackwood.
Cocus allergies can be very dangerous – I have a friend who owned a cocus flute for nearly a year before she reacted to it, and I don’t know if she ever would have reacted had she not oiled the flute, which seems to bring out the wood’s irritating properties. She had to go to the emergency room, as her entire face got swollen and she started having difficulty breathing.
If I play a cocus flute my lips start tingling after a few minutes, a sure sign that I’m allergic.
Maybe you could borrow somebody’s cocus flute to see if you have an allergy first?
…or ask for a lip plate to be made?
Hi Berti,
Tom made me a lovely keyless & slideless Bb in blackwood.
Great tone right into third octave.
Very responsive, easy to play fast, lovely to play slow!
I asked for a thumbhole for “C-nat” equivalent,
which makes the C-nat and C# equivalent notes much into tune.
I asked Tom also to add a bit more finger stretch,
since I got big hands and can just about afford it,
in order to have a little bit better venting through the third and sixth hole,
and have these holes a bit off-center, more ergonomic.
I do play with traditional grip, not with piper’s grip.
This helps a little bit more with the “e” equivalent note,
which always needs any help it can get.
This “large stretch design” has the following maximum stretch:
Left hand, upper edge hole 1 to lower edge hole 3: 95mm.
Right hand, upper edge hole 4 to lower edge hole 6: 93mm.
His standard model, which should suit smaller hands,
has a maximum stretch of 85mm for the left hand,
so Tom told me.
Here’s a pic:
~Hans