i have an overton metal flute - Basically a low whistle that you blow from the side – does anyone play one of these?
This is news to me and I am sure Bernard as well. I have made a few aluminium flutes but only one has left my hands and that one went to James Hall. I know Phil saw what I did and that he had someone make him a batch but they were definitely NOT Overtons. Perhaps using the Overton name was just a marketing ploy either by Phil or the retailer to make it sell like what happened with his whistles. Likewise if I start making flutes myself which will be from wood, then they would not carry the Overton name but my own.
BTW when did you buy this flute? Is it still available? I would be interested to know.
Thanks
Colin
Hi there, are you very sure that the flute you own is an Overton? I know Alba makes flutes that looks like what you seem to be describing. Basically a similiar body to what you would find on a aluminium Overton, roughly the same wall thickness and a little stopper adjuster that changes the distance from the end plug from the embouchure hole to “tune” it.
This is just a guess, but I wonder if this guy isn’t referring to an “overtone” flute, rather than an Overton. That is, a fipple flute that’s held horizontally and that has only one or two holes at the end and that acheives a scale by emphasizing overTONES, by overbolwing and partially covering the end of the flute and any fingerholes there may be, etc.
A tricky thing, this Overton/overtone name, for a musical instrument maker!
John, if you are talking about an overtone flute, I have one and it’s a strange but interesting thing to play with, and has a sort of haunting tone (mine’s of plastic with a wood mouthpiece, though, not aluminum). For a really funky overtone instrument, check out fujaras (funlky for both look and sound). Here’s one place to see 'em, and hear 'em (I want one!):
(By the way, I have both Low D and Low F whistles by Colin, and they are my favorites in their respective keys; gorgeous work.)
i’ve had another look at it and it does have ‘overton’ stamped lengthways at the base of the instrument to the side of the holes - it looks like I might have a rare instrument in my hands even if it’s not a genuine overton
On 2003-01-04 07:17, john wrote:
i’ve had another look at it and it does have ‘overton’ stamped lengthways at the base of the instrument to the side of the holes - it looks like I might have a rare instrument in my hands even if it’s not a genuine overton
Can you post some pictures of it?
Richard
Also, please, what does it sound
like? How does it play?
Colin, please can you say something
about this, too? What are such
flutes like for the player?
I’ve raised this question in
an earlier thread. Best
[ This Message was edited by: jim stone on 2003-01-04 10:10 ]
even though i’ve had these flutes for a few years i’ve’ only recently tried to get into it - the tone sounds metallic but i don’t suppose that tells you anything you couldn’t guessed - it’s quite easy to blow but i have the problem with it that i have with the low whistle which is that the holes are so big and the bottom hole is so hard to reach - i wonder how much different it would sound than a low whistle in the hands of a good player - i’m afraid i don’t have the means to post an image of it
I have expressed the hope
that such flutes might
provide an interesting,
inexpensive,
and pleasant alternative
to standard celtic flutes
in either fine wood or
polymer–analogous to
bamboo flutes. If there’s
any real promise here,
I hope somebody will
explore it.
John, as I said before as Overton have never made aluminium flutes for sale, so what you have is a “genuine Overton trademark infringement” 
.
Does your flute look like the aluminium flute “GR2131 Kerry metal D Flute” in the link below?
Hobgoblin sold these in 2001 amongst others. The picture of this flute can be found on the “Web Archive” in an old Hobgoblin webcatalog http://web.archive.org/web/20010413050742/www.hobgoblin.com/local/contfram.htm
If this is not the flute that you have John, then it does mean someone else has had an Overton stamp made and uses it… There have been problems with whistles being sold as Overtons mainly without a stamp on, so were more easy to identify but this seems to be even more serious 
.
Jim, have you been in Hammy Hamiltons webpage?
http://homepage.eircom.net/~hammie/practice.htm
He makes a practice flute which is made from aluminium with a nylon mouthpiece. I have played some of Hammy’s wooden flutes which were really nice and I do not think he would sell something that is very difficult to play. As he is a good wooden flute maker I would then presume the aluminium ones would be a good starter. I do not know if anyone else out there has played one of these, I would be interested to know. As I said before, I have made some aluminium flutes along with plastic and a few bamboo flutes. At that time I was not a very good flute player and thought they were in tune but because of my bad embouchoure they were not when played by a good player. Consequently I have put a lot of time in on flute playing and will come back to the idea when I feel I am good enough. I think when making good flutes you either have to play well or know someone who can and helps with the fine tuning process IMHO. Besides which… I still need some tooling 
Colin
edited by Brigitte as the picture did not come up first time
[ This Message was edited by: Goldie on 2003-01-10 08:19 ]
Yes, I saw Hamilton’s flute page.
The reports on his practice
flutes suggested that some of them
were externally out of tune, that
is, in tune with themselves
but not with other instruments.
Perhaps it isn’t so…
What I was thinking about was
an Overton made as a flute–
not an inexpensive practice
isntrument, but a serious
attempt at an alloy flute
of the same quality as the
low D whistle. I suppose it
would be cheaper to make…
if the same body can serve.
I really have no idea what
the result would be! In
India there were metal flutes
something like that, but
I was never good enough
to play them much. Best, jim
I have seen quite a few of the Hamilton practise flute…they’re widely used here in schools and beginner’s classes. Overall they are excellent, easy to fill with a surprising ly mature tone. They don’t have a tuning slide which could account for the ‘external’ tuning difficulties mentioned but for 50 Euro IMHO they’re as good as many of the much more expensive polymer flutes or imported keyless wooden flutes.
Sounds great. Still would like
to see an Overton.
would anyone be interested in trading a low whistle (F or G) for my ‘overton’ flute?
please send me a message if so
thanks
Like most here, I’m not sure exactly what you’ve got. Lark In The Morning sells (or sold) an “overtone” flute (whistle) as was mentioned. There’s no reason that a similar transverse flute couldn’t be built.
With such a no-hole flute, you can play harmonics of the bell note of the thing. In other words, the bell note, one octave up, a fifth higher, another octave higher, and from there I forget the sequence. Or in other words, 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, etc of the frequency of the bell note.
I’ve done these on my flute as an embouchure exercise for higher notes. Bugles work the same way, so you can play “Taps” “Revellie” and other bugle calls.
I’d be curious to learn if this is a genuine fake Overton or what…
John,
I am interested, if you would like to contact me then we can work something out.
Colin
[Note: Zombie Thread Revival]
“Overton” aluminum flute (not whistle or overtone-harmonic flute)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/330924167942
I saw that on ebay too and came here to see if anyone was discussing it. It does appear to be a real Overton and the story of it being a prototype seems plausible. I am not interested in buying it myself but I’m curious how much it will go for and would like to know more about the history of it.
Well, please read Colin Goldie’s upthread comments carefully. But yes, it is a curiosity.
More than it’s worth?
Whoever made it, it’s cylindrical, not conical, and you can see it’s a large reach to cover the toneholes, so perhaps not as well-tuned (yes, I said that) as a traditional flute.