Greetings,
I would really like to have keys on my currently keyless m&e polymer D flute. Unfortunately, I believe Michael Cronnolly no longer retrofits keys to his keyless flutes.
Is there any possible way I could get them put on by a different maker?
My gut says it would be much cheaper to buy this eight key from Doc Jones:
http://shop.irishflutestore.com/ME-8-key-Flute-in-Polymer-ME-8k-poly.htm
than have someone else make design and make keys for a flute not of their own manufacture.
Sell your keyless and use it towards that one or ask here if anyone wants to sell a keyed one
There are people that may do such things {John Gallagher Maurice Reviol?} but I wouldn’t consider
doing it to an M and E.
Have you emailed Michael to ask? He’s a nice guy, and it never hurts to ask what his current policy is.
Maurice Reviol, in New Zealand, I believe, still adds keys at a reasonable price to other maker’s flutes.
Eric
Just looking at Maurice’s site his keywork on his own flutes cost 200 New Zealand dollars per key
I’d imagine slighty more for doing it to another makers flute as he would have to figure out where the holes go
based on the different bore design than his own.
So adding five keys would be 1000 NZ or about 800 US
nearly the same as buying the eight key from Doc if its still available.
I would only do it if I thought that particular M and E was something really special and really wanted Maurice’s keywork {which is really nice and unusual}
While I like M and E’s for what they are I don’t think it’s a nice enough flute to spend all that money on.
There are better keyed flutes and one day you’ll want one.
Sell your keyless here and put that money towards a keyed M and E where you find it or save the money you were going to spend on having the M and E keyed up for something a little better when you have a bit more.
Just my advice not saying M and E’s are bad flutes just think about this descision. In your shoes I wouldn’t have an M and E keyed by another maker, others may disagree.