Review: Casey Burns Beginner's Flute

Whistle
1

Here’s a review of the new Casey Burns beginner’s flute, which sells for 250 dollars. I’m posting it here as well as on the fluteboard,
because I reckon some people here may be interested in beginning flute.
A couple of weeks ago I asked on the fluteboard if anybody could review it. Immediately Casey asked me to review it and sent me one to keep. I’ve checked my opinions with others, including an excellent flutist, to be sure that I’m uninfluenced by gratitude. My chief credential is that I’m as close to a beginner as someone could be who might write an informed review, having played flute for about a year. Also I own most of the other beginner’s flutes, including a Dixon three-piece polymer and a Sweetheart maple, both of which I like very well. I’m writing this review with beginners in mind.

The flute is made of mopane, which looks good and has a warm, rich, woody sound. The flute is made simply and in two pieces, with good craftsmanship throughout. It’s entirely made of wood,
except that the tenon is thread wrapped. It has the weight and heft of an expensive blackwood flute (it’s about as heavy as the Dixon), along with the look of something made well and simply of a brown wood with a flowing grain.

Two features are especially notable. First the flute sounds warm, full, and woody in both octaves, with good volume. It’s easy to play and it goes easily into the second octave. It’s well in tune. There is a strong low D. One can press on the flute, get a ‘dirty’ or ‘hard’ sound; it plays like an Irish flute. The sound compares favorably with anything in its price range.

Second, the finger spacing is significantly closer than on the Dixon and the Sweetheart, especially for the right hand. Beginners nervous about the hand stretch on an Irish flute will find this welcome. Also, the G hole on the left hand is rotated slightly outward. Casey is very good at making flutes people can play, and this will be a blessing for many beginners. The flute is uncommonly comfortable in a way that facilitates playing it fast.

Casey points out on his website that this flute isn’t meant as a replacement for a performance-level flute. I’ve compared it to his 450 dollar mopane flute. The beginner’s flute sounds less good, but it’s a close second. Mopane isn’t blackwood, to my ear; I prefer the latter–though mopane flutes are fine. But taken for what it is, the beginner’s flute is remarkable. Here is a good looking, strong sounding, easy playing and handling wooden Irish flute for 250 dollars. A great idea, well executed, and worth more than its price.

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I looked at these on Casey’s site, and they look excellent indeed.
From an instrument makers perspective, Mopane is wonderful stuff. Hard as a rock, and it turns beautifully requiring virtually no sanding. It comes off the lathe tool looking almost like plastic. Plus ( for me at least) it LOOKS like wood. I personally find Blackwod too Delrin-like in appearance.
I think any sound difference between Mopane and Blackwood might be subjective-- I would love to play two identical flutes by the same maker in both woods side by side to see if there was indeed an audible difference

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My chief problem with mopane flutes is that when they
are finished in a sort of dark color I want to eat them.

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Jim, I’ve been toying with the idea of beginning flute and have been told by many that an Olwell bamboo low F is the best for a beginner, in terms of not being so difficult to get some decent steady sound out of and as to quality for the price. Problem is, I haven’t been able to get one. How does this one compare to the Olwell, if you know? (Besides costing about 3x as much) Thanks.

PhilO

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I’ve just started on flute. I have a Casey Burns on the way (on loan) but a more pricey model. I’ve been told that this is the wooden flute to begin on. I have an Alan Mount D and Olwell bamboo D and F. They are all nice flutes which I enjoy already. The Olwell F is easily the easiest to play. Alan’s D is easier than the Olwell D though: the stretch on the latter is quite considerable.

Olwell bamboos can’t be ordered until about April or May but crop up regularly here. Three Ds at least have been advertised in the last couple of months. If you can’t get an Olwell try Tallgrass.

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Phil, I know you won’t take my advice, but here it is anyway:

Olwell bamboo flutes are fantastic, however they don’t play or sound like a wooden flute. I believe I know your tastes enough to know that you really wouldn’t be satisfied with a bamboo flute of any sort for long. Sure, it’ll amuse you for a few weeks, but you’ll find you HAVE to have a wooden flute. Also, knowing you, a “Beginner’s” wooden flute isn’t going to cut it for you either, your too spoiled having played many of the best whistles out there.

So, in all seriousness, do yourself a favor and just go strait to ordering a flute from Dave Copley: His prices are reasonable, as is his relatively short waiting list, and that will be all the flute you ever need, more important, you will find yourself entirely satisfied with the sound, playability and workmanship, to the point that you shouldn’t feel the need to purchase another flute.

I think many folks would be well served and quite happy with a budget flute, and I’m glad to see more of them out there, but you Phil, have expensive tastes :laughing:

Loren

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I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s not crazy about the look of blackwood. I love it when it’s new and you can still see some grain that somehow looks like it’s very deep within the wood. Mopane is SO lovely, though.

I’m convinced that there are fundamental differences between the standard flute woods. I haven’t played a mopane flute, but boxwood to me seems much warmer and blackwood much clearer, with cocobolo somewhere between.

Casey’s flutes have been getting a lot of good reviews on the flute board. I’m seriously thinking of one of his as my “final” flute.

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Yes, I believe that different woods have different sounds.
Mopane is warm and full, blackwood more focused,
boxwood warm and (somehow) focused. It is indeed
subjective, and I favor blackwood–though I would
like to play a boxwood D, I have a G and like it.
I like mopane, too.


I agree with Loren–bamboo flutes and the CB are apples
and oranges. The CB is conical, and it does what Irish flutes
do. Olwell bamboos do something else that one might
want and enjoy.

I also agree with Loren’s endorsement of Dave
Copley’s flutes.

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Couldn’t agree more Loren. But what’s he going to play before the Copley arrives? :wink:

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Jim,

on the pictures on Casey Burns’ website it looks like the beginners flute has strange cutoffs on the far side of the embouchure holes, like some sort of ridges in the wood. Does your flute have these, and what are they for?

Also, I must admit that I’m going for looks more than I expected to do - it just looks weird to me. Doesn’t mean anything, of course.

thanks,

Sonja

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Thanks for pointing this out. I checked the picture on the
website. The ‘cutoffs’ are put there to improve the
sound, but the flute Casey sent me doesn’t have them.I’ve seen plenty of his flutes with em and they look
fine to me. If you don’t want em, you can say so.
I really don’t know for sure what impact they have
on tone.

Visually the beginner’s flute is very nice, a real
strength, I would say, but not as nice looking as
the next grade up. There’s no end cap, you look
inside and see the cork. The starfish imprint
on CB’s flutes is absent. But to my taste it
compares favorably to the alternatives in its
price range and is a nice looking flute by
any standard. Looks like it was designed
by Shakers. ‘Tis the gift to be simple.’

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One of those hundred or so whistles he owns - I should think he could find something in there to keep him occupied :roll: lol.

Loren

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Loren, it deeply pains me to say this, but you’re rrrrrrrrrr..ri…g..hh…tttt. And I have so taken your advice many times (I just never let you know it before). :laughing:

Be well,

PhilO

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Aww shucks, well in that case :blush:

Happy holidays my friend :slight_smile:

Loren

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I’ve played 3 of caseys flutes side by side, one in mopane, one in blackwood and one in boxwood, the blackwood was very dark and focused, the boxwood was very open and resonant, and the mopane was kind of in between, almost more like rosewood.

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I’m not a flautist, so excuse me if this is a dumb question, but why does a beginner flute cost so much? It wouldn’t seem to require much more handwork than a whistle. Is it simply much more expensive to acquire the wood? If so, is there some good reason (beyond musician superstition about the tonal qualities of various woods) why beginner flutes aren’t made out of a more accessible wood (say, maple)?

– Scott

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I am not an advanced player of flute OR whistle, but have picked up a couple of things about them over the last couple of months. Here are some factors that I believe go into the pricing of each instrument:

Material: Some material is more expensive than others, wood of any type typically being more expensive than any polymer. Some woods are quite exotic and expensive to obtain.

MFG Process: Some instruments are conical and some are cylindrical. The latter require quite a bit more skill and workmanship to produce with a quality result. The time one puts into voicing and tuning an instrument is considered as well. Hand made vs. automated processs play a big factor here as well.

Manufacturer: This can add quite a bit to the price of an instrument. Actual or perceived value added by the person behind the design and manufacture of an instrument can really bump a price up.

So, whether a “beginners” or “advanced” instrument is obtained, if an exotic material is used to produce a complicated instrument by a well regarded maker you can guess the outcome. Sacrificing one or more of the mentioned factors can mediate the price. It is up to you to decide what level you wish to accept as your purchase.

I personally agree that if you have ANY inkling that you will stick with a particular instrument that it is important to get the best you can afford. Trying to learn on a poorly manufactured instrument that does not play well can be quite frustrating. Of course you need to balance that against the fact that some of the instruments made for advanced players, although sweet in their hands, may be difficult for a beginner to play as well. It is extremely important to read threads such as this one to get a feel for what will work for your situation.

Best

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  1. The cost of wood for a D flute will be significantly more than the cost for a D whistle in the same wood.

  2. Generally speaking, the cost of tooling is higher for making (conical) flutes as opposed to cylindrical whistles:

A significantly larger (longer) lathe would be needed to make a 2 section flute than would be required to make a 2 section whistle - the bed of your lathe needs to be at least twice as long as the longest section of the instrument you’re making.

One could find store bought cylindrical reamers for making whistles, however the maker of a conical bore flute will typically have to custom make (or have made for him/her) tapered reamers, which can be expensive.

3)Turning, boring, reaming, and finishing a very small piece of wood (soprano whistle) will take less time than doing the same for a flute.

  1. Flute tennons need to be cut and then fitted with cork or thread, something typically not done on wooden whistles.

I’m certain I’m forgetting a thing or two, but there’s a start.

Loren

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People are PMing me asking for Casey’s website:
it’s www.caseyburnsflutes.com
Also you can look him up; search ‘casey burns.’ Best

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Sweetheart has a good beginner’s flute in maple for 250.
I like the maple sweetheart better than any other
wood Ralph S uses (walnut, cherry, applewood),
except perhaps for rosewood,
which costs considerably more. My impression is that mopane is better
for flutes than these more accessible woods.