Review of Billy Miller Bb fife--some comparison with Olwell

Irish Flute
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Billy Miller sent me a Bb bamboo fife, in fact it’s the one he plays on his Youtube video
(part 2). I bought it for busking.

I have an Olwell A bamboo fife, in fact, that Doc sent me–one he selected as one of the best Olwell fife’s ever. It had begun to split, though not yet through the wood, so I got it cheap.
I wrapped the cracked part tightly in tape, then went over the tape tightly with purple thread and glue, so the Olwell is entirely stable as far as I can tell. I had some experience in India preserving such instruments.

Anyhow Billy has been called ‘the new Olwell’ of bamboo flutes, so I thought it might be of interest to compare the flutes–though of course they are not the same key.

Billy’s flute lacks the fanatical devotion to finish typical of whatever Patrick O makes. For instance the Olwell’s ends are beveled, Billy’s are not. The tube of Pat’s flute is smoother. Things like that, none of which make any difference to function.

I will not compare the flute’s sound, because they are of different keys. However the cutting of the embouchure holes seems equally careful, the inner shaping the same. Billy’s tone holes are finished with equal care, as far as I can see, and there is a slight ergonomic positioning
of the ‘G’ hole on both flutes, but slightly more pronounced on Billy’s.

The tuning of Billy’s flute is perfect (as is the tuning of Pat’s). It plays beautifully into the third octave. It sounds lovely, it sounds like wood, and it’s entirely professional in its sound and quality. No slide, of course. But the flute is spot on in its tuning and by now I can lip up
and down well enough. I’ll use it busking, in any case.

So Billy’s flute is rougher in finish, though it looks fine. The details that matter to function are made as well, as far as I can see. I cannot compare the flutes tonewise, but Billy’s flute is perfectly in tune with a lovely sound. I think Doc sells the Bb fife for 59 dollars. As Patrick is no longer making bamboo flutes, it’s especially nice that instruments of this quality are available. I think higher pitched flutes are underrated, by the way, especially A flutes.

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Thanks for the review Jim.

I’ve just ordered a Billy Miller Bamboo flute in ‘F’ from Doc and looking forward to playing it. :smiley:

Cheers

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i have a billy miller flute (fife?) in g. it is at least 4 or 5 years and it is great. i am sure they are even better now.

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Doug Tipple’s higher pitched flutes are excellent, too.
I have one of his Bb fyfes, which I’ve used busking.
It is perfectly in tune, sweet, good volume.
It has a tuning slide–so it is competition
for the Miller Bb, the chief difference being
the slide and the difference tonally tween
bamboo and PVC.

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Hi Jim (and all),

Thanks for the favorable review. Glad you’re enjoying the Bb fife. One comment I’d like to make on the beveling (or lack thereof) of the ends on this particular flute if I may… it was a conscious decision on my part. Bamboo varies greatly, even within a particular species, as regard to wall thickness as it goes up any particular stalk, more than likely getting thinner as you go up from the base of it. I will not use bamboo I consider too thin or fragile, but the higher keyed flutes will tend to be a little thinner so I try to take off as little as possible when sanding the ends in hopes of keeping the flute a tad more robust. If I’m working with a thicker walled piece, I will tend to bevel it a bit more just because it does please the eye.

Here’s a couple photos I recently posted on the flute photos thread (there are others if anyone wants to wade through there). The first shows the relative bore sizes of my D bamboo as compared to a D Copeland and D Firth & Son. If you look close, you’ll see the end is slightly beveled. The next photo show off a bit of my personal collection (with the D bamboo included) but to the left are some of my smaller flutes that are only lightly sanded on the ends to leave as much material as possible.




Another difference mine have with Patrick’s (and I would be the first to agree that the man is fanatical about his attention to detail, his flutes have been a source of inspiration for many of us here) is that I believe he uses a light coat of linseed oil on his bamboo flutes whereas I opt for moisture resistant lacquer, dipping the entire instrument in a vat so the inside is coated as well (2X) to help stabilize the instrument from cracking. Not that I find fault with linseed oil, it’s great stuff. The lacquer just dries faster and a bit harder (but is toxic until dry and you must use a mask, which will put some people off).

As far as Doug’s flutes go, I haven’t met one but I hear great things about them. I have yet to meet a PVC flute that I really liked, but judging from reviews here, and Doug’s own posts, he sounds like a man who cares about his instruments, so I don’t doubt that they would be much better than the PVC’s I’ve met.

(P.S. I will be away from the internet (Ren. Faire time!) for a while so will probably not be around to respond to posts but thanks again for the reviews and response here.)

Cheers, Billy

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What the heck is the thing on the far right? Looks like an ivory headjoint gone mad?!

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ah…a lined ivory head joint gone mad? :smiley:

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That’s what I was thinking as well =) Reminds me of this…

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while lacking in the pristine :laughing:

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Hahaha… Talk about dry humor… (or would it be classified as such?)

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been accused before :laughing:

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OK, played the Miller Bb fife on the street today.
It’s a terrific busking instrument. In fact the darker
and less lustrous finish is rougher than the satiny
finish of the Olwell, so the Miller is easier to grip.
(I’ve got various prostheses on my slippery flutes,
including the Olwell bamboo A.)

The Bb carries very well, including in the first octave,
it’s responsive and it’s easy to play.
This is the first time I’ve ever played a transverse
instrument (opposed to a whistle) all the way through,
for three hours.

Also it looks kind of remarkable. A dark bamboo smallish
thing, as primitive looking as anything could be,
and there I am playing Bach.

And, yes, once again the little trolls forked over
the bucks…

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Crap, now I want one…

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Thanks for the review Jim.
It was one factor that caused me to contact Billy and order my first transverse flute. In fact, it’s the D from his Youtube video. It seems like the C&F folks have cornered the market on these bamboo lovelies. Or maybe we are the market?
Either way, it is quite the easy player and a lot of fun. I have very little flute experience and had no problem getting a nice tone my first time out. It is a pleasure to play and I do have a hard time putting it down when it’s time. Unfortunately, I don’t have anything else to compare it to so I won’t even attempt a review. At his price point however, it seems like quite the deal for such an instrument.

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Jim, sound clip pleeeeease!!! I would love to hear some Bach on this fife!