My local flute playing friend (non computer owner) is looking for either a Casey Burns Pratten style or Terry McGee Grey Larsen Preferred. Anyone got one for sale at this point?
Thanks!
Fancied Flue Finally Found! Thanks all.
8/19 - Edited to alter title to reflect what the thread has become about.
Eighter a huge holed, big bore CB Pratten or a tiny hole, small bore McGee F&P?
The logic of that eludes me, but it’s not my bussiness I guess.
Your friend could combine the two and get this flute: http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=52627
It’s a Casey Burns Firth & Pond (similar to Grey Larsen’s flute).
I plead immunity… 
… I’m just passing on his request, but, given this from Casey’s website -
“For the Small-Handed player, I bring the finger holes together as close as possible on this > Pratten > derived flute, and make adjustments to the bore and to the undercutting of the tone holes, to produce a flute that plays as well as the larger holed flutes, but with a much smaller finger spacing. The second and third holes for each hand are also offset or rotated to aid the reach and a good seal by the finger pad. The fingers should not have to cramp up in order to play the Irish flute - more relaxed fingers facilitate the playing of ornamentation. If you have small hands, consider this instrument.”
… it seems like small hands and Pratten style are not contradictory.
Modern technology is an amazing thing.
I don’t think Henke is questioning hand size. No doubt either of those will be very playable. He’s making the point that these two flutes are designed very differently, and are on opposite ends of the wooden flute spectrum. It’s just interesting that the choice would have been narrowed down to two such very different beasts.
Well, given that Casey makes small holed Pratten style flutes, that seemingly huge discrepancy doesn’t seem so extreme to me. Again, I am no flute expert at all, but my friend, who has played flute for decades, has done a lot of looking into what he wants. I will assume that he knows what that is. Perhaps he wants both and knows he can only get one right now.
Annie, you may be right that the difference is not so extreme. I’m far from an expert also, having never played anything but Pratten-inspired designs. I’d welcome a chance to toot on a GLP or similar small-holer, if only to gain some perspective. (But then I’d probably wanna buy another!) I hope something nice turns up for him.
I plan to get a ‘test drive’ of anything he gets. 
I had a Burns Folk Flute immediately before getting my GLP. You’re right, the difference in hole size and stretch is not much. Somewhere, I’ve got a list of the relative hole diameters and distance between holes. I’ll see if I can locate it and post it here.
Dow wrote:
Somewhere, I’ve got a list of the relative hole diameters and distance between holes. I’ll see if I can locate it and post it here.
As a new player looking for my first wooden flute, I’d really like to see that list. Have you had any luck finding the list Dow?
Regards,
John
As a new player looking for my first wooden flute, I’d really like to see that list.
Well, I found the chart, but it didn’t have the folk flute info on it. Anyway, here it is. Maybe someone else will chime in with the measurements on the Burns flute. If not, then contact Casey. If you find out anything, then please post it here.
These measurements were given to me by another member who got them straight from Terry (forwarded the email to me), so they should be correct.
Hope this helps.
One caveat, though. After you’ve played for a while, you’ll probably find that hole size has much less to do with how you play than other concerns, i. e. breath support, embouchure, etc. For example. I now fine that I can play my Tipple D and cover the holes quite easily, even though they’re HUUUUGE compared to the holes on my GLP. Additionally, I played several different flutes at Augusta this year, including the following, and covering the holes wasn’t a problem on any of them that I recall.
Thanks Dow. I appreciate your efforts.
John
de nada.
The quote from Casey Burn’s web site above is from the page for the small handed version of his 3-piece flute, not the 2-piece Folk Flute.
Maybe not relevant to the original question, but my small handed Folk Flute measures, from L1 to R3 (top to bottom) 8.5, 8, 6, 7.5, 10, 5.5. That is the side-to-side dimension which seems to be the diameter of the hole. 1-2mm longer on the surface in the other direction.
Spacings: L1-L2 32mm, L2-L3 31mm, R1-R3 30mm, R2-R3 28mm Only L3 and R3 are offset. L3 to R1 is 65mm !!
(Edited to fix typo, but not before it was quoted)
SInce the discussion has evolved into a very interesting and uuseful bit on Small Hand Flutes, and my original title no longer is viable, I’ve altered the title. I hope it doesn’t cause any problem.
I have a “regular” CB Pratten-style flute, with L3 and R3 offset, and I found in all kinds of comparisons that the last stretch, from R2 to R3, is significantly less than in other flutes. Mine measures 26 mm from the center of R2 to center of R3, much more comfortable to me than other flutes.
A friend of mine who switched to a similar CB flute did so because the diameter of her Rudall style flute was too small, causing her left index finger to be curled too tightly for comfort.
I don’t have small hands. But my hands are sensitive to the stretch between R2 and R3, and I’m really grateful to my CB flute for that detail.
Jennie
Just an aside:
there is a simple solution to the skinny flute
that curls your index too tightly.
The ‘bopep’ fashioned from a small piece
of clear plastic hose, available in
most hardware stores.
Since the subject has changed, I will ask something I had been wondering about.
What are the differences in the sound of a small-handed flute compared to a standard one ? Has anyone here done a side by side comparison of normal and small-handed versions of the same makers flute ?
I guess that the holes must be even further from their acoustically optimum position than on a ‘standard’ flute so increasing the design challenge.
It is of academic interest to me as I have shortish, thickish fingers (10mm hole - no problem) and I am grateful to be able make the reach on a D flute. I am breaking my left hand in even more slowly than I am the flute. One thing I have noticed is a distinctly different embouchure needed for the 1st octave A compared to the B and G, but I have read that this is normal for a simple system flute (hence the Siccama design etc).