So many great flutes out there

Irish Flute
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Fellas:

In a span of two days, I’ve received an 1847 8-key Rudall and Rose (to keep), and a new McGee Keyless Improved Rudall (the Roving Ambassador flute to try). And I’m in China, and maybe one of say 3 people out of 1.3B people that even care about this stuff. Imagine that. One has to be thankful.

I’ll tell you more about the antique Rudall later, and I don’t want to bias anyone that might be on Terry’s Roving list after I send it off in a week or so to the US…but I just am amazed by the quality and variety of great flutes out there.

You know, we delightedly struggle and struggle to find and identify and obtain the best flute out there–the one that will, with a little practice, give you a glimpse of what it would be like to sound like Egan and Nugent and Crawford..or hell, one of the old guys from the turn of the century. A flute with investment value or from a maker with a ten-year waiting list. But, the bottom line is that…

  1. There are so many great flutes and makers and innovations out there, once one finds a great flute, play it , take care of it and be happy with your lot in life.

…and

  1. We will never stop trying to compare and contrast these flutes, curiously comparing flutes that look almost exactly the same from a couple of meters away. and one can never really be happy without wondering: “Could that McGee or Noy flute suit me so much better than the one I’m playing and possibly take me yet closer to flute nirvana?” …and, yes, I just one more flute because I have to have it. After that, #1 happens, and then #2 yet again.

Luckily, the grasshopper in me, only wants to keep one good flute and a travel flute. Until I tried the Hoza, and then the Ormiston, then the Wilkes, then the Olwell, then the Noy, then the McGee and then the the awesome Rudall original, and then…

Embrace the contradiction. Save me!!!

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I know what you mean. Before the Hoza, I had my sights on other maybe superior flutes. I figure that if I play this one long enough I would bond with it and know it inside out. And it seems to be working out.The flute acquisition has to stop somewhere, I thought, as they cost much more than whistles. And someone said(I forget who) the “best” flute is the one you don’t have. Cheers.

Tots

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How did you come across the 1847 Rudall then?

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Great news, G. I was likewise blessed a couple of weeks ago, with a keyless Olwell and 8-key Grinter (my wife’s) arriving a couple of days apart. Both wonderful instruments, very different from each other and very different from my other three flutes.

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hey g-man, were your ears ringing?

funny, i was going to post very similair thoughts. not that i received an r&r flute or anything, but from reading recent threads where so many flutes are being sold and new makers being identified. my thoughts were along the line of how fortunate we are nowadays. as little as ten years ago there didn’t seem to be nearly as many good flutes available, or quite a variety in design, or as many modern day makers. no longer is it a question of simply finding a decent flute to play. it’s more about which one (or two etc.) of the many do you prefer. it’s nice to know the spectrum of what’s out there and available nowadays, as it seems everchanging.
but after all is said, finding contentment in a good flute is an adventure in itself.

we’ll await your flute sale…