I am putting this flute back up for sale. I bought it from Barry and, as he says below, it is an awesome flute. Did he mention it’s a speed demon of a flute? Play fast–no problem. It’s a sleek rocket of a flute.
I found out that, after trying this flute and many others, I am not a Rudall player and much more of a Pratten/Hawkes player. I just couldn’t resist trying out this amazing flute. It will surely serve someone else much better than I. I’m going on the Olwell Pratten waiting list and need the cash back.
I’ll make the same offer: $1199 + $18 shipping. A great deal–retail this flute (if you can get one) is E1,150 Euros which is about $1,800. I don’t have PayPal (is it easy to set up?), so I need cashier’s check/money order and will only sell/ship to USA location.
I have continued the impeccable upkeep of this flute: humidified at 60-65%. Slowly broke flute in. Comes with a great hard shell case as well.
Not to be too snarky but a Murray flute costs €770 from the maker delivered usually under three months. If you pay a retailer €1150 for one, maybe you’re not buying in the right place.
Thanks for the update, Peter. You are certainly much closer to the source than I. I was going on information I had seen at Powell’s (?) Music shop that did have it listed at E1150. Apologies–had no intention of being misleading. Still, $1199 is a fair price.
Wow, Jason, that was a quick trip around the block! Sorry it isn’t working for you, but if you aren’t used to Rudalls they do take a little more time to get acquainted with them, and find out how to play them best. For what it’s worth, I found this Murray to be one of the easier playing flutes I’ve tried yet, with maybe the exception of getting the solid low d at first, but that came in time too. Though I can say it took me a few months to be really comfortable with it. Of course some embouchure cuts are more suited to one person than another, to be fair.
Yes, Powell’s are way too high for their prices-your price of $1200 USD is about (actually a little less) than a new one from Sam would cost, without the wait or shipping, at the exchange rate presently.
All in all, this particular Murray is still an amazing flute, I think, and well deserving of his reputation. Maybe the next owner will be better able to appreciate it for it’s fine qualities. Good luck to the next lucky person to get it!
I second this thought. I’ve played a Pratten type for the past 8 or so years, and recently decided to aquire a Rudall (type). I’ve been very happy with the change (while still hanging onto the Pratten), for all the right reasons - quicker response, easier on the hands, great, complex tone. For me, it’s been more a personal or psychological issue than any technical transition (which came easily, all around - I find both easy to play, from top to bottom). Still, the transition is odd - it’s a bit like having someone come in while you’re playing electric guitar and changing all your amp settings. It’s not that one setting is better than the other, just jarringly different, and playing has to adjust accordingly.
I deliberately didn’t mention any makers here, in my case, because both these flutes are good examples of modern Pratten/Rudall types, and my point is more about transitioning between different kinds of flutes than any single maker endorsement, assuming that the flute in question is a proper example of these types. A Murray flute, from the few I’ve played, is a great flute, so this is much more about a player’s comfort zone with a Rudall over a Pratten, or vice versa.