I have two McGee wooden flutes, both of which have the “two semi-circles” embouchure cuts. I’m in the market for a delrin flute, and am wondering if anyone has experience with the “squared ellipse” cut on the Copley delrin flute. Are these two cuts similar, or is the Copley “squared ellipse” more similar to the McGee “rounded rectangle.”
My concern is that I don’t want to be moving back and forth between fundamentally different embouchure holes on my flutes.
I’d say not to worry too much about it, though I can’t tell you anything about the specific cuts from the makers you mention, not having had access to their flutes.
I just made a YouTube clip for demo purposes where I played a tune first on my elliptically embouchured R&R and then directly picked up my cheapo school Bohm flute with its rounded rectangle embouchure… no problem. Sure, the more modern cut is in some senses easier to blow - you have a bigger target edge, more leeway… but I went back to the R&R after just as easily. One may have a personal preference about these things, as to which one feels most comfortable with and best achieves one’s desired sound, but I don’t think that any well cut embouchure is really more “difficult” to play than another in any general sense. If your technique has developed the flexibility it should have to play across the range on one embouchure, then it can cope with any subtle differences demanded or opportunities afforded by a different cut. There may initially be issues of muscle memory, but one ought to be able to overcome those by feel and listening and relaxing.
For me, my experience is that I am used to and play better, enjoy the tone and playability better, with an elliptical embouchure, be it a simple system or Boehm flute. I had the square cut Copley delrin and just couldn’t get the tone and feel I was looking for, though it was a great flute in terms of intonation.
I’ve had a McGee GLP with the elliptical embouchure and two delrin Copleys, one with the square-cut and my newest with an elliptical. I prefer the elliptical embouchure, but I can’t really tell you why! Dave can do either cut for you (no extra charge) and I had him add a C-nat thumbhole as well (also no extra charge).
My Copley delrin’s squared embourchure measures about 14/32 X 13/32 making it quite square. It works great
My rounded rectangle on my blackwood 5088 McGee is about 16/32 X 13/32 but looks bigger and much more rectanglle. It works good too, but I too prefer the semi-circle on the extra headjoint Terry made me.
All in all, I don’t think you’ll have trouble adjusting to the squared embouchure on the Copely delrin and that is what Dave recommends on his delrin model. A great buy.
I have a Copley Delrin with a modern-cut embouchure (I presume it’s the “squared ellipse” but don’t know). I’d love to trade it for one with an oval cut. I very much like the flute, but just can’t warm up to the embouchure – it’s very easy to play, but lacks the feel of a traditional oval. It’s possible to get the nice growly sound from it, but it takes more effort.
I suspect it would be much less of an adjustment from the “two semicircles” than from a traditional oval.
If you have two McGee flutes with the two semi-circle embouchure and you are concerned about transitioning to a Copley, why don’t you just have Terry make you a delrin flute?
