I haven’t seen much in the way of review or comment.
Their low whistle got very good scores, and I love both my Pro D whistle/fife set and my blackwood F fife/flute. I’m not shopping (really!!), but pricing is pretty attractive on the new Resonance D flutes. Any players here?
I was thinking of getting a Sweet F flute in rosewood. Sounds like you really like yours? j.
I had a sweetheart F rosewood flute which I traded with some
other instruments
for a Copley F. The sweetheart F is a good flute, much fun,
and a good value–not as good as what you
can get for more money, but good enough.
I’ve played only very briefly the resonance D flute.
Would welcome a review, too.
Very much. A real rocket. This is not like their ‘folk fifes’. It’s blackwood with rings, and has very solid tone, and extremely comfortable size and spacing. I bought it on a whim and quickly regretted my indiscretion…until it arrived! Zero regrets now, which is why I ask about the Resonance.
I have one in Dymondwood which I use for travel and other times when I don’t want to risk the Burns. I don’t like writing reviews for Flutes as every player plays differently, but I will give it one anyway. I will use GaryKelly’s format, but not the automated Flute Reviewer as I have had this since March and you are supposed to use that within 10 minutes after opening the box.
Construction
Holes are smaller than both my Burns Pratten D and Copley Eb. I believe it is based on a Firth, Hall, and Pond, but modified a bit. I would say the holes are medium Rudall size, such as an M&E.
The finish is very smooth, like a nice piece of Blackwood. It shines and looks a bit glossy. A ver yclean finnish. The Dymondwood has interesting graining patterns and is a bit irridescent. It resembles Brazilian Rosewood.
For the price, the workmanship is really good. No it is not Grinter or Olwell good, but it isn’t bad. Plus it is a lot plainer looking as it has no rings. The holes are very smooth and have a nice overcut, plus a nice undercut. If one looks into the bore carefully they can see one reamer mark. Considering one could get a Paki FSO for the price this is very nice for the price.
Tone
A sweet sounding instrument with a very tight sound (i.e Rudall styles). It has some edge and can really have that honking Low D. It takes a bit of time to really get the Low E and D, but once one masters, it they can get them easily. For the most part it likes to be played with a woody sound. Of course, it is most up to the player, but if one is looking for that “classic Pratten sound,” it is not easy to get from this Flute.
Response
Very quick. It is definitley like a sports car.
Intonation
A few odd quircks, but that is to be expected. it is not hard to play this so it is in-tune with itself. Can easily play into the third octave with the right fingerings.
Other Notes
Offset holes. Slight bell shape at end of bore. Tennon cork on the female end such as Terry McGee’s MDT. Two pieces and no endcap.
Overall
A great begginners intrument and one that can be used when ones more expensive Flute will be at hazard. A nice Flute for the price!
Well, the Sweetheart F comes in both rosewood and blackwood,
as does the A fife and I think some of the other keys,
depending on what they’ve got in stock.
I bought mine, and an A rosewood, during a visit to the
factory. Ralph says that there is no significant difference
in sound tween rosewood and blackwood on these
flutes.
Jim, I’m sure that’s true, and I didn’t mean to imply that the blackwood model is in any way “better” than the other folk fifes. What I meant to say is that the look and shape are less like the ones with the turned rings, and more like the higher-end fifes and flutes that the Sweets sell. I have no doubt the construction and sound are very similar. Still, we’ll all admit that looks enter the equation somewhat when selecting an instrument. To me, it was worth the extra cost in this particular case.
And Avery, thanks for the input, which I guess summarizes to: “they’re a good value in a beginner/intermediate/everyday/travel/what-have-you flute”. That’s pretty much what I expected to hear, but no one had posted as such before.
A few odd quircks, but that is to be expected. it is not hard to play this so it is in-tune with itself.
How in-tune is it with other instruments? I know there’s no tuning slide, but it has a bit of space, and Mr. Sweet tells me you can tune it a bit sharp or flat. Would people be tuning to you more than vice versa?
Yes. the silver rings on the F flute look nice.
I find that in tuneness to other instruments depends a lot on the player. In all honesty I have never played this with another player I am always using my Burns or Copley. I have played it to a drone though and I found it was not hard to keep in tune. Some people say one needs a slide, but my Burns has no slide and now that I can adjust my own tuning and hear it I don’t have problems in sessions. It has a bit of room to go sharp or flat, I took the O-rings off as I like to be able to tune sharper and usually play a bit on the flat side anyway. Walt told me that the o-rings are the in tune spot, but on the Flute (not whistle) tuning is very subjective to the player. It can move and you would be tuning to others, it is not like a one piece instrument.
CrookedTune, that is pretty much what I was saying. Now compared to an M&E as the two are similar in playing charictaristics, I would again choose the Sweetheart for a couple reasons. A very important thing I forgot to mention is it doesn’t feel like one is playing a plastic Flute it feels like wood. The fit and finnish is better, M&Es usually have a rough finnish my Resonance is very smooth. Less moisture problems than Delrin/PVC Rod Stock. It weighs less than an M&E, I would place it right between my all Boxwood Burns and my Lined Blackwood Copley. The M&E has some advantages, like one can leave it put together all the time and it has a tuning slide.