He hasn’t changed the site in years and I’ve heard nothing further about a Pratten model.
I have Michael’s unkeyed blackwood model in D.
The keyed flute I have on order will be in cocus.
Best,
Chris
By the way, the hole sizes and position on the Grinter and the Olwell are almost identical. The bore of the Olwell is a bit bigger and the flute is heavier.
Chris
My best advice is this: If you really dig Paul McGratten, Conal O’Grada, Harry Bradley and that really rough, balls-out playing style and tone, go for an Olwell. If you prefer a more refined, yet laser sharp and responsive, tone and style of someone like Kevin Crawford of Mike McGoldrick, go for a Grinter.
They’ll both kick your ass.
FWIW, Matt Molloy, Tom Doorley, Seamus Egan, Mike Rafferty, the late Frankie Kennedy, and Larry Nugent all play(ed) Olwells. It’s interesting to me to hear the differences in Kevin Crawford’s and Matt Molloy’s playing, as they’re stylistically similar players with very different hardware.
On 2002-11-21 14:29, Ro3b wrote:
It’s interesting to me to hear the differences in Kevin Crawford’s and Matt Molloy’s playing, as they’re stylistically similar players with very different hardware.
Yes, but… I’m willing to bet that if they traded flutes with each other, you’d still have no trouble telling them apart. I think the differences in tone between Matt Molloy and Kevin Crawford have less to do with hardware than with their embouchure and approach to blowing. It’s true that the flute asserts its own personality, but the player has a dominant role in producing the tone. I’ve seen great players get a fantastic tone out of mediocre instruments.
I may have been a bit unclear here. I don’t think having a Grinter will make you sound like Crawford any more than having an Olwell will make you sound like O’Grada. I simply mean that the flutes seem better suited to their respective styles. There is no question that tone is hugely dependant on who is playing the flute.
Chris
Chris - I am late reading this thread but wanted to compliment you on the best comparison review i’ve seen. I could hear the instruments as I read it. Best.
Thanks Warren. I really appreciate the kind words, especially as I am recieving a lashing over in the whistle forum.
Best,
Chris
It’s interesting to me to hear the differences in Kevin Crawford’s and Matt Molloy’s playing, as they’re stylistically similar players with very different hardware.
In the Molloy interview on Brad Hurley’s site he said that he has an Olwell and likes it but prefers his Pratten. He said his daughter plays the Olwell.
Cheers,
Aaron
Edited for content and context
[ This Message was edited by: AaronMalcomb on 2002-11-21 23:27 ]
On 2002-11-21 19:14, AaronMalcomb wrote:
In the Molloy interview on Brad Hurley’s site he said that he has an Olwell and likes it but prefers his Pratten. He said his daughter plays the Olwell.
Well, that’s an old interview. Patrick subsequently made Molloy a flute that he liked so much that it became his main instrument. Unfortunately that flute was later stolen. I’m sure Patrick replaced it with an equally great flute, so I believe Matt Molloy is still playing an Olwell.
I know young Peter Molloy quite well and according to him he, his father and his sister are all playing Olwells. Peter thinks his is the best thing since Sea-Monkeys.
Best,
Chris
Sea Monkeys…boy that takes me back…
Loren
Remember that ad on the back page of those old comic books? Weren’t the “Sea Monkeys” wearing little crowns? I think we actually got some of them when I was a kid ~ boy, I felt ripped off!
Mary
I’m the dad of two boys, 8 and 11 years old. We raised up some sea monkeys earlier this year and yes, they were wearing crowns! But they didn’t reign for long. Bit the dust, or H2O, pretty quickly. We had a little ceremony. At the viewing, I realized that sea monkeys aren’t monkeys at all (hmm, you knew that), but brine shrimp! Now, I live in Utah, where brine shrimp are farmed by the billions (something about a lake). I feed them to our aquatic frogs. By the millions per year. So why did we fret over raising the “Monkeys” and say kaddish for them when they died? Maybe it was the CROWNS! Maybe we just wanted to believe they were, after all, monkeys.
That aside, I’m really enjoying these pages!! Ask a simple question (about Grinter)and you get more than you could ever hope for!! I’m listening to Crawford’s “In Good Company” as I write (saw Lunasa last month). I’m leaning toward the Grinter based on Chris’ outstanding descriptions, how I think I would like to sound as the years go by, and based on my style on other instruments (whistle and box). I put all my gig money aside for instruments, so as time goes by, I may be able to add an Olwell to my collection, too. I have done this a bit with button accordions and play a John Williams style B/C Salterelle, a very dry, very small Cardin (my two main squ… sorry), an old mother-of-toilet seat Honer, and a 1920’s single row German Koch in D (mountain goats and such carved into the wood; probably played some mean polkas in its day).
Learning about and pursuing great instruments are among the most satisfying things short of playing them! I’m enjoying my forray into flutes immensely, in large part due to all of you in this forum!!
Are any of you recorded? Touring? Passing through Utah? Skiing Alta or Deer Valley this season? There’s an Irish pub opening in December here in Salt Lake, and we’ll be sessioning there and helping to arrange concerts. Salt Lake City. Irish Pub. Hmm. But the owner is very savvy about pubs and sessions after lots of time in Ireland. Hey, we not only can get Guinness and Murphy’s but have a number of killer microbreweries here as well.
I’ll keep you posted about which flute I finally order and give my impressions when it arrives!
Long live the King of the Sea Monkeys! (sound like a jig?)
Mark
Thanks to all who have replied to the queries. Now I have a slightly different angle. I play mostly folk music, but my wife plays concert flute, and would likely play mostly classical and baroque, so we’re looking for an 8-key that might suit both of us.
My reading is that the Grinter might be better for classical/baroque than Olwell, but would suit pretty well for IrTrad. (Plus Michael’s delivery time on an 8-key is 1.5 years.) Do y’all concur?
TIA, Charlie
Just for fun, here’s the website for the Salt Lake Tribune’s article about the Irish Pub opening in December. A glimpse into life in Utah!!
http://www.sltrib.com/2002/Oct/10312002/utah/12208.htm
Mark
Hey Mark - I’m wondering if you’re the Mark I met at the Hibernian Society ceili on the 15th. I sat next to you and played (tried to play) whistle - but am venturing a little into the flute world too. Welcome to the weird world of Chiff & Fipple!
Susan
A friend has an Abell blackwood keyed
classical flute which is wonderful–if I were
wanting something that played
classical too, I’d think about that.
But I don’t know how it compares…
or how long the waiting list.
Would you really consider spending $10,000 for a flute Jim? That’s about what Abell’s keyed flutes cost…
Loren
Jean Michel Veillon is a breton flute player. He played in several great bands like Kornog, Barzar, Pennou Skoulm and is one of the best wooden flute players all over the world (no doubt about this). I recomend you to listen him, he has recorded a live album called “BEO!” which will give a very good idea about his rich playing.
Salutes.
What a woild! Yes, Susan, it’s me! I liked your whistle playing and hope to see you at more sessions! We probably live in the same neighborhood, too, but chiff and fipple just melts away the distance, eh?
Thanks, to those who identified Jean-Michel for me. In fact, I’ve been listening to Kornog since the 1980’s and just played them on the radio about two weeks ago, but just never seemed to have learned all their names. Shame on me. I recently learned a couple of Breton marches from Jean-Michel’s playing on one of their 80’s albums.
I’ve had a Celtic radio program on KRCL 90.9FM for the past 20 years or so and I’ll let you all know when we start streaming again (interrupted due to some contractural issues)and maybe you can tune in once in a while (and make recommendations for great players and tunes!)
Mark