When visiting co Cork last week I picked up my semi-used/half-new keyless blackwood flute from Hammy Hamilton. The headjoint is brand new, but the keyless body used to belong to someone who has then upgraded to a keyed flute..
I remember Conal Ó Grada praising the ability of Hammy’s flutes to “take wind.” After playing mine for a bit now, I have to say that I fully agree.. A couple of samples of the point where I managed to drive mine on the very first time I properly got to play it can be heard at Clips & Snips. The reel sets feature a good friend of mine Ville Karas on bouzouki.
Feel free to consider this either shameless self-promotion or an attempt to put out a(nother) good word for Hammy’s flutes, whichever you like. The bottom line is that I am extremely happy with my new barker..
Is this a flute you ordered ahead of time, or did you just drop in on Hammy and this is one he cobbled together for you? Did it cost less than a completely new keyless?
I was in touch with him via email some months ago when it became clear that I would be “in the neighbourhood”, so to say. It turned out that he occasionally has those keyless bodies with a new headjoint for sale, and the rest is history. The flute was slightly less expensive than a brand new one.
He has them fairly regularly, he had a D and an e flat during last years WIllie week. Nobody took them so I bought the D on the impulse. Both the top and bottom pieces were newly made, works out about 10 percent cheaper than a fully new one.
