Heavens to Mergatroid, What a Flute!!!
Must get back to it now…
Loren
[ This Message was edited by: Loren on 2002-06-30 00:48 ]
Congratulations!!!
Of course, we do expect a full review (with pictures if possible!) as soon as you can physically seperate yourself from it long enough to sit down at your keyboard!
OTH, don’t post the reveiw - jealousy and envy aren’t my better traits! 
PS - I’ be really interested in a side by side comparison with the Copley.
[ This Message was edited by: DanD on 2002-06-14 16:40 ]
Wow, congratulations. The wait was killing us. Is it everything you hoped for? What’s the first tune you played on it? Can we hear a “Clip and Snip” from you?
Cheerily,
Cara
Geeze,
I thought you guys would be absolutely sick of hearing about this flute by now, I’m sure some are…
I’ll try to get some decent photos over the weekend.
I’m afraid a sound clip isn’t possible, the system/browser combination I use Webtv/MSNtv doesn’t have that ability. Besides, it’s going to take a while for me to find the best embouchure for this flute anyway, it requires a different lip than what I was using on the Copley.
I don’t really want to publicly start comparing the Olwell to other flutes until I’ve had the chance to get to know it better.
I can however tell you the following:
-
I’m not having any trouble filling it, I do however have to take breaths a little more frequently.
-
Fingerhole size and spacing are not a problem for me, and I have small hands.
-
When played with the proper emboucher this flute is capable of surprising (to me) volume and projection, by FAR the loudest woodenflute I’ve ever encountered. Which is not to say that it can’t be played at lower volume, because it certainly can. But geeze, really blow into this Olwell and you start to wonder if they’re gonna hear you a couple of streets away!
-
This flute cracks like a whip!
-
The high end of the flute totally has that Seamus Egan upper octaves sound - awesome! This sound is hard to describe in words, but if you’re a Solas fan you’ll know exactly what I mean. Now if I could only play half as well as Seamus…
-
Rock solid bottom end, a D you could climb up and stand on.
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The Fit and Finish are what you’d expect, all top notch of course.
8 ) Cocus seems to have a VERY strong somewhat bitter smell, at least at this stage. How strong you may ask? So strong that I can smell the Cocus right through a sealed Cavallero flute roll bag - and I have a very weak sense of smell. The odor doesn’t bother me, but I’m not sure everyone could deal with it.
- Is it just paranoia, or does the area under my lower lip look slightly swollen now? Probably just my imagination, although my lips did feel sort of “tingly” after playing…
Those are my thoughts at the moment. The worst bit is that according to Patrick the flute should only be played for an hour a day the first week or so, then gradually increasing after that, sigh…
That’s all for now, I’ll post again when I have a pic or two to share.
Loren
P.S. For those wondering - Yes, this flute was well worth the wait, and all the whistles I had to sell to pay for it, no question at all.
[ This Message was edited by: Loren on 2002-06-14 18:44 ]
shudder Ugh… if you turn out to be, or to develop, a reaction to cocus… no, it doesn’t bear thinking about! You’re not allowed to have such a reaction, therefore, yes, it’s just paranoia. 
–Chris, (whose only flutes are a Ralph Sweet and a Hall Crystal… One day…)
Chris,
Yeah, let’s hope I’m not allergic! Guess we’ll know before too long. Even if it turns out that I am, it’s not the end of the world - there are a couple of options for dealing with the lip/flute contact area. We’ll see though.
On the issue of the flute’s smell: It hit me a couple of hours ago that what I’m smelling is burned bamboo, not the wood’s natural odor. Having purchased some recently manufactured Bamboo flutes directly from Pat in the past, I should have recognized the odor immediately. That’s the good news. The bad news is; It might take quite awhile for this smell to fade, and it’s starting to get on my nerves - My whole apartment is starting to smell like a burned bamboo grove =;^
Killer flute by the way, in case I hadn’t mentioned that =;^)
Loren
Congratulations, Loren!
Born: 14 June 2002 to a loving father
Weight: 13 oz.
Length: Flute length (with short foot or long)
Loren:
Yes, it is an allergic reaction you have. Don’t even think about adding a Matt Malloy silver plate over the embouchure. Just re-pack the flute today and send it to me…and then think about the possibilities…
You can wait another year and enjoy the bittersweet taste of anticipation. One always needs something to look forward to.
When I first started playing the Olwell, I was smashed by not only the volume and projection, but the “bark”!! I started wondering if the dogs in the neoghborhood would come smelling around for some blackwood trim.
Enjoy the flute for a few months…this will be the first time in, what, three years, that you are no longer resident on any waiting lists. Can you handle that, bro?
[quote]
On 2002-06-15 04:40, gcollins wrote:
Loren:
…adding a Matt Malloy silver plate over the embouchure. ]
Oh, that would be beautiful…!
I bet you can’t stop looking at it! Have fun!
Loren,
Congratulations! You must be dizzy from excitement, or would that be from blowing? Sorry to ask if you’ve mentioned this before, but what made you choose cocus over grenadilla? I’ve heard that cocus is a little more susceptible to cracking. But, in Florida where its just a tad humid, it shouldn’t be a problem if well cared for. How would you describe the volume difference between your former Copley and the Olwell? What about tone differences between the cocus and grenadilla?
Have fun. I hear cold pints of pale ale will help reduce the lip swelling.
Matt
PS. In case your wondering why so many questions…I am in the market for a second keyless D, and recent conversations with Pat Olwell have me very interested.
[ This Message was edited by: mjmtex on 2002-06-15 21:14 ]
Loren, congrats on having finally received your holy grail! Lets hope you’re not allergic, because if you are, you will, er, have to sell it cheap, you know “allergy-inducing flute for sale - $100” or something.
I trust you will give us a more thorough comparison once you have more experience with it. I like your comment that you are “only” allowed one hour of practice a day, I wish I had that kind of time for flute playing.
Jens
Just wanted to add a quick update for those who have been curious:
To be honest, I’d have to say that the Olwell has been a real bear so far - much tougher to play than my Copley. Filling the Olwell is no problem, but getting and maintaining a great tone has been tough, and I’m still struggling mightily. I’m also finding it difficult to maintain good tone from one octave to the next, and I find shifting octaves on this Olwell very difficult to control. Perplexing to be sure.
Now, keep in mind I’ve only had about 4 hours on the Olwell so far, and I’d condemn myself and my embouchure long before I’d say it’s the flute’s fault that I’m having trouble: The Copley and the Olwell have similar size and shape embouchure holes, but the angle of the cut is quite different, so this alone would require significant changes on my part I should think. It would seem I haven’t gotten the adjustments figured out just yet 
Never the less, the fact is that I’m having a rough go of it with the Olwell right now, and I thought I’d be honest about it. The Flute does sound amazing when I hit it just right, so I’m going to keep working at it, and see what I can come up with over time. I suspect this flute will either make me or break me…
Loren
Loren, 4 hours is nothing. Keep at it and I know this flute will make you happy.
Chris
On 2002-06-18 09:27, ChrisLaughlin wrote:
Loren, 4 hours is nothing. Keep at it and I know this flute will make you happy.
Chris
Of course I would have played it more, but there’s that pesky break-in period to worry about =;^)
I’m already chomping at the bit to have my go at it for the day.
Loren
Forgot to mention a couple of things:
The burnt bamboo smell is starting to fade, thank goodness.
Seems I’m not allergic to the Cocus after all - I haven’t had any skin reactions over the last several days, so it must have just been my imagination and paranoia that first day
For the person who asked why I choose Cocus, it was discussed at length not long ago in another thread, check back over the last few pages, I don’t want to bore people again.
G.,
I am still on Chris Abell’s waiting list for an A/Bb whistle set, but that’s the last. I’ll be fine, don’t need anything else…except maybe a keyed flute…and possibly a Rudall of some sort to compliment the Pratten…and then of course there’s that Bb flute I’ve been wanting… =;^)
BTW, Have you heard that Kevin Crawford may have a Bb flute CD coming out at some point? Word has it the recording is already finished.
Loren
Hey Loren:
No doubt getting the Olwell to sing for you will require spending more time than the 10 minutes a day for the first week. I really hate that period!
But one thing that the Olwell made clear for me–it was kind of enlightenment–is that it has to teach you how it wants to be played. It will come all of the sudden, like Siddharta under the tree, and then you’ll have a ball for the next few months learning its many colors and tones it’s capable of.
But…you know. When I received Burke low G and D whistles a few years ago, I wanted to like them much more than I actually did, after hearing all the rave reviews of them. But I just didn’t like them, regardless of all the hype–so I returned them to Burke. Others have told me that about Olwell and Grinter flutes as well. Who knows? Every lip and personality finds its perfect fit, and perhaps it is a measure of an iota of maturity as a musician
Come to think about it…when I married Julia Roberts, I REALLY wanted to love her. But alas, I left her, telling her that she just didn’t make enough money for my flute habits. Such is life
Ahh, so that’s what happened with Julia…Well, now I understand completely
Dude, I don’t know how you dealt with playing your Olwell only 10 minutes at a time in the beginning. Patrick’s instructions say 1 hour a day for the first week, and then gradually increase, so I’ve been doing the 1 hour a day.
I’m certainly not blaming the flute for my difficulties, I heard Pat play the flute (over the phone) so I know darn well the flute ain’t defective =;^)
I really only posted my current thoughts in an effort to give people an honest picture of how the transition is going for me. Often people only share the positive stuff about their new instruments - perhaps largely due to the financial and emotional investment they’ve made…It’s not so easy to say you just spent $1300 and all is not rosy, right?
Still, as you mention regarding your Burke whistle experience, one must try to remain objective. I’m committed to putting in due time and effort on this new instrument, but I’m not attached to suffering needlessly, so if I work at adjusting to the Olwell for a reasonable length of time and things don’t come together, I’ll have no problem moving on - but I think we’re still a good distance from that point yet. If I practice on the Olwell for an hour a day, for the next month, and I’ve made no significant progress…well, then it might be time to go Benedict Arnold and make a break for the Rudall camp 
Loren
:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:
Loren - are you seriously saying you’d consider getting a new flute if you can’t play this flute to your satisfaction within a month?!?! I’ve been playing the flute for about two years now, every day, for a couple of hours a day at least, and I’m only just beginning to get the sound and the response I’ve been seeking. It’s a long road! Stick with it. Enjoy it. Don’t worry about it. It’ll come. Soon you and the flute will become one and all else will melt away :roll:
Your pal,
Chris
Nah Chris,
I’m just toying with people on the message board - You know, getting them to believe I might actually sell this flute one day and so maybe they’ll have a shot at it. Cruel, huh?
Once I post a decent picture, folks are going see why I could never part with this instrument: Having rubbed in a few more coats of oil as Patrick suggested, the Cocus is now a stunning chocolate color. And besides, like I said earlier, I’ve heard Patrick play this flute, so I know what it’s capable of. Now I just have to put in the time, which I’m doing. Today’s hour of practice time flew by, can’t wait for tomorrow!
Loren
Loren,
What kind of flute you coming from?
In the Boehm world, when folks make a BIG jump, say beginning Artley to Powell or equivalent, it can take months before they “settle in,” and they usually have a love/hate relationship with the flute till then.
Not that that is your situation, but it just came to mind.
Best wishes,
–James
http://www.flutesite.com
(Edited by James to tix a fypo.)
[ This Message was edited by: peeplj on 2002-06-19 11:56 ]