On 2002-06-18 17:41, Loren wrote:
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? >
>
You Bastage!
Mark,
Thank you Mark, your powers of observation are indeed keen!
James,
I don’t know, A friend of mine went strait from a student model Blessing to a Powell with no problem at all
This same person tried both Pratten and Nicholson Olwells, side by side, and had trouble with the Pratten but none at all with the Nicholson.
It would appear I should have taken this person’s advice and gone with the Nicholson first, perhaps moving to the Pratten later. But Nooooo, I had to prove I was a real man, had to have the big stick, wanted to strut around the sessions with a big bad Cocus Pratten… (Now, in Homer Simpson voice) “Ooooh, look at me! I’m so cool! I have a flute just like Seamus Egan! I can explode your eardrums with it! (if only because I play it so poorly.)”
What can I tell ya, live and learn. Guess I better get to back to practicing now, so I won’t look like a COMPLETE fool when I show up at the session with this Killer Flute that I’m clearly not man enough to drive just yet - I get to look forward to the inevitable humilition of having at least one two people at the next session who will be able to pick my flute up and play it flawlessly, while I on the other hand, flail and huff comically for all to see. Ah, yes, humiliation, it’s good for the soul…
Loren
[quote]
On 2002-06-19 15:16, Loren wrote:
(Now, in Homer Simpson voice) "Ooooh, look at me! I’m so cool! I have a flute just like Seamus Egan! I can explode your eardrums with it!
Now that was funny! It almost makes up for waking up on a Thursday and thinking it was a Saturday…
Wes
Okay, getting back to being serious for a moment (very difficult for me), I thought I’d post a quick update - not because I think anyone really cares how I’m doing with the flute, but rather I don’t want anyone to get the wrong impression about Patrick’s flutes. So here then is the update:
After 2 weeks of daily practice (at least 1 hour a day on the Olwell minimum) I can honestly say I’m starting to get the hang of this flute. My tone has improved significantly (although it’s still hard to hold for long periods) and I’ve got the first octave and a half mostly under control…er, well, most of the time that is.
Bottom line, I’m finding the flute much easier to play now, in fact it seems quite reasonable after working with it for only a couple of weeks. So much so that I’m very excited to consider what the flute may have in store for me once I’ve got a few months of practice under my belt.
BTW, for those of you who were hoping I might get so frustrated that I would put this flute up sale: Forget about it, I’m having a blast with this flute, it’s inspired me practice more than ever, so if you want it you’ll have to pry it from my cold dead hands =;^)
About the Cocus: It’s a thirsty wood that really does require a good bit of oiling early on, so it would not be a good choice for someone who’s looking for something easy to maintain right off the bat. For me though, the looks alone have made it worth the extra effort, soundwise, well Chris, I look forward to getting together one of these days so we can compare our Olwells side by side…uhh, that didn’t sound so good, did it?
Anyway, there’s a quick update. To summarize, I’m quite happy with the flute, and although the first week or so was a real bear, I’m now glad that I went with the Pratten, it’s forcing me to work hard on my breathing and embouchure, and consequently I’m improving significantly as a player. Pat makes a great flute, and mine was well worth the wait.
Cheers,
Loren
Well, Loren, we sure have been waiting to see how all the drama plays out.
You know, when I first played the Olwell, I seemed to be able to work with the embouchure, but what blew me away and took some time was the fact that the Olwell Pratten embouchure was amazingly flexible. You could play reedy, or you could play sweet; and you could play on the edge of the two octaves, which is totally cool. I didn’t realize this in the first couple of weeks, and I have never encountered it since on any flute. But it was by far the most impressive thing about that flute.
Like ant great instument, the Olwell will have to teach you how it needs to be played. You don’t really play a flute like that–it plays you. Only two insturments I’ve played have had this quality…and its made all the difference.
Just enjoy the music, man. I’ve already told Pat that I miss that Olwell and to rush on my keyed flute! And that coming from a guy with arguably one of the best R&R flutes around, antique or modern.
Greg, you make a good point. The embouchure means a lot, not the just the bore of the instrument.
But I’m not so sure it’s Pratten who came up with the bore that worked so well for his flute design (although arguably some would say it was Hudson, his flutemaker, or even Siccama, who introduced the two).
Recently I had the chance to play a dandy Clementi-Nicholson with a very large, and responsive, embouchure. I really do think the notion came first from Nicholson himself, the purveyor of the large tone holes (and it was his FATHER, Charles Nicholson SR who came up with the large tone hole idea first…JR, the great flute player, merely pushed it). Anyway this flute could turn color and tone with the best of them. Rudall wasn’t well known for having large embouchures, although the flutes surely allowed for the inflections. Pratten embouchures are fairly large, but not on the order of the Clementi-Prowse-Nicholson flutes.
However, Olwell I think makes the best of the modern-day embouchures, albeit arguably. I’m not a fan of the “channels” that some makers put on the audience-side of their embouchures, so I don’t count them.
That’s probably why my everyday flute is now known as “Rudall, Rose, Carte & Olwell” 
Well G.,
The Olwell is certainly full of surprises, and I’m sure it has much yet to teach me, so I’ll just work hard and do as you say, enjoy the ride!
Now, I can’t wait to hear about your Bb when that arrives.
Loren
I’m still a dreamin’ here in Beijing. One of these days the Bb will just show up, or so Olwell says (with a laugh and some faint Chinese…no commitment!)
Regards,
G
I’ll send you a picuture of my Wilkes head.
Loren:
Did Pat Olwell have a hard time finding cocus wood for your flute? zdid it cost much more than his blackwood model?
Thanks,
Paul Runci
Paul,
Pat charged me an extra $100 for the Cocus. He told me that good quality Cocus is very hard to find, and Pat is quite picky about the quality of the Cocus he will accept, which makes it harder to come by in an Olwell. Also, Pat saves the very best Cocus for his keyed flute orders.
When I first ordered my flute Pat didn’t have enough extra that he could promise me I could have Cocus, so I didn’t actually know for sure until about a month or 6 weeks before my flute was ready Patrick called to double check if I still wanted Cocus, saying that he did have enough to make my flute from that wood if I still wanted it, which I did, very badly in fact.
A word of warning though: Cocus requires a good bit more care than Blackwood (otherwise they’re likely to crack), and I suggest people avoid buying Cocus flutes if they aren’t willing to oil them VERY frequently, especially early on.
For example, my flute needed oiling twice a week for the first month. Now I’m down to oiling it twice a month, but the area of the bore inside the first tennon (that plugs into the barrel section) still needs to be touched up with oil twice a week as the condensation hits this part of the bore the hardest and as he oil is lost the Cocus starts to turn a whitish color - rather scary actually, I mean it starts to LOOK like it’s going to crack.
In addition I find the exterior of the flute needs to be wiped down with a VERY lightly oiled rag after most practice sessions - otherwise the exterior starts to look dull and a bit dry.
So, Cocus can be a lot of work, and I’d say you better be fairly committed to maintining a Cocus flute if you’re thinking about buying one. Just my 2 cents.
Having said all that: My flute is absolutely freaking gorgeous and sounds fantastic, so I’m quite happy with my choice of wood.
Loren
Loren,
Just a question about your flute – did you get a lined or unlined headjoint?? I was looking at John Skelton’s Keyed Cocus Olwell, which is lined. He thought the lining gave a slightly more focused tone. Thanks
DavidJ
(Homer Simpson voice, glassey eyed and drooling): Mmmm, keyed Cocus Olwell…
Yeah, my headjoint is lined. I went with Silver instead of Nickel - extra hundred bucks.
My understanding is that Patrick generally makes all of his “Tuneable” flutes (meaning with a tuning slide rather than just a tennon and socket) with fully lined headjoints. So the only way to get an Olwell without a lined headjoint would be to buy one of Patrick’s non-tunable flutes.
Having played a couple of flutes with unlined headjoints (a Healy and…a Hoza I believe at the least) I think there really is a difference in tone with the lined headjoint, and the description “Focused” works I guess. These differences in sound are hard to describe.
Just curious: Was John’s flute a Pratten, Nicholson or Rudall model Olwell? Any idea how old it was? And of course - How did it sound? So much is in the player, especially with an Olwell it seems, so I’m curious what sort of tone John tends to play with, since I have heard him yet (although I’ve certainly heard of him).
Loren
I hear you! John’s flute is a Pratten with the Silver lining. I have as much trouble describing tone, but when he gets going he really pushes the flute hard to get all he can out of it. The flute has a great sound to it, and John likes to play what he calls ‘wild’ notes. I recommend taking one of his classes if you ever get a chance.
I think he’s had the flute about 2 years. Last year he’d just started playing it and discovered his allergy to Cocus… now he puts stick-on clear plastic around the embouchure to keep his lip from puffing up - but he really likes that cocus sound enough to go through that trouble, so there IS a difference!
He described the unlined headjoint as a more ‘woody’ sound, while the lined ones are a bit more ‘crisp’, with silver being a little clearer than brass or nickel, so I guess you did it right there.
David,
Yeah, “woody” is exactly how I’d describe the unlined flutes I’ve tried/owned. The balance is different too.
I’m luck not to be allergic to the Cocus, although I thought I might be at first.
I’d love to take some classes with John, I’ve heard nothing but great things about his teaching. I wanted to go to some of the things like East Durham and Boxwood this year, but I couldn’t afford to. Hopefully next year.
So, have you placed your Olwell order yet?
Loren
Loren,
I haven’t ordered yet – just got my Hamilton and CAP McNEILLY flutes in the last 3 months- but I’m sure there’s a future consideration. Let’s see how long I can wait.
Actually, one of the other local playes just got a Blackwood Olwell. Strangest thing, it’s essentially a 2 piece Pratten (keyless). The Tuning slide is the only break other than the foot! Probably not a bad idea at all, but it’s a LONG flute to carry.
I’m luck not to be allergic to the Cocus, although I thought I might be at first.
Hey, I have a question. What would be the effect of putting clear fingernail polish on the area just below the embouchure?
I am allergic to nickel, and I often have to paint belt buckles, watch clasps, etc. once the finish wears off a little bit. Otherwise I get a nasty reaction.
Not sure about the acidity of the polish on the wood, or even what the acidity of fingernail polish would be. However, it might be an alternative for someone that really really wants a cocus flute.
Aodhan