This seems to be the day for showing flutes that we have made or repaired, so I will show mine, as well. Anders Bostrom, a flautist playing on Broadway in NYC, asked me to make another flute for him. His high B bamboo flute (I won’t mention any famous names here) was flat, so he wanted one of my pvc flutes that he could tune. The B flute will be used in “The Lion King”. If you are interested, please see “My Broadway Connection” at my website.
The B flute is the larger of the two flutes in the photo. The smaller flute is a high D flute, and, as you can see, you need to have fairly small hands to cover the holes.
Hiya Doug,
I’m happy to hear you are still active in flutemaking, and you have people coming to you to fulfill their needs. High B isn’t a key I would care to play. For me, a Low B would very much please me and my ears! There is something magic about the key of B, though I think the lower version holds more charms, at least for me.
If I had the money, I would certainly request your talents to make a low B flute for me. Or at least, to even suggest a Low D flute of yours to help other beginning fluters that don’t want or need to spend a lot to find out if they like fluting. Your flutes are amazing for the cost, and I have missed playing my Tipples since I sold them a while ago to “upgrade” to a conical bore flute. That is highly debatable, as you make a great flute, no matter the bore configuation or key!
Great to see that you are continuing the path to other refinements and endeavors, and that your flutes are still in demand for those who know their value. Good luck to you and those who choose the Tipple flute adventure. It’s a great value, and great instrument, no matter your choice, for sure. Just play and enjoy!