Hey everyone,
I wanted to see if there was anyone interested in selling a 6 or 8-keyed D Grinter? I’d also be interested in similar Rudall-esque flutes.
If you are interested, please send me a PM.
Thanks so much,
Brendan
John Gallagher is now making a fantastic large hole Rudall, I’m the proud owner of one. I’m sending it back early next week for some minor key shape tweaking and he’d probably let you drive by and give it a try. His flutes are every bit as good as a Grinter if not better especially in regards to balance(weight wise), key functionality, and ease of getting a good tone.
Ted
Btw, these comments are coming from someone who used to own a Grinter.
Ted,
Thanks for the suggestion. It’s too bad. John was just in town with some of his flutes, but I missed him unfortunately.
Brendan
I bet he had the prototype flute with him, I had that one for a few months and really enjoyed it too. If you want drop me a line and I can send you pics and a .mp3 of my flute when I get it back.
Why so much interest for Grinters? I heard he is not making the flutes himself, but only looks over them after they are done. I will assume that he still makes flutes to Kev Crawford and other profs himself..
I have heard from professional players that there are “good” and “not so good” grinters out there..
Who makes them then, if not Michael himself?
Hmm…makes me wonder…there are some really good players around here using Grinters…
"Why so much interest for Grinters? I heard he is not making the flutes himself, but only looks over them after they are done. " Sigmund.
Sigmund are you thinking of Ben Stewart the machinist?
Not really. Again, this is something I have heard, I can’t be sure it is absolutely true. The post above was meant to be a bit provoking 
Sigmund,
You may think you are being “a bit provocative” in spreading rumors that Mike Grinter does not make his own flutes, etc., etc. What you are doing, in reality, is damaging the hard earned reputation of an excellent flute maker with unsubstantiated slurs. It’s one thing, for example, to state that you have personally tried Grinter’s old and new models and that you prefer his new model but quite another to spread “…something I have heard, I can’t be sure it is absolutely true…” that injures the reputation of a well regarded maker.
I suggest that you owe Mr. Grinter an apology based on what you have said so far.
Paul
Here is a keyless Grinter advertised for sale. Prehaps of interest to somebody? The only thing is there’s no date that I can see, so it could be an old advert? There is a tel. number and an invisable e-mail?
Grinter Keyless Flute After Rudall & Rose (Forest Hills) $1600
http://buycolorcontactlenses.net/color-contact-lenses-for-sale/grinter-keyless-flute-after-rudall-rose-forest-hills-1600/
Paul makes a fair point. Even if it was intended to be harmless, it’s pretty defamatory if it’s untrue. If it’s true, then it’s fair comment. Has anyone reported the comment to the mods?
I’ve never played a Grinter flute myself, although I’ve played with guys who were playing them and I have one of his Low Ds. Never heard of a “not so good” one, though. They’re desirable for a reason; like Pat Olwell’s and Chris Wilkes’s, you don’t hear of “not so good” ones.
m.d.
No, but we’re paying attention.
None of the above is any good reason to post such things, the last not least. Especially when it comes to makers and their reputations, remember: Just the facts, ma’am. When posting publicly on such subjects, responsible Chiffers will please leave urban myth, and especially urges to merely stir the pot for its own sake, at the door.
- Mod.
Like I said first
Like I said concerning Grinter’s flute making, this is something I have heard. I hope it is not true. My hope was that if others had heard the same thing, we could gain more clarity about it. If it is true, I think it is a fair fact for all buyers to know. On the other hand I realize that possible untrue rumors spread on this forum could have a negative affect on a maker’s reputation, even if no one else can confirm it. But if not on the Internet, where can we discuss this? I realize that presenting these rumors in a “provoking” way is not suitable for this forum, and that it probably could have worked better if done otherwise. If this forum is not suppose to be the place to disprove these kind of rumors, then I will respect that.
Sigmund
I guess the best way would probably be to contact Mr. Grinter directly.
Like I said concerning Grinter’s flute making, this is something I have heard.
maybe you’d like to say from whom you ‘heard’ it, and we could make our own judgements from that? Judging the player tends to be more reliable than judging the flute.
PS. now feeling doubly fortunate that I found a ‘good’ Grinter 
True, it would be the best way. We don’t want to suppress discussion, but when relating things one might have heard about particular makers, please be very careful - as you were - to point out hearsay for what it is. Problems arise for me when reading yet-unsubstantiated statements that a maker doesn’t make but only inspects. What does this mean? Does it mean a cheapo flute mill? Or does it mean that the maker has a highly-trained apprentice artisan, or a stable of them, whose work successfully hews to and is wholly representative of the norms of the maker’s general design goals? This is a time-honored practice, but it is also one that few trad flutemakers these days can afford, if my information is correct, so one has to wonder. Without such qualifying information these statements can indeed be provocative. It’s that part in particular that we need to be careful about.
All we ask is that one’s posts show that one knows the difference between seeking information and throwing a maker under the bus, even if the latter was unintended.
Or does it mean that the maker has a highly-trained apprentice artisan,
No one would want one of those awful R&R flutes by that young Wylde fellow for example.
Mark, I don’t think it would make things better if I mentioned names. I am sure these people would not like to be quoted on this forum for having said something that could discredit Mr Grinter. If they did, I believe they already would have posted here themselves. This, I know, makes my statement nothing but heresy, as have already been pointed out. In hindsight, this should have been presented differently, to minimize the chance for misunderstanding.
If what I heard is true, I believe it would mean that the maker has highly trained employees, who make the flutes the same the way he would. In my eyes though, a flute made in accordance with a maker’s principles will not be the same as a flute made by the maker himself. The differences would probably not be big, but I believe there would be a difference.
Sigmund