As there seem to be so many among you wondering what cocus wood looks like, Graham Farr ( our Scottish Hero) has very kindly agreed to host some photos of cocus wood flutes .There is little point in trying to describe the appearance.
There is also a shot of a very old piece of cocus ( for repairs ) which measures 7 cm across.
Since you so graciously deigned to enlighten us, mayhaps you could provide a link?
Aodhan
Hi Andrew,
That would be great to see some pictures of the wood! It would be nice to see close-ups if possible.
One of the problems with wood pictures is that the computers are not always true color, and that can throw off the viewer.
Do have any Monzani flutes in cocus?
Jon
So far as I am aware Monzani used cocus when not using Boxwood.There will, I hope , be a couple illustrated, JonC.
As for Aodhan, I had no expectation of enlightening you.I am sorry you don’t like the idea. If you think about it for a moment you will realise that it will be Graham who provides the link when he can.
The instruments illustrated tend to look darker when not in a bright light which brings the colour up.
I am forgetting the flutes Monzani made in ivory .I should not have forgotten, as at the moment I am facing the problem of one with a split in the fluted headjoint .I expect to get a dentist to have a go at it. Any experience, anybody ?
As if by magic here is the link.
Jon C, I know what you mean about the true colour representation, but these are nice photos - thanks to Andrew for sharing them with us.
Cheers
Graham
Great job, Graham.Thanks.
If you click on the little picture and wait until the big one has downloaded it resizes to fit your screen .
Do remember that the photographic light enhances the colour.The flutes are darker in real life ( if there is such a thing in my household !).
Andrew, the flutes are beautiful.
The colors of the wood show very nicely.
Please tell me something about the Monzani by Ward ~ this is a visually beautiful flute.
Thanks,
Mary
Hello, WD. I mentioned Ward because he carried the cast silver rings you see on this flute onto some of the ones he made for Drouet, I believe, and some of the flutes he stamped with his own name.If I am wrong in attributing it to him no doubt someone will tell us. I really mentioned Ward for Graham’s interest.
Ii is one of the prettiest flutes I have come across. So simple and elegant .
Ward was Monzani’s workshop manager, and in later life was given a presentation by his peers as the finest workman among them .It plays well.A certain flutemaker of my acquaintance is making controlled recordings ( And measurements) of interesting flutes .It will be nice one day if a link to a few tunes played on all the flutes illustrated ( and the rest ) could be routinely added.
Only some footnotes by an amateur.
If you are not an expert flute-player or maker it’s very hard to make difference between rose wood and cocus wood. Mind that rose wood even
has many different sorts, and each one has different tone of colour.
In a very rough way we can say that rose wood is red (or reddish) and cocus is brown (deep brown if it’s an old flute).
(See some ideal examples: Seth Gallagher’s flute made of Bois de Rose - http://www.uilleann.com/flute/ - and Terry McGee’s cocus flute - http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/about.html).
The real difference is in the tone of sound. Cocus is somehow sweeter than blackwood, but its sound is as strong as blackwood. That’s why many flute players love it. (E.g.: Kevin Crawford said that playing a cocus flute he doesn’t think that he would switch back to blackwood any more).
Mind also that you must be a really experienced player if you want to find out the sort of wood just by listening to a flute. Most people aren’t able to tell you whether they hear a cocus, a blackwood, a rosewood or even a maple flute. (Check Brad Hurley’s remark on choosing wood for a flute: http://www.firescribble.net/flute/choosing2.html). If you haven’t spent
at least ten years (day-by-day) with playing and listening flute music you are one of this majority.
At least it’s my opinion.
Bennet
Thank you Andrew, I appreciate the information.
I agree, it would be very nice to hear the flutes!
I imagine that the very round emboucher holes would take some getting used to!
Mary
You’re welcome Dix.
I shall leave it to others to comment on the effect of the hole shape.
I expect you would get used to anything pretty quickly.
( The round hole Rudall & Rose certainly sounds very good ).
I imagine that if players spent time on small mouthhole flutes before graduating (?) to larger mouthholed flutes they would find their blowing easier and better .
I also wonder if those using big hole flutes because of their superficial attraction will move on to smaller holed flutes as opportunity presents itself.
One doesn’t have to be a maker or player to tell the difference.The most important difference between cocus and blackwood is that cocus cracks much more readily .
Most of the rio rosewood I see is yellow / black ,but I don’t see it in flutes.
I have seen countless flutes described over the years by auctioneers as rosewood, when they have in fact been cocus .
Rosewood has rarely been used in England for flutes, as I understand it.
You have misinterpreted me. I like the idea, but at the time I didn’t know who Graham was, nor would I have known how to find the link without it being provided.
Since some people on here don’t use their names for their board id, something along the lines of “Our own Graham Farr (BMFW)” would have been nice, then I would have known he would provide it later.
But then, I’m jist a dum 'Mercan.
Aodhan
Aodan, I’m sure it didn’t matter to you who Graham was so long as you had been advised that he was dealing with the matter .
Many Americans are not dumb and don’t look for problems .
I trust that you are now happier.
( Why does everything have to be so difficult ? Talk of " Graciously deigned" could be taken as gratuitous insolence by any normal person, and me just trying to help !)
And here’s what cocusflute’s avatar looks like:
That’s not cocus ,it looks like fake tan to me.
Eek. I think I’ll take the “visual differentiation via color/grain examination” method, thanks.
Ugh, Glauber. Did that come off an early episode of Star Trek, or out of a shell ( or dare I ask, the Black Lagoon ) ?
Cathy, the ease of cracking of one’s flute will be known as the " Kirby Test " in years to come. I have found it far too easy in the past .
I think that’s the most annoying avatar ever. This guy used to be very active in the flute forum; he’s still around. I think he posted a few weeks ago. I never decided if he was for real or someone’s alternative personality. He was always writing about how important it is to have a strong body.
Yes, looks like a ninja turtle! 
