Hi everyone, I am once again trying to learn to play the flute. I wonder if anyone would be willing to trade a couple of Tilbury whistles for a good practice flute. I would consider buying one, but I am a little cash strapped as always.
There’s a nice M&E polymer flute for sale on the UIE right now. Probably a decent place to start!
At $85 for a new flute you can’t go wrong with a Tipple. I’m still playing his four piece white with lip plate and wedge after 12 years and I’ve bought and been given11 wooden and delrin flutes since then, including a new Olwell Pratten, an Olwell RnR and an excellent M&E RnR that sings like a lark. My Tipple half holes easily (!), plays easily, and sounds much like the best of the rest according to my (polite?) listeners. I can play ITM aires, classical, operas, musicals’ tunes, adult pop - seemingly anything on my soft or loud (mainly loud), in tune Tipple. I leave it assembled to pick up and play every day with minimum maintenance, and no rethreading or corking.
If I win the lottery I’ll set up a fund for Beginner Flute Ditherers to buy them one of Doug’s beautifully made, shiny, lifetime wonders absolutely free of charge. All I shall ask is free tickets to all their concerts, and free DVD’s once they get used to the flute and become famous with it … 
In the meantime, stop dithering and get one at that price while they last …
Best wishes,
Keith.
Ha! Ya, I went ahead and got a Tipple. I like it very much. The wedge seems to make a big difference in the octave tuning, but I still don’t really play well enough to really tell. I asked him for something easy to learn on and he fixed me right up. It’s a real pleasure to deal with Doug.
(Ahem) Why don’t you play one of your own flutes (the ones you are giving away)? Just curious…
Pat
Actually I do. I have a Howard practice and a Seary delrin, as well as a Tipple. I play them all, in addition to my own. The reason that I do that is that I am learning how to make flutes as well as learning to play. It really helps to have as much variety as possible. When I did this with whistles, my instruments really improved when I started collecting different ones.
Anyhow, that’s why.