buying a low-priced Irish flute

[SusanCW]

A student of mine has $500 to spend on an Irish flute. I doubt if he can get a wooden one for that, but that doesn't really matter. In his case, it's more about ease of playing. A Rudal Rose style would be best, since he has trouble covering the holes on Pratten and Nicholson models. And if it could be resonant and easy to get a sound out of, that would be great, too. Less important is perfect intonation, since he mostly just plays alone. New or used is fine, as long as it's easy to play and has decent tone.

Any advice? I've never explored the lower-cost Irish flutes, so I don't really know what's out there.

Thanks,
Susan

[psychodonald]

Casey Burns makes a great "Folk Flute" which is within your stated price range + it is made of wood, easy to fill, wonderful tone.

[Steve Bliven]

This question comes up with regularity. Check the thread "New to Flute" that's currently running for a number of suggestions within the price range you mention.

Best wishes.

Steve

[ScottMaurer]

I second the recommendation for a burns. There are other great flutes in that price range I'm sure but I've only got experience with the folk flute and I can tell you, it is a great instrument. I would still be playing mine quite happily if I hadn't gotten an Olwell.

[kkrell]

Check the thread "New to Flute" that's currently running for a number of suggestions within the price range you mention.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=104336

[Steve Bliven]

Another option to consider is Francois Baubet who makes a delrin Rudall-ish model in the $400 range that should last a student's developing skills for quite some time.

Best wishes.

Steve

[ertwert]

I am really happy with my affordable 6-key M&E ebonite flute. It happens quiet often, that I even get compliments for my tone on this "budget" flute !
Also, why not getting one with keys I don't think it is too hard, to ignore the keys, when you don't have to use them (are in case the student is really in the beginning). I started Irish flute playing with this instrument and it was no problem for me. But maybe I am a bit biased because I had played the silver flute before..

However, I believe buying a good non wooden flute has the advantage, that you can have a use for it, even when you by a much better flute some years later. Then you still have one robust instrument for every climate, holidays, more chaotic sessions etc. and isn't it also a nice thing in an ecologically way ?

I actually don't see much of a point in buying a wooden flute as a beginner.

[Casey Burns]

ertwert - ebonite and delrin are petroleum products - so your claim of being more ecological is dubious.

Why not a wooden flute for a beginner? Wood flutes go through a lovely aging process in which the tone always improves, and the flute responds better and better - though they have these qualities right out of the gate. Note that plastic flutes do not go through this evolution over time. They sound the same on day one as on day 1000.

[jim stone]

Also it's easy to forget in these discussions that wood is, you know, wood. The stuff that tables and chairs and benches....are made of.
Not champagne glass, not something delicate. Also it requires little care, swab after you play, keep in a humidified container if it gets
dry where you are during the winter or whatever. I use a humidifier, which is also good for me. I haven't oiled a flute in a long time.
I've played wooden flutes for fourteen years and only suffered one crack, and that was due to my own foolishness. A little care and sense
and you can leave these instruments to your grand kids.

[oleorezinator]

CASEY BURNS' FOLK FLUTE IS FABULOUS!
I first wanted to establish that.

ertwert - ebonite and delrin are petroleum products - so your claim of being more ecological is dubious. My Folk Flutes are made from blackwood either rejected by the Clarinet manufacturers, or from one company that shut down when it was purchased by Selmer (I ended up with several tubes that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill. These end up as the 2nd and 3rd joints in my Folk Flutes). Your ecological point is not valid.

The trees were still felled just the same. Is any of the wood that
you use from renewable sources? If not your claim and criticism
is also skewed. I like your idea of making crystal or glass flutes.
That would be revolutionary from an ecological standpoint.
Solar energy and landfill gas utilization could make the process
much more eco-friendly.

[Peter Duggan]

ebonite and delrin are petroleum products

Ebonite is hard vulcanised rubber. Which requires heat and sulphur, which may in turn be a by-product of petroleum manufacture but doesn't have to be?

Your ecological point is not valid.

Someone probably used a chainsaw to cut down your trees, then trucks, ships or planes to transport the lumber. And you need much the same machinery (likely powered by fossil-fuel-derived sources) to turn, shape and drill wood as well as the same metal parts for rings, keys and liners...

While we all need to watch our carbon footprint etc., wood, Ebonite and Delrin all make good flutes if we insist on having them and there's probably no compelling argument for any being especially 'ecological'.

[Casey Burns]

All of the blackwood that I use for Folk Flutes comes from two sources:

1) wood that was long ago rejected at the mill by the clarinet manufacturers due to "flaws" like sapwood on the edges, minor cracking on the ends, etc. They want every piece to be perfect, I simply cut around these flaws

2) wood destined to be clarinets that didn't happen when the LeBlanc clarinet company was bought out and shut down in 2007. I ended up with all of these clarinet tubes which I remachine into the 2nd and 3rd joints of my flutes.

[Maihcol]

ertwert - ebonite and delrin are petroleum products - ...

Neither delrin nor ebonite are petroleum products. Ebonite is indeed, vulcanised rubber - and delrin is produced from formaldehyde, which is itself derived from methanol, which is a basic form of alcohol.

Garry

[ertwert]

Oh, I guess that was wrong what I said about ecological reasons for delrin/ ebonite etc. flutes. Sry
I am just an amateur and maybe I am not competent enough, to discuss that matter, but I think it might be an advantage, having a robust plastic flute as a second instrument, when you upgrade to a more expensive one.