CP: New Pratten flute design!
- Geoffrey Ellis
- Posts: 585
- Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2012 1:15 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: Crafting fine quality folk flutes from around the world since 1997, my goal is to create beautiful instruments that have the best possible voice, tuning and response by mixing modern methods with traditional designs.
- Contact:
CP: New Pratten flute design!
For some time now I’ve been trying to create an ideal flute for ITM. Obviously this is a personal and subjective goal because there is no such thing Of course individual players want different things, but what I really mean is that I’m trying to take note of the qualities that players value the most and blend them into a flute design that is affordable.
The feedback that I’ve received on my Pratten flutes over the last couple of years has been most gratifying, but my more contemporary design has not been to everyone’s taste and it wasn’t the most efficient in terms of my being able to produce them in a price range that is attractive. I set out to remedy that and I’m pleased to share the result of my efforts.
These are still very much the Pratten design. Powerful, clear voice that is great for session play. They are made from resin-stabilized hard maple that I have dyed to achieve an “old-timey boxwood” look. Nickel silver bore rings and integrated foot. The resin treatment makes for a flute with the density of African blackwood.
The unusual feature is the combination joint/tuning slide. I wanted to make a simple, two piece flute that was tunable. So I eliminated the barrel and I created a joint that is made from a nickel silver tenon that fits into a Delrin lined socket. This avoids having a metal-on-metal slide which would probably experience a lot of wear if the player were to take it apart every time they played. It is a precision fit so it acts as a very solid joint and a very functional tuning slide with the same minimized disruption that one gets from a fully metal slide. The only difference is that due to design requirements the metal tenon is in the flute body and the socket is in the head joint. This design does mean that the travel of the slide is somewhat limited, so really radical tuning adjustments are not possible. However, the player can comfortably get about 8mm of travel in either direction to sharp or flat the pitch, which should be plenty for most occasions. The metal and Delrin get along very well with one another, but the player does need to apply cork grease each time they assemble the flute but I'm guessing most of you are used to that.
The inside of the head and body are sealed with a clear coat marine epoxy so they are completely waterproof and require no oiling at all. Plus the bore is as smooth as glass and gives the flute superb response.
Okay, that seems like enough for the sales pitch Here are some photos!
The feedback that I’ve received on my Pratten flutes over the last couple of years has been most gratifying, but my more contemporary design has not been to everyone’s taste and it wasn’t the most efficient in terms of my being able to produce them in a price range that is attractive. I set out to remedy that and I’m pleased to share the result of my efforts.
These are still very much the Pratten design. Powerful, clear voice that is great for session play. They are made from resin-stabilized hard maple that I have dyed to achieve an “old-timey boxwood” look. Nickel silver bore rings and integrated foot. The resin treatment makes for a flute with the density of African blackwood.
The unusual feature is the combination joint/tuning slide. I wanted to make a simple, two piece flute that was tunable. So I eliminated the barrel and I created a joint that is made from a nickel silver tenon that fits into a Delrin lined socket. This avoids having a metal-on-metal slide which would probably experience a lot of wear if the player were to take it apart every time they played. It is a precision fit so it acts as a very solid joint and a very functional tuning slide with the same minimized disruption that one gets from a fully metal slide. The only difference is that due to design requirements the metal tenon is in the flute body and the socket is in the head joint. This design does mean that the travel of the slide is somewhat limited, so really radical tuning adjustments are not possible. However, the player can comfortably get about 8mm of travel in either direction to sharp or flat the pitch, which should be plenty for most occasions. The metal and Delrin get along very well with one another, but the player does need to apply cork grease each time they assemble the flute but I'm guessing most of you are used to that.
The inside of the head and body are sealed with a clear coat marine epoxy so they are completely waterproof and require no oiling at all. Plus the bore is as smooth as glass and gives the flute superb response.
Okay, that seems like enough for the sales pitch Here are some photos!
Last edited by Geoffrey Ellis on Sun Apr 16, 2017 11:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
- Geoffrey Ellis
- Posts: 585
- Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2012 1:15 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: Crafting fine quality folk flutes from around the world since 1997, my goal is to create beautiful instruments that have the best possible voice, tuning and response by mixing modern methods with traditional designs.
- Contact:
Re: CP: New Pratten flute design!
By the way, does anyone recommend any type of host for photos so that they can be embedded into forum posts? I've used Dropbox for some years and once upon a time I could embed the photos in my public dropbox folder directly into a post like the one above. They have discontinued that option so now I can only put up links that take the viewer away from the forum.
I'd love to have the ability to embed photos directly. Suggestions?
I'd love to have the ability to embed photos directly. Suggestions?
- Scouter
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2017 9:05 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: I am a musician and love folk instruments. I am learning about penny whistles and Irish flutes. I play many instruments but one of my main instruments for many years has been oboe. This makes learning the whistle and flute rather easy. Now to learn about best practices for the genre.
Re: CP: New Pratten flute design!
Lovely! I will be looking for your web page to get more information.
- Mr.Gumby
- Posts: 6614
- Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 11:31 am
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Location: the Back of Beyond
Re: CP: New Pratten flute design!
I'd love to have the ability to embed photos directly. Suggestions?
You can do that now, from your dropbox, can't you?
My brain hurts
- Geoffrey Ellis
- Posts: 585
- Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2012 1:15 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: Crafting fine quality folk flutes from around the world since 1997, my goal is to create beautiful instruments that have the best possible voice, tuning and response by mixing modern methods with traditional designs.
- Contact:
Re: CP: New Pratten flute design!
I just uploaded my photos to a different host and was able to embed some thumbnails.
I was told that Dropbox discontinued the public folder that allows me to embed images and I couldn't figure out how to workaround that. If they still have that function they've hidden it well or they only have it for their paid service.
However, I found a free host that let me embed the above thumbnails. But they still take you away from the forum if you want to get a closer look.
Mr. Gumby, how did you embed the above photo?
I was told that Dropbox discontinued the public folder that allows me to embed images and I couldn't figure out how to workaround that. If they still have that function they've hidden it well or they only have it for their paid service.
However, I found a free host that let me embed the above thumbnails. But they still take you away from the forum if you want to get a closer look.
Mr. Gumby, how did you embed the above photo?
- Mr.Gumby
- Posts: 6614
- Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 11:31 am
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Location: the Back of Beyond
Re: CP: New Pratten flute design!
The standard way: the image location, from your dropbox, between image tags. (Use 'quote' to see how the link in my post looks.)Mr. Gumby, how did you embed the above photo?
My brain hurts
- Geoffrey Ellis
- Posts: 585
- Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2012 1:15 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: Crafting fine quality folk flutes from around the world since 1997, my goal is to create beautiful instruments that have the best possible voice, tuning and response by mixing modern methods with traditional designs.
- Contact:
Re: CP: New Pratten flute design!
Hmmm...Mr.Gumby wrote:The standard way: the image location, from your dropbox, between image tags. (Use 'quote' to see how the link in my post looks.)Mr. Gumby, how did you embed the above photo?
Yes, I had done that initially. Dropbox provided me with a link for sharing purposes, and when I put it in after the usual fashion (I've embedded images from Dropbox in the past) it didn't work. Odd.
I'll have to experiment a bit perhaps...
- plunk111
- Posts: 1524
- Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:02 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: Love playing trumpet and modern flute at church as well as Irish trad flute in a band. Been playing Irish trad and 18th century period music for about 15 years.
- Location: Wheeling, WV
Re: CP: New Pratten flute design!
I use PhotoBucket, but I think there are others...
Pat
P.S. Have you thought about a tour with the new flutes?
Pat
P.S. Have you thought about a tour with the new flutes?
Pat Plunkett, Wheeling, WV
-
- Posts: 1419
- Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2010 2:59 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 10
- Location: Southwestern Ontario
Re: CP: New Pratten flute design!
Or you can use photos that are already on your website ...
gives a photo you may recognize
Code: Select all
[img]https://d3jpl91pxevbkh.cloudfront.net/mariposta/image/upload/a_exif,c_limit,h_4000,q_75,w_2048/myeslrdwqaqt8ddhqrda.jpg[/img]
- Geoffrey Ellis
- Posts: 585
- Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2012 1:15 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: Crafting fine quality folk flutes from around the world since 1997, my goal is to create beautiful instruments that have the best possible voice, tuning and response by mixing modern methods with traditional designs.
- Contact:
Re: CP: New Pratten flute design!
That was cool! I never even considered that. Thanks!Tunborough wrote:Or you can use photos that are already on your website ...gives a photo you may recognizeCode: Select all
[img]https://d3jpl91pxevbkh.cloudfront.net/mariposta/image/upload/a_exif,c_limit,h_4000,q_75,w_2048/myeslrdwqaqt8ddhqrda.jpg[/img]
- Geoffrey Ellis
- Posts: 585
- Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2012 1:15 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: Crafting fine quality folk flutes from around the world since 1997, my goal is to create beautiful instruments that have the best possible voice, tuning and response by mixing modern methods with traditional designs.
- Contact:
Re: CP: New Pratten flute design!
I hadn't actually gotten that far, but never say neverplunk111 wrote: P.S. Have you thought about a tour with the new flutes?
Re: CP: New Pratten flute design!
Do you have a price range figured out? I couldn't find any price info on the site.
- Geoffrey Ellis
- Posts: 585
- Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2012 1:15 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: Crafting fine quality folk flutes from around the world since 1997, my goal is to create beautiful instruments that have the best possible voice, tuning and response by mixing modern methods with traditional designs.
- Contact:
Re: CP: New Pratten flute design!
I'm still working on that. It all hinges on my efficiency in producing them so I haven't nailed it down solidly. Less than $600 is my goal.Thomaston wrote:Do you have a price range figured out? I couldn't find any price info on the site.
Last edited by Geoffrey Ellis on Wed Apr 19, 2017 1:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- nohoval_turrets
- Posts: 105
- Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2007 10:42 am
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Location: Ireland
Re: CP: New Pratten flute design!
These look very pretty, and $550 is a great price-point. Can you tell me the weight? I'd be very interested in one of these as a backpacking flute. Any idea when they might be available for order?
-
- Posts: 383
- Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2003 4:30 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Re: CP: New Pratten flute design!
I see you have moved away from the delrin insert for the embouchure wind-hole. That seemed in theory a very flexible system in that changes and adjustments could be made in a relatively non-destructive way - and was a good idea. In practice were there problems?
Will you have recordings of these available?
Looks great. Thanks.
Will you have recordings of these available?
Looks great. Thanks.