Top-end Flutes?
-
- Posts: 383
- Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2003 4:30 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Top-end Flutes?
A keyed Olwell just came up for sale in the US, for 8K plus.
Who do people consider are contemporary flutemakers who produce work of similar quality, but at a more reasonable price?
Who do people consider are contemporary flutemakers who produce work of similar quality, but at a more reasonable price?
- jemtheflute
- Posts: 6969
- Joined: Tue May 23, 2006 6:47 am
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Location: N.E. Wales, G.B.
- Contact:
Re: Top-end Flutes?
Morvan in Britanny is making fabulous flutes these days.
I respect people's privilege to hold their beliefs, whatever those may be (within reason), but respect the beliefs themselves? You gotta be kidding!
My YouTube channel
My FB photo albums
Low Bb flute: 2 reels (audio)
Flute & Music Resources - helpsheet downloads
My YouTube channel
My FB photo albums
Low Bb flute: 2 reels (audio)
Flute & Music Resources - helpsheet downloads
-
- Posts: 388
- Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2015 3:50 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Re: Top-end Flutes?
I agree Stephane Morvan is one of the leading makers of today, along with; Patrick Olwell, Michael Grinter and Chris Wilkes.
Out of interest hpinson, where did you see this Olwell advertised?
Out of interest hpinson, where did you see this Olwell advertised?
- Julia Delaney
- Posts: 1083
- Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2008 10:15 am
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: I play fiddle, concertina, flute. I live in NH. Lived in Kilshanny, Co Clare, for about 20 years. Politically on the far left. Diet on the far right (plant-based fundamentalist). Musically in the middle of the pure drop.
- Location: New Hampshire, USA
- Contact:
Olwell's flutes FOB are not as expensive...
In defense of Olwell, he does not charge more for his flutes than other makers charge for their flutes. In fact Olwell often charges less for his work, though there is often a wait for the flute. This is also the case with such other esteemed makers as Chris Wilkes, Geoff Woof, and Colin Dipper. The instrument is worth waiting for. But if you can't wait, and decide to pay more on the secondary market to avoid the wait, then the premium goes to the seller and not to the maker.
Freedom is merely privilege extended, unless enjoyed by one and all. The Internationale
- kkrell
- Posts: 4838
- Joined: Mon Jul 29, 2002 6:00 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: Mostly producer of the Wooden Flute Obsession 3-volume 6-CD 7-hour set of mostly player's choice of Irish tunes, played mostly solo, on mostly wooden flutes by approximately 120 different mostly highly-rated traditional flute players & are mostly...
- Location: Los Angeles
- Contact:
Re: Top-end Flutes?
BTW, there's a 6-key blackwood Olwell at the Irish Flute store for $8,500.Uni Flute wrote:Out of interest hpinson, where did you see this Olwell advertised?
-
- Posts: 383
- Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2003 4:30 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Re: Top-end Flutes?
Not knocking Olwell Julia Delaney - just that they are rather difficult to acquire with a long wait, and come at a premium from third parties. Interested what the 2017 alternatives are if you want a top notch flute.
Maybe I should check what the wait is. I had assumed years - or books closed to new orders.
Yes - it is at Blayne's Irish Flute Shop. It just came for sale yesterday, July 14, 2017.
Maybe I should check what the wait is. I had assumed years - or books closed to new orders.
Yes - it is at Blayne's Irish Flute Shop. It just came for sale yesterday, July 14, 2017.
- plunk111
- Posts: 1525
- 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: Top-end Flutes?
I highly recommend John Gallagher's flutes - I own one and know John personally and can guarantee that his flutes are just as good (if not better than) ANY of the top makers!
Pat
Pat
Pat Plunkett, Wheeling, WV
-
- Posts: 3077
- Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2002 6:00 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: Sweden
Re: Top-end Flutes?
Another alternative is to buy a Victorian simple system flute such as a Rudall & Rose, Rudall Carte, Wylde, Hawkes, etc., and have it serviced by a professional, new pads, key springs if needed. Much cheaper to buy these days than a keyed Olwell, Wilkes etc. A good simple system Rudall for example, in tune with itself at A=440, is as good as it gets. Can be accquired for £900-£2500 ($1200-$3300) (€1000-€2900).
During Willie Week Jon Dodd, Miltown Malbay, serviced two R&R flutes for me, new pads, two new key springs, new cork, crack in one head joint stabilised. Jon takes €275 (two flutes) for this and did a top notch job. The two flutes are now like new, so easy to play, in tune, strong bottom D. I'm over the moon. I strongly recommend Rudall & Rose, Rudall Carte flutes
During Willie Week Jon Dodd, Miltown Malbay, serviced two R&R flutes for me, new pads, two new key springs, new cork, crack in one head joint stabilised. Jon takes €275 (two flutes) for this and did a top notch job. The two flutes are now like new, so easy to play, in tune, strong bottom D. I'm over the moon. I strongly recommend Rudall & Rose, Rudall Carte flutes
-
- Posts: 388
- Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2015 3:50 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Re: Top-end Flutes?
I am with Steampacket on this one, when it comes to value for money, antique eight key flutes are the absolute best value.
- Unseen122
- Posts: 3542
- Joined: Tue May 04, 2004 7:21 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: Of course I'm not a bot; I've been here for years... Apparently that isn't enough to pass muster though!
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Contact:
Re: Top-end Flutes?
I'd have to agree with this 100% (although I don't know John as well as Pat having only met him in the flesh once a few months ago). Although there are plenty of fine makers on this thread; it really comes down to personal preference, I've never played an Olwell I liked as much as my flute from John but people who own Olwells haven't always been that fond of my flute when they have tried it.plunk111 wrote:I highly recommend John Gallagher's flutes - I own one and know John personally and can guarantee that his flutes are just as good (if not better than) ANY of the top makers!
Pat
(FWIW all of the D and Eb flute recordings in my signature links are on my flute [set] from John if you want to hear one in action. [Except the youtube playlist with videos of me posted by others some of those, anything pre-'11, are on the Martin Doyle I used to have])
- sligofluter
- Posts: 89
- Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2012 10:01 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Location: Granada (Spain)
Re: Top-end Flutes?
jemtheflute wrote:Morvan in Britanny is making fabulous flutes these days.
True, but my experience was much better with the Morvan Pratten model than the Rudall.
By other hand not all the Olwell´s are the same for me.
Our irish music blog in Spanish: https://theirishflow.com/
- Steve Bliven
- Posts: 2980
- Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2004 2:06 pm
- antispam: No
- Location: Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA
Re: Top-end Flutes?
Should get in a word for Bryan Byrne in VT, USA for consideration.
And where would folks put Peter Noy in the heirarchy?
Best wishes.
Steve
And where would folks put Peter Noy in the heirarchy?
Best wishes.
Steve
Live your life so that, if it was a book, Florida would ban it.
- Nanohedron
- Moderatorer
- Posts: 38239
- Joined: Wed Dec 18, 2002 6:00 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: Been a fluter, citternist, and uilleann piper; committed now to the way of the harp.
Oh, yeah: also a mod here, not a spammer. A matter of opinion, perhaps. - Location: Lefse country
Re: Top-end Flutes?
Well, I'm a total fan of Noy myself, but the OP asked for top-end sticks at lower prices, so I didn't say anything. Noy runs high. You know the saying: "You wand it good, fast, and cheap? Pick two." Noy's good, and he's fast, and that plus the quality of his work and materials is where a lot of the cost comes in. Still and all, if you're in a hurry and have the funds, I'd otherwise wholeheartedly recommend him. It should be pointed out that he works more along the lines of following historic examples than his own designs, because he caters largely to those who specialize in historically informed performance.Steve Bliven wrote:And where would folks put Peter Noy in the heirarchy?
"If you take music out of this world, you will have nothing but a ball of fire." - Balochi musician
- chas
- Posts: 7707
- Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2001 6:00 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 10
- Location: East Coast US
Re: Top-end Flutes?
My two Noy flutes took 18 and 24 months (he was spot on with delivery time for both).Nanohedron wrote: Well, I'm a total fan of Noy myself, but the OP asked for top-end sticks at lower prices, so I didn't say anything. Noy runs high. You know the saying: "You wand it good, fast, and cheap? Pick two." Noy's good, and he's fast, and that plus the quality of his work and materials is where a lot of the cost comes in. Still and all, if you're in a hurry and have the funds, I'd otherwise wholeheartedly recommend him. It should be pointed out that he works more along the lines of following historic examples than his own designs, because he caters largely to those who specialize in historically informed performance.
I love his small-holed Irish flute. It has a really flexible sound and is fully chromatic with one key.
Charlie
Whorfin Woods
"Our work puts heavy metal where it belongs -- as a music genre and not a pollutant in drinking water." -- Prof Ali Miserez.
Whorfin Woods
"Our work puts heavy metal where it belongs -- as a music genre and not a pollutant in drinking water." -- Prof Ali Miserez.
Re: Top-end Flutes?
You could add Hamilton and Windward to that list, no?
In Cape Breton, Nova Scotia