Sweetheart Resonance or Copley Delrin

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custer
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Sweetheart Resonance or Copley Delrin

Post by custer »

I realize one is wood and one is delrin but which one would you recommend for a beginner?r
jim stone
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Re: Sweetheart Resonance or Copley Delrin

Post by jim stone »

I've played and appreciated Sweetheart flutes, but not the Resonance, so I can't comment on it.
But I can say the Copley delrin flute is terrific. I have in mind the bottom of the line Copley,
without rings or tuning slide. I played 'better' Copley delrin flutes and liked their sound less well.
But the bottom of the line Copley delrin has a good
tone, good volume, and it looks very good,
the entirely black flute is elegant. I'm playing it in several ensembles. This is a professional
level flute at a low price. I can't compare it to the Resonance, but perhaps others
can say something about it. FWIW, I've been playing fifteen years.
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Peter Duggan
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Re: Sweetheart Resonance or Copley Delrin

Post by Peter Duggan »

jim stone wrote:I have in mind the bottom of the line Copley,
without rings or tuning slide. I played 'better' Copley delrin flutes and liked their sound less well.
But the bottom of the line Copley delrin has a good
tone, good volume
Jim, I'm sure this is well meant, but it's potentially misleading. The differences between Dave's cheaper and more expensive models are basically cosmetic (e.g. 'without rings or tuning slide'), so there's no set sound/tone/volume advantage at any of his price points. I think you've just got one where you particularly like the embouchure cut (which, being hand-finished, can never be literally identical even when nominally the same) and have attributed that to the model you have. Unless you're talking squared vs. elliptical (where he offers the choice) or something?
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custer
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Re: Sweetheart Resonance or Copley Delrin

Post by custer »

I have played the Copley, without rings ad slide, and found it was
Very easy for me to get a nice tone
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Peter Duggan
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Re: Sweetheart Resonance or Copley Delrin

Post by Peter Duggan »

That's good, but my point was that the presence or absence of rings and slide have nothing to do with it.

I have two Copleys (Delrin D/Eb keyless and wood custom four-key, both with elliptical embouchures) and love them. But the silver rings on my Delrin don't make it better or worse than Jim's... I just wanted silver rings!
And we in dreams behold the Hebrides.

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jim stone
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Re: Sweetheart Resonance or Copley Delrin

Post by jim stone »

Thanks. I didn't mean to suggest rings etc make an acoustic difference.
But I did play several of Dave's more expensive delrin flutes.
They sounded markedly less good, to my ear, anyhow, than
the bottom of the line delrin Copley flute I finally bought. I figured it was because
of design differences in the flutes' body/headjoint. They really sounded
markedly different. Maybe you're right that they're all the same body
and the only difference was the typical difference between different well-made
flutes (but my flute looks very different). I hope anyway that you're wrong,
because if I'm correct any flute of the model I have is likely to be well
worth trying--and they are at a good price.
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Peter Duggan
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Re: Sweetheart Resonance or Copley Delrin

Post by Peter Duggan »

jim stone wrote:Thanks. I didn't mean to suggest rings etc make an acoustic difference.
I know. But you did slightly imply that Dave's cheapest flutes had some special quality.
Maybe you're right that they're all the same body
Same bore, tone holes etc.
and the only difference was the typical difference between different well-made
flutes
Yes, exactly that.
(but my flute looks very different).
It will do. It's got no bulbous tuning slide barrel, which I believe isn't standard even for his Delrin models with slides because it requires thicker Delrin stock (which we'd discussed and agreed if I'd chosen Delrin for my four-key). It'll have a short, integrated foot as well as no rings, slide or adjustable stopper (which last I chose for mine as well as the rings), but it'll be the 'same' flute internally.
I hope anyway that you're wrong,
because if I'm correct any flute of the model I have is likely to be well
worth trying--and they are at a good price.
Any flute at all of Dave's is likely to be well worth trying. You just particularly liked yours.
And we in dreams behold the Hebrides.

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jim stone
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Re: Sweetheart Resonance or Copley Delrin

Post by jim stone »

Thanks for your opinion. The acoustic difference was very marked and
I continue to suspect a physical difference, perhaps some of the ones
you mention above, is causally involved. But certainly
I don't know for sure. The low price remains, along with a professional
level flute.
Last edited by jim stone on Fri Mar 09, 2018 5:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Steve Bliven
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Re: Sweetheart Resonance or Copley Delrin

Post by Steve Bliven »

Back to the original poster for a moment...

From my experience, you can't go wrong with the delrin Copley—at whatever level of decoration. It's well worth the money and will stand you in good stead quite a ways into your playing growth. Once you learn to play, and what and how you want to play, you'll be able to make a decision about what you'd like in the long run—and be able to recoup your costs by reselling the Copley.

To my mind, Copleys are a great entry instrument.

Sweethearts were very nice, but I found them to be quite variable. I haven't seen the variability in the Copleys I've played that seems to be the crux of the previous postings.

Them's my thoughts.

Best wishes.

Steve
Live your life so that, if it was a book, Florida would ban it.
jim stone
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Re: Sweetheart Resonance or Copley Delrin

Post by jim stone »

Steve, did you play the Resonance? I'd like a report on it. I've played
a good number of Sweethearts, including D flutes, but never the
Resonance. Perhaps somebody will help us out.
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Steve Bliven
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Re: Sweetheart Resonance or Copley Delrin

Post by Steve Bliven »

Some years back I had a blackwood and a rosewood Resonance for a weekend to play with. From my somewhat frayed memory bank, they were both nice instruments, well in tune, "woody" sound—more so in the rosewood one, relatively small fingerholes, easy to play. No tuning slides. Pretty much what you'd expect from one of Ralph's flutes. I found I preferred the rosewood over the blackwood because of a softer, "more rounded" sound, but that part probably my taste at the moment. I didn't end up buying either. Instead I came across a maple one-keyed that he had tucked away in the warehouse. Seller's remorse that I let that one go (John Skelton tried to buy it from me at one point).

That's about all I recall.

Best wishes.

Steve
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Sillydill
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Re: Sweetheart Resonance or Copley Delrin

Post by Sillydill »

Hey Custer,

I've had both flutes and will emphatically state The Copley has more potential!

The Resonance flute may be easier to play, but ultimately I found it boring. The Copley with reward your progress as you become a better and more capable player. IMO :D

Happy Hunting!
Keep on Tootin!

Jordan
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