McNeela flutes...

[piperjoe]

Hi All,

Anyone have experience with the McNeela flutes? Specifically the 6 keyed delrin and the Lon Dubh.

I'm looking for a Pratten style (smaller holes) flute in delrin.

Thanks in advance...

Piper Joe

[busterbill]

I recently played a badly abused McNeela Pratten. It looked like blackwood. Someone was trying to see if it was worth fixing. It sounded great with my Olwell unlined headjoint. But then, maybe everything sounds great with an Olwell headjoint. I couldn't test the embouchure cut since the headjoint had two cracks. This will not likely be your problem if you care for the flute or if you delrin. The flute I had looked like it was solid, just not well cared for. The finger holes seemed to be in the right place to play in tune. I think the one I was playing was at least 10 years old, perhaps older.

[Guilleflute]

I tried both flutes you are asking about:

The 6 keyed delrin is not a bad flute at all for its price, but it has several details I don't like particulary: It is too heavy (Delrin is heavier than any wood), specially in the headjoint (besides it is lined so it increases the weight) the keywork is functional but a bit "rude" and the finishing of finger holes and mouth hole is not bad but very improveable (it is not a high standar flute at all).

The lon dubh keyless is a begginer bad quallity flute in my opinion, so i would not recomend it.

If you are looking for a nice pratten flute, with nice fingerholes shape and confortable playing (hands position, etc.), and you dont really need the keys, I'd recomend a Desy Seery flute (you can also purchased it at Mcneela's) in Delrin or Blackwood, or if you want to spend a bit more a keyless Murray flute (although i recomend to try it first if it's possible, bc Murray's flutes nowadays can be very different one to another)

Good luck with your choice. Cheers

[ertwert]

Is it possible, that the McNeela flute is a flute made by Michael Cronnolly?
It would be a bit strange, if the music shop didn't name the maker, if it was Mr. Cronnolly...but maybe, they just got the keys and rings from the same source, as he does? Maybe someone here knows more about that?
Apart form the ornamentation on the keys and rings, it looks really similar (I think identical) to my keyed Cronnolly flute. A couple of month or so ago, he sold the "Deluxe" model in his shop, that looked strikingly similar to this McNeela flute. I believe the only difference to his normal model was the ornamentation. At least, back then there was no additional information on his website, that he takes extra care or so on his deluxe flutes...

If it really is his "Deluxe" model, I would recommend buying his standard 6 key flute for 590 Euro (including case) directly from him.
I have played mine for the last couple of years and like it a lot. Of course it doesn't have the quality of a much more expensive wooden flute, but at least for the price, it is a really nice instrument. My A is a bit too sharp and the D is too low, but these things can easily be managed with your embouchure.
The low D could maybe be stronger, but most Rudall & Rose flutes I have tried, didn't have a low D as strong as I would like it to be. But however, I experienced it multiple times, that people said I have a nice tone on my flute -and they usually where quiet a bit surprised, when I told them how affordable my flute was (500 Euro back then).