Loudest keyless flutes (or largest bores)

[tradlad123]

Seeking opinions/suggestions on the loudest keyless flutes one can find with maybe a year wait max (may or may not have large bores, not sure).

[kkrell]

Jil Lehart

[jim stone]

There may be something louder than an Olwell Pratten, but the Olwell Pratten is loud enough.

[bigsciota]

A Hammy Hamilton or a Pratten model from Olwell or Gallagher would be your best bet. My Lehart is also quite loud, but those three are well-known for volume and are probably louder.

[kkrell]

A Hammy Hamilton or a Pratten model from Olwell or Gallagher would be your best bet. My Lehart is also quite loud, but those three are well-known for volume and are probably louder.

I did not mention those because:
1) Hammy isn't taking orders. Not sure it's the loudest flute, but does have a unique sound profile that seems to cut through a session.
2) Not sure a year (MAX) is sufficient for an Olwell.
3) Not sure a year (MAX) is sufficient for a John Gallagher, & Seth Gallagher is not taking orders, to my knowledge (listed as a 3.5-4 year wait for keyed & keyless).

Best bet may be what they can find in the used market. For instance, I have a Seth Gallagher keyless (used) I might offer for sale, as I have acquired a 6-keyed version.

[tradlad123]

Thanks! I think I can be flexible about the one year max.
Just haven't tried enough flutes (and hoping to not have to ) to know which one is the loudest.
I have a standard Lejeune flute that is decent too, but not sure where it sits compared to the Gallagher or Olwell on that metric...
Also my flute skills may be the inhibiting factor on loudness here too, so more opinions always welcome.

[fatmac]

I have an (delrin type) M&E in 'F' that is quite loud, (to my ears at least).

Others I have that are quieter; Tony Dixon ABS one piece & delrin 3 piece; Damian Thompson 2 piece; all these have pleasing tones & are fairly loud, but the M&E is louder.

[pixyy]

I got my new keyless Olwell one year after ordering, almost to the day.

In my opinion loudness should not be a goal in itself. Tone, yes, volume when playing with other people quickly becomes a competition

[rama]

Thanks! I think I can be flexible about the one year max.
Just haven't tried enough flutes (and hoping to not have to ) to know which one is the loudest.
I have a standard Lejeune flute that is decent too, but not sure where it sits compared to the Gallagher or Olwell on that metric...
Also my flute skills may be the inhibiting factor on loudness here too, so more opinions always welcome.

The Lejeune flute is plenty loud (if you want to be loud). It is as good as any, to include Olwell. My preference is actually Lejeune for volume and tone. It is very satisfying for me to play. Ultimately, satisfaction is what counts. It comes down to personal preference, and so only you can decide.

[bigsciota]

A Hammy Hamilton or a Pratten model from Olwell or Gallagher would be your best bet. My Lehart is also quite loud, but those three are well-known for volume and are probably louder.

I did not mention those because:
1) Hammy isn't taking orders. Not sure it's the loudest flute, but does have a unique sound profile that seems to cut through a session.
2) Not sure a year (MAX) is sufficient for an Olwell.
3) Not sure a year (MAX) is sufficient for a John Gallagher, & Seth Gallagher is not taking orders, to my knowledge (listed as a 3.5-4 year wait for keyed & keyless).

Best bet may be what they can find in the used market. For instance, I have a Seth Gallagher keyless (used) I might offer for sale, as I have acquired a 6-keyed version.

I was thinking John, and yes, I was more thinking the used market, should have specified. Olwell's list was about a year for keyless last I checked, not sure about Gallagher's, but since no budget was given I figured one of those would pop up sometime on the used market within a year. I've only heard one John Gallagher Pratten but oh boy was that a cannon, depending on his waiting list that'd probably be my pick for volume alone. His Rudalls are quite nice as well.

[John Driscoll]

Also my flute skills may be the inhibiting factor on loudness here too, so more opinions always welcome.

I've been at it for about five years now, and I must say that the more I improve, the louder my flutes get

This is certainly an oft-debated topic. But it seems the general consensus is that overall volume is one thing, whereas tone is another, and most often it's the tone that "cuts" through at a noisy session. In my opinion, bright, buzzy, reedy tone is easier to hear than warm, deep, round tone when you're playing amongst a variety of instruments at a larger session.

I recently received some advice from Isaac Alderson: practice your third octave notes everyday. That's the quickest way to improve your embouchure and get the most flexibility of tone from your flute. (Isaac plays an Olwell Pratten-style, btw)

Does anyone know what kind of flute Conal O Grada plays? I can't imagine he has a hard time being heard at a session...

[tstermitz]

@ John Driscoll I hate to be a ditto head, but ditto this:

I've been at it for about five years now, and I must say that the more I improve, the louder my flutes get

Also this:

...practice your third octave notes everyday. That's the quickest way to improve your embouchure and get the most flexibility of tone from your flute.

My large-holed Rudall by John Gallagher is quite loud, with great tone (dark and resonant). The more I push it, the more it delivers in both tone and volume. However, my own embouchure progress is really the source of the improvement.

[tradlad123]

Does anyone know what kind of flute Conal O Grada plays? I can't imagine he has a hard time being heard at a session...

I think a Hammy...

Thanks, great opinions here. I feel I should focus more on the embouchure at this moment but if I feel I have pushed my current flute to the limit (not sure when or how I will come back to this post.

Also, to clarify, I am not looking for volume to cut through a session. Just want get a flute I can push very far.

[kkrell]

Does anyone know what kind of flute Conal O Grada plays? I can't imagine he has a hard time being heard at a session...

I think a Hammy...

I believe it's a flute Conal built himself, at Hammy's workshop (and probably under Hammy's direction).

[busterbill]

I have no idea on the time frame, but I've heard a Glenn Watson flute played. It stood up well to Olwell Pratten volume.