I've seen a couple of reviews of the whistles made by this company. They also offer an aluminum flute with a resin (I think) head joint. It is available in several keys and resembles similar flutes with aluminum bodies and wood or delrin head joints by other makers (Hamilton, Somers, Millyard).
Anyone had any experience playing the de Quelery flute?
deQuelery Flute
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leydog
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- Tell us something.: I first encountered C&F almost 20 years ago when I became interested in learning to play the whistle. I renewed that interest this year, with the help of the resources on YouTube. In addition to dedicating serious time to the whistle, I also decided to invest in learning to play the flute. Tired of hoping others would ask the questions I have, I decided it was time to join the discussion/session, rather than continue sitting on the sideline with my flute/whistle on my lap, so to speak. So I ask permission to make my contribution.
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NylonFlute
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Re: deQuelery Flute
I bought one last year. It was the first Irish D flute I tried, mainly to check if my hands were big enough to play one.
Pros: It plays at least two octaves in reasonable tune, given that I am a relatively novice flute player; I was able to play along with Steph Geremia playing scales in her Online Academy of Irish Music flute basics course. It is very lightweight. It is definitely weatherproof, except for the cork lining of the headjoint. I think an experienced player could get a very nice sound out of it.
Cons: It has very large toneholes, which ended up being not for me. As far as I know, offset holes are not yet an option, though you might want to ask if DeQuelery can do them custom. More importantly, its embouchure hole is round and small like a Baroque flute, which requires a subtly different lip position that either the elliptical embouchure of most Irish flutes or the rounded rectangle embouchure of most Boehm ones. Because the aluminum walls are able to be very thin, its bore is huge, which means it takes a lot of air, more than a novice is prepared to use.
Since getting the DeQuelery, I switched to first a 3-d printed Paul Francis Harrison tenor flute printed from a Thingiverse file by Shapeways in nylon polyamide (hence my name) with a rounded rectangle embouchure hole and angled toneholes, and then a Copley Delrin flute with elliptical emobuchure, and then decided I might as well take the plunge and take up silver flute, and rented a Yamaha YFL-222 standard student workhorse and started lessons with a classical flute teacher. I still really like the tone of the PFH, I would honestly say it is comparable to the Copley except that it is one-piece and so less portable (but that should be another post). But I will stick to rounded rectangle embouchure holes for my flutes from here on.
I plan to sell the DeQuelery soon as I haven't been playing that. I think it may make a very good backup/travel flute for someone with largish/stretchy hands who works with both Irish and Baroque flutes, and who likes the big toneholes of the Pratten-style flutes, and wants to take the flute in conditions where they don’t want to risk their wooden flutes, or needs a more lightweight flute.
Pros: It plays at least two octaves in reasonable tune, given that I am a relatively novice flute player; I was able to play along with Steph Geremia playing scales in her Online Academy of Irish Music flute basics course. It is very lightweight. It is definitely weatherproof, except for the cork lining of the headjoint. I think an experienced player could get a very nice sound out of it.
Cons: It has very large toneholes, which ended up being not for me. As far as I know, offset holes are not yet an option, though you might want to ask if DeQuelery can do them custom. More importantly, its embouchure hole is round and small like a Baroque flute, which requires a subtly different lip position that either the elliptical embouchure of most Irish flutes or the rounded rectangle embouchure of most Boehm ones. Because the aluminum walls are able to be very thin, its bore is huge, which means it takes a lot of air, more than a novice is prepared to use.
Since getting the DeQuelery, I switched to first a 3-d printed Paul Francis Harrison tenor flute printed from a Thingiverse file by Shapeways in nylon polyamide (hence my name) with a rounded rectangle embouchure hole and angled toneholes, and then a Copley Delrin flute with elliptical emobuchure, and then decided I might as well take the plunge and take up silver flute, and rented a Yamaha YFL-222 standard student workhorse and started lessons with a classical flute teacher. I still really like the tone of the PFH, I would honestly say it is comparable to the Copley except that it is one-piece and so less portable (but that should be another post). But I will stick to rounded rectangle embouchure holes for my flutes from here on.
I plan to sell the DeQuelery soon as I haven't been playing that. I think it may make a very good backup/travel flute for someone with largish/stretchy hands who works with both Irish and Baroque flutes, and who likes the big toneholes of the Pratten-style flutes, and wants to take the flute in conditions where they don’t want to risk their wooden flutes, or needs a more lightweight flute.
Last edited by NylonFlute on Wed Jul 13, 2022 4:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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leydog
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2020 4:22 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: I first encountered C&F almost 20 years ago when I became interested in learning to play the whistle. I renewed that interest this year, with the help of the resources on YouTube. In addition to dedicating serious time to the whistle, I also decided to invest in learning to play the flute. Tired of hoping others would ask the questions I have, I decided it was time to join the discussion/session, rather than continue sitting on the sideline with my flute/whistle on my lap, so to speak. So I ask permission to make my contribution.
Re: deQuelery Flute
Thanks for the review, NylonFlute. That helps a lot.
I love my Burns Folk Flute. After some fitful starts with others, Casey's provided the jumpstart that I needed. I can manage the holes (right hand accident years ago). And the embouchure is challenging but forgiving. I like it enough that I want to take care of it.
So, I am looking for a "knock-about" flute that doesn't require the maintenance of wood. Among the options available I could find no comments on the de Quelery. From what you say, it would not suit me.
I have yet to find a negative comment about the Copley flutes; and I like the options he has available. So, like you, that may be the way I go. Thanks again for your help and may all your music be upbeat.
I love my Burns Folk Flute. After some fitful starts with others, Casey's provided the jumpstart that I needed. I can manage the holes (right hand accident years ago). And the embouchure is challenging but forgiving. I like it enough that I want to take care of it.
So, I am looking for a "knock-about" flute that doesn't require the maintenance of wood. Among the options available I could find no comments on the de Quelery. From what you say, it would not suit me.
I have yet to find a negative comment about the Copley flutes; and I like the options he has available. So, like you, that may be the way I go. Thanks again for your help and may all your music be upbeat.