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Re: Has Been - will travel

Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 2:25 am
by Lambchop
talasiga wrote:
Lambchop wrote:
.................
Steve Cox of Tallgrass Winds (just search for his website) makes fine bamboo flutes in that range, as well. Bamboo flutes are real flutes--these aren't the snake-charmer kind. You'll hear them on ITM CDs all the time.

....................
I am sorry but snake charmers do not generally play bamboo flutes. They play a mini double barrelled reed instrument known as a "been".
.
Thank you for clarifying that. I will endeavor not to post further technical misinformation gleaned from Disney cartoons.

Re: Has Been - will travel

Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 5:24 am
by talasiga
Lambchop wrote:........
Thank you for clarifying that. I will endeavor not to post further technical misinformation gleaned from Disney cartoons.
I will resist the temptation of making a comparison of Disney cartoons and reality with Pakistani flutes and Irish music - mainly because I wasn't stupid enough to buy one and I prefer the metareality of Bugsy.
:)

Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 6:06 pm
by Daniel_Bingamon
I had purchased one of those picolos from Ebay once. Mainly to see how they made their keys.

The picolo was advertised in the key of Eb and when it finally arrived, the base note was Eb but all the toneholes didn't play right. So, I didn't have time to mess with it and put it on the shelf.

Later in the summer when things are slow, I got it out and looked it over the discovered that the key spacing should have been for the key D, not Eb. They simply shortened the mouthpiece of a D picolo for Eb.

After making a correct mouthpiece for D, all the holes and keys worked properly accept for one. The particular tonehole had a piece of metal post base sticking out in it. After some tweaking with the dremal, the key was working as well.

So, these things can be made to work if you are an instrument maker :lol: but it is a very time consuming job.

You're best off getting a good instrument.

Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 8:55 pm
by talasiga
Daniel_Bingamon wrote:..............
After making a correct mouthpiece for D, all the holes and keys worked properly accept for one.
That sure is an unusual way of spelling "except". Its the sort of thing one gets with instructions that come with instruments made in non English speaking countries.

Perhaps you should have a spell from making exotic scale whistles. Maybe just over the Christmas period?
:party:

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:44 pm
by Daniel_Bingamon
Yes, it's except. It's just a typo, maybe I have been working in the shop too much lately.

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 11:54 am
by ctilbury
I just wanted to say that I really appreciate this thread and the fact that it is sticky. It answers all of my (abject newbie) questions. I am currently making a passable penny whistle and I intend to begin making flutes as well, however, I need to learn to play first! So, I am buying both good and bad examples of flutes in order to understand the difference. This thread is a very great help. Thanks a bunch!

Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 11:17 am
by JeffS
I decided I wanted to play the Irish flute. I didn't have a lot of money but wanted a wooden D flute. I bought a Pakistani one and it sounded pretty good. I played it for about three years until I got a little better and could save money for a much better instrument (Olwell).

Although I can currently tell the difference between the Pakistani and the Olwell, the former definately served it's purpose. It is what it is.

p.s. I'd like to think I wasn't dumb for buying it.

Best regards,
Jeff

Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 11:40 am
by Craig Stuntz
JeffS wrote:p.s. I'd like to think I wasn't dumb for buying it.
If you got a "nice one" then "fortunate" may be a better adjective. :D

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:06 pm
by johnforde
i used to work in a music shop
we sold Pakistani flutes
out of the 10 that would come in 4-5 would be sent back
but they are a lot better for someone who wants to start off onthan the plastic one
never buy apig in a bag :)

PAKISTANI MADE IRISH FLUTES

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 5:54 am
by talasiga
In Dublin there was this music shop selling Irish flutes made in Pakistan. I did not buy one of them because I went to another shop and bought a Seery blackwood. I have told you this already I think but why I am saying it again is to make a point.

The point is that people in Ireland call an Irish flute (meaning a simple system D flute) an Irish flute regardless of whether its made in Scotland, Eire, France, Pakistan, Australia or North America. And there are probably good, bad and middling Irish flutes made in many countries including Eire herself.

I do not think it is appropriate to refer to an Irish flute (good or bad) by labelling it in terms of the country it was made in, particularly if the reference to the country is abbreviated into a form associated with a term originally popularised by racists and the like (namely "Pakistani" instead of "Pakistani").

Is an Irish flute made in New York a yankee flute? And another thing - Why are gringo flutes mostly dark?

And so it goes .......

Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2006 2:05 pm
by Dave Parkhurst
"I do not think it is appropriate to refer to an Irish flute (good or bad) by labelling it in terms of the country it was made in, particularly if the reference to the country is abbreviated into a form associated with a term originally popularised by racists and the like (namely "Pakistani" instead of "Pakistani")."

That's all well and good, but noone here is making a slur against another group of people. Note that the warnings are about the instuments, not about the people. I have several Pakistani friends, and they are marvelous, considerate individuals. Besides Pakistani flutes, there's also Pakistani pipes (uilleann and Great Highland) and also Pakistani drums (some of which aren't too bad). I'm sure you realize that the term is used because "Wooden conical-bored keyless flute made in the Asian country known as Pakistan" tends to wear down the fingers. Diplomacy is a virtue, but not if taken to the extent that sense and implied meaning are lost in the attempt to not offend. If you're trolling for a heated discussion, C&F has an appropriate place for that in another section of the website.

Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 1:24 pm
by Michael31856
Unseen122 wrote:Sweetheart has a good rep for their low priced Flutes. Seery is more expensive and not a good beginner's Flute.
As a beginner (though not totally clueless as I've meddled) I just ordered a Seery. My life experience has taught me that if I want to learn to turn wood (for example) then starting on a top class lathe with good wood will make me adapt to the high quality of both, whereas starting with a junk lathe and cheap wood will cause me untold stress and possibly even discourage me. Hence the Seery - I'll rise to it, knowing it's me that has to become skilled, and giving me a fun challenge to boot.

I would be grateful though for any help from experienced players as to exactly what I'm likely to find challenging at first..?

Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 1:30 pm
by Michael31856
"Every flute harbours a Muse"

I like that Talasiga.

Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 3:15 pm
by Unseen122
Not that the Seery is bad quality. I meant is was harder to play than the Sweetheart.

cheap flutes.

Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 7:28 pm
by primenumber321
Watch rosewood flutes as well. I had gotten one from a smaller instrument company. It was my first Irish flute and I had no direction when I purchased it. Virtually unplayable. They exchanged it grudgingly as they did not accept returns. Watch return policies too. A lot of these places online seem to have 'fine print' return policies.