At the Swedish bagpipe symposium in Minneapolis this March, one guy had a nice PVC or ABS black-coloured Scandinavian overtone flute that he said be bought really cheap in Sweden. It was transverse-blown through a hole in the side of the tube, but the actual fipple was an end-blown fipple. Picture just taking a Generation and putting a windcap over the head with a hole in the side, kind of like that.
Is there any US plastic-smith who could maybe knock out some of these? I'd certainly like one to mess with. In the interim, I put a spare Generation Bb head onto a piece of PVC, but endblown isn't as cool, and the exposed head isn't as indestructible as a solid piece of tube with an internal fipple would be. I would imagine these would be awfully quick to knock out in good quality, so hopefully not too pricey, and light to ship.
Can anyone suggest a maker I could ping, or are themselves interested in adding overtone flutes to their product line?
Any US makers for a PVC overtone fipple flute?
-
- Posts: 126
- Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2007 1:07 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Location: Bogotá, Colombia
Re: Any US makers for a PVC overtone fipple flute?
Like these?
I think that looks like DIY project. You probably could modify the whistle exo-fipple to be side-blown. I'll give it a try, but I'm afraid that won't help you much, I live in Sweden
I think that looks like DIY project. You probably could modify the whistle exo-fipple to be side-blown. I'll give it a try, but I'm afraid that won't help you much, I live in Sweden
-
- Posts: 562
- Joined: Thu Feb 07, 2008 3:30 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 12
- Location: Ohio
Re: Any US makers for a PVC overtone fipple flute?
I was thinking about prototyping one of these, not even sure of details - pm me and we can talk, you could have input on what I try first!
Bill
Bill
“When a Cat adopts you there is nothing to be done about it except put up with it until the wind changes.” T.S. Elliot
Re: Any US makers for a PVC overtone fipple flute?
The exo-fipple approach works, I made one yesterday. Doesn't sound too good, but that could be the player rather than the fipple...
- Innocent Bystander
- Posts: 6816
- Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2005 12:51 pm
- antispam: No
- Location: Directly above the centre of the Earth (UK)
Re: Any US makers for a PVC overtone fipple flute?
http://www.ancientmusic.co.uk/instruments.html UK, not US, but worth asking Corwen, here.
I have bought a bunch of his Scandinavian-type Overtone flutes. They are cheap (about £10). The quality varies, as you might expect. It's worth getting two or three to get one that feels right to you. When you get a good one, it's great. My only real complaint is the plastic he uses is too brittle and an overtone flute will not survive, say, being accidentally shut in a car door. Hard plastic does give you a louder sound. These days I make my own out of the same polypropylene pipe I use to make my whistles. You can get a two-metre length of PEX piping for £8 here, and that will do two overtone flutes. It's slightly quieter, but on a 650 mm flute, volume is not a problem.
If you look on Youtube, do a search for "overtone flute in three minutes" which will show you how to make a Konchovkah (a balkan style overtone flute) very quickly. Three minutes is an exaggeration. You will want to sandpaper the fipple rather than use it in a roughened state, for instance.
I have an overtone flute from Naturinstrumentor. It's very nice. It's too precious for me to drag about with me, though.
I have bought a bunch of his Scandinavian-type Overtone flutes. They are cheap (about £10). The quality varies, as you might expect. It's worth getting two or three to get one that feels right to you. When you get a good one, it's great. My only real complaint is the plastic he uses is too brittle and an overtone flute will not survive, say, being accidentally shut in a car door. Hard plastic does give you a louder sound. These days I make my own out of the same polypropylene pipe I use to make my whistles. You can get a two-metre length of PEX piping for £8 here, and that will do two overtone flutes. It's slightly quieter, but on a 650 mm flute, volume is not a problem.
If you look on Youtube, do a search for "overtone flute in three minutes" which will show you how to make a Konchovkah (a balkan style overtone flute) very quickly. Three minutes is an exaggeration. You will want to sandpaper the fipple rather than use it in a roughened state, for instance.
I have an overtone flute from Naturinstrumentor. It's very nice. It's too precious for me to drag about with me, though.
Wizard needs whiskey, badly!
- I.D.10-t
- Posts: 7660
- Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2003 9:57 am
- antispam: No
- Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA, Earth
Re: Any US makers for a PVC overtone fipple flute?
For a side blown one, this sight might be of interest.
http://www.norcalspelmanslag.org/ncsnlf ... 2002c.html
Didn't read through it, but it looked about right. A bit of trial and error involved, but simple and cheap enough to make it worth looking into.
http://www.norcalspelmanslag.org/ncsnlf ... 2002c.html
Didn't read through it, but it looked about right. A bit of trial and error involved, but simple and cheap enough to make it worth looking into.
"Be not deceived by the sweet words of proverbial philosophy. Sugar of lead is a poison."
- Feadoggie
- Posts: 3940
- Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2005 11:06 pm
- antispam: No
- Location: Stout's Valley, PA, USA
Re: Any US makers for a PVC overtone fipple flute?
Go right ahead then.MatthewVanitas wrote:I would imagine these would be awfully quick to knock out in good quality
I've proven who I am so many times, the magnetic strips worn thin.
- Innocent Bystander
- Posts: 6816
- Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2005 12:51 pm
- antispam: No
- Location: Directly above the centre of the Earth (UK)
Re: Any US makers for a PVC overtone fipple flute?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXnAXsMyCFU The is the "Overtone Flute in Three minutes" video I was talking about.
Wizard needs whiskey, badly!
- JackCampin
- Posts: 383
- Joined: Mon Oct 04, 2010 8:05 am
- antispam: No
- Contact:
Re: Any US makers for a PVC overtone fipple flute?
I use a Howard whistle mouthpiece pushed over a right angle joint on the end of a few feet of pipe. Works fine.
If I get another few right angle joints I'll try making a folded one.
If I get another few right angle joints I'll try making a folded one.