Ellis Pratten Flute

A gated retirement community for expired posts, owned and operated by ChiffCo.
Post Reply
hidancity
Posts: 57
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 6:51 pm
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 12

Ellis Pratten Flute

Post by hidancity »

I am selling a Geoffrey Ellis Pratten Flute


This is a used high-performance keyless instruments with a diatonic major tuning that is ideal for ITM or other types of folk music.

Geoffrey Ellis ITM flutes are a result of a collaboration with Jonathan Walpole, a professor at Portland State University who is not only an avid collector of flutes but also a gifted amateur restorer and maker in his own right.

This transverse flute is designed for ITM (Irish Traditional Music) players based upon the antique Pratten’s Perfected, a well known 19th century flute model. This version and a combination joint and tuning slide with a nickel silver tenon and Delrin lined socket.

Ellis flutes have been making some of the finest rim blown, transverse, bansuri and xiao flutes on the market today. Geoffrey does amazing work, and his flutes are incredibly stable and reliable because of the extra work he does to vacuum seal resin into the wood. This makes the wood resistant to warping, splitting, and reacting to the natural conditions that plague so many bamboo and wood instruments.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Irish-Pratten- ... m570.l1313

I am also selling a very unique flute that has the same bore profile and traditional honk as a Pratten but was not made by an Irish maker.

This flute was made by the Premier Chinese flute maker in Taiwan who has worldwide recognition and sells his instruments ot the top orchestra's and flautists in China.

So why would I buy a flute made in Taiwan to play Irish music? Well, because I've played Terry McGee and Geoffrey Ellis's who are both excellent flutemakers and make superior Pratten keyless flutes. But I wanted to try a chromatic keyless flute like Skip Healy and I heard Winson's flutes. I own two of his vertical style Xiao's. A $3000 investment. He is a master at hand manipulating bores.

I heard his tranverse flute and it has a bore nearly identical to an Irish Pratten. So I'm calling it an Irish "Pratten" style flute. There are no tranverse Chinese flutes like this because the only tranverse chinese flute is a Dizi. This is not a Dizi. It plays as well or better than any Irish tranverse flute except it is chromatic. It has that traditional Irish honk on the low end.

I purchased it to play airs and ballads as well as modern music without the investment into a keyed flute. It is not a flute that you are going to play very fast jigs with unless you are really dedicated. I've never heard anybody play fast on Skip Healy's chromatic flute. 10 hole flutes are difficult and a bit awkward without keys but it is doable.

Basically, you are getting an excellent tranverse flute, made from some kind of red wood from Taiwan. It's a sturdy wood but I do not have a translation for the exact species of wood. You are getting the ability to play chromatically. Skip Healy charges $1750 for his flutes. Winson is currently charging $1100 for his flutes.

I am starting the bidding at $350. A very low price for the quality. The other downside is there is no turning joints but it is well tuned and tone quality is superb!!

Here he is playing one of his tranverse flutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y9krEknuGY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKTShsaSilU
Post Reply