Patrick Olwell Keyless Flute SOLD

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Julia Delaney
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Tell us something.: I play fiddle, concertina, flute. I live in NH. Lived in Kilshanny, Co Clare, for about 20 years. Politically on the far left. Diet on the far right (plant-based fundamentalist). Musically in the middle of the pure drop.
Location: New Hampshire, USA
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Patrick Olwell Keyless Flute SOLD

Post by Julia Delaney »

This is Olwell's basic flute. Any flute made by Patrick Olwell will play beautifully and this is no exception. It is exceptionally easy to play, with a clear, strong voice and great volume, without being strident. Since there is no metal in the head joint the sound is rich and resonant. It is a Nicholson model, with medium holes and medium bore. The medium holes and light weight of the flute will be attractive to people with smaller hands or to people who have a problem with a heavy flute. It would appeal to anybody who wants a light, responsive flute. The bore of this flute is smooth as glass, which is characteristic of Olwell's work. The finish is flawless and beautiful. Used Olwell flutes with keys have sold for over $10,000. Keyless Olwell flutes have sold for well over $2,000. It is in perfect tune and is perfect for a player at any level of accomplishment. I recently received a six-keyed Olwell flute made from cocus wood and I will playing that in the future.

This model has integral wooden rings, and no tuning slide. Regarding the tuning slide: this is a can of worms. I wish that the standard was no slide at all. Makers should make their flutes to be in tune at A=440 and expect that players will develop the experience necessary to lip the flute into tune. If you turn the embouchure hole towards you, you will lower the pitch. Turning the blow-hole away from you would raise the pitch. I can change the tuning about 1/4 semi-tone this way. I have never been out of tune playing a flute without a slide. Players should know their flute well enough that tuning is never an issue. The tuning slide would be helpful if you needed to raise or lower the tuning a quarter-step but I haven't ever found that necessary. You can lower the pitch by moving the head joint out a bit but you won't have to do that as your embouchure firms up. At least I never have had to. I can also do this by adjusting my embouchure. A fiddle player that badly out of tune isn't worth playing with. Very old concertinas (c.1880) were pitched at about A=452+ -- but that's very rare (I've never been in a playing situation with one) and I doubt even then that a slide would help. A slide might add some focus to the tone -- an edge perhaps -- but even then, as the embouchure gets firmer and stronger you can get that edge without a metal liner.

The real danger of having flute with a metal a slide in the summer is pronounced: as the metal liner expands the wood remains more or less the same, so as the slide expands in the intense heat the danger of cracking is very real. With an all wooden flute that danger is practically eliminated. I have been keeping an inexpensive all wooden Eb flute in the car for the past two months and haven't shad any problem. But I wouldn't chance that with a better flute. A flute with a slide would have cracked by now as the metal expands and shrinks in the intense heat.

Olwell is an old friend. He made this flute for me from well seasoned, flawless blackwood. It is about a year old. There are no issues with the climate affecting the flute since it is made from well-seasoned blackwood, aged for many years. I have kept the flute hydrated and play it often enough that there are no issues with breaking it in. It is ready to play for hours depending on your ability and your stamina.

If you ordered this flute directly you would wait for it for at least a year and would have to pay shipping. You will not be disappointed in this flute. If you do not like it I will instantly refund your money. I will pay for shipping in the USA.

Pictures here: https://tucson.craigslist.org/msg/d/pat ... 48514.html
Freedom is merely privilege extended, unless enjoyed by one and all. The Internationale
User avatar
Julia Delaney
Posts: 1082
Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2008 10:15 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: I play fiddle, concertina, flute. I live in NH. Lived in Kilshanny, Co Clare, for about 20 years. Politically on the far left. Diet on the far right (plant-based fundamentalist). Musically in the middle of the pure drop.
Location: New Hampshire, USA
Contact:

Re: Patrick Olwell Keyless Flute -$1,250 incl. Post and Insu

Post by Julia Delaney »

Flute has been spoken for. Out for one week trial period.

Thanks for looking.
Freedom is merely privilege extended, unless enjoyed by one and all. The Internationale
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