I've got absolutely zero experience with flutes of any sort. I only know I want to pick an instrument that I won't feel I've outgrown at any future point; that's well setup from the start; and that requires as little maintenance as is practical. (I've already got a surplus of high maintenance people, animals, and objects in my life, and my heat/humidity fluctuations are big.) Price is a factor, but not primary.
From reading up, mostly here, it sounds like a Copley keyless in delrin is just the think I'm looking for. I've had a WTB posted for a week or so in the instrument exchange, but no used offers have come my way, and I'm now ok with buying new.
So I have some questions about the options available on Copleys specifically, and new made-to-order flutes generally. I've already sent these by Dave C. and he got back to me quickly with informative answers, but mostly along the lines of, "either way will be fine." That's reassuring, of course, but still I've got to decide. Thus any additional input from the C&F cognoscenti will be welcome.
Among the following, which would you recommend to someone starting out and who is intending to stick with just one instrument even as they progress:
- Offset holes for more comfortable grip. This seems like a good choice, but is there any reason not go for it? Are inline holes only for those already used to them? Has anyone chosen this option and then regretted it because it constrained their technique on a more traditional flute? (I'm male, about 5' 10" with typical hands, so I'm not thinking I need to look at the closer hole spacing options.)
Thumb hole for C natural. As a whistle player I know about the cross fingering and half hole options for C nat., and none of my whistles have a thumb hole. So I'm tempted to skip this. But on the other hand, even if I don't use it, it doesn't seem like it's a problem to keep my thumb planted, assuming my thumb wants to be where the maker thinks it should be! And even then a little black electrical tape on a plastic flute, doesn't seem out of bounds. What's the recommendation?
Embouchure shape. Copley offers "elliptical" as the default and "square ellipse" as an option. (The latter used to be default on the delrin models, but that's no longer the case.) From Dave's description, the squared ellipse can make acquiring an effective embouchure easier, and thus it certainly seems like the right choice for a beginner like me. On the other hand, I've seen a number of different individuals here on the forum say they prefer the regular, elliptical option on their Copleys. My concern here is getting a good, Dark Irish Flute sound, and not a bright classical/band flute tone. But of course that means nothing if I give up in frustration of developing a working embouchure of any sort.
Combined end cap and screw adjustable stopper. Unlike the above options which come at no cost, this one is $40, but that's not a budget breaker. I've read enough to know what these terms mean, but not yet being a flute player, I have no idea whether it's something I'd want. As a beginner, I'm sure the default fixed stopper setup would be fine. But I'd be buying this instrument (as opposed to one of the cheaper beginner instruments from some other manufacturer) with a view to the long term. Given the small cost, and assuming I stick with it and become proficient, is this a feature I might want to make use of down the road? Again, does anyone have buyer's remorse over not having an adjustable stopper?
Silver rings. Last one. On the delrin flutes this is apparently only a matter of aesthetics--there's not a structural benefit. Cost is $80, which seems reasonable, but it's not insignificant. I do like the way they look. But I don't feel that strongly, and I'm tempted to skip to save the money. No big deal for me either way, but I'd still be interested in hearing other opinions.
Thanks for any insights!