new flute or old

[Trevor Brown]

Hi, so if one had to choose between flutes

- a new Chris Norman
- a new Ormiston
- a new Lejeune
- a second hand Morvan

which would you choose....

I would like to update my current ASAP, looking for something that is in tune firstly, sounds great second, and thirdly available this year, or as soon as possible

[jim stone]

Check The Irish Flute Store, online.

[tstermitz]

Good flutes come up occasionally rather than right when you need them. Only a used flute is available "now".

Big sound or sweet? Session or parlor?

A Morvan Pratten is probably a louder flute. Chris Norman would be a subtle one.

If it was for my living room, I'd pick the Chris Norman.

[fatmac]

For me, a good quality delrin type flute, maybe with keys.

Are you a good player that needs a new flute, or are you just wanting a 'new to you' flute; that would determine part of your question.

[Julia Delaney]

Without a doubt I would buy the Morvan.

[Trevor Brown]

for concert and recording really,
have been a professional boehm flute player for 30 years, but have fallen in love with the simple system.... 8 key preferred.

[pixyy]

By all your criteria picking up a used 8-key like the Morvan is the way to go.

I have had 2 keyless flutes on order. Waited a year and received both around the same time.
There is great joy in the feel, smell and process of playing in a brand new wooden flute for sure. I am now also reminded how labour intensive it is to have to oil very frequently while they don't quite sound optimally yet
(yes poor me needing to do this on two flutes). By the time the flutes are played in, the keyed version of one of them will likely arrive

[Julia Delaney]

If Matt Molloy, who has been playing for about 65 years, doesn't need 8 keys, neither do I. I have been playing flutes with six keys for about fifty years and I haven't ever missed having eight keys.

You just don't need eight keys -- or any keys, if it comes to that -- to make good music.

[Conical bore]

You just don't need eight keys -- or any keys, if it comes to that -- to make good music.

In general and in relation to Irish and Scottish trad, yes. But when it comes down to specific tunes, well it's a question of repertoire and how much you might care about the one or two tunes that benefit from those extra keys.

I'd be perfectly happy with a six-key flute if I hadn't ever run into Alasdair Fraser's recording of "The J.B. Reel" with a low C# in the A part and became completely infatuated with it. Yeah, you can "fold" that low C# up an octave or substitute a note a third up to fake it, but it's not the same tune played that way. Sometimes a tune can just be moved up to a different key to avoid low notes, but it doesn't work well when there is a very wide range like this one, with a high B note in the original mode of F# dorian.

It's those darned fiddlers! If only flute players wrote the tunes we wouldn't have to deal with this!

[bigsciota]

If Matt Molloy, who has been playing for about 65 years, doesn't need 8 keys, neither do I.

Not entirely sure what you mean by this, as Matt Molloy's longtime main flute is an 8 keyed Boosey. Not sure what he's playing on now, though, so maybe that's what you're referring to. I know he's got a 6 keyed Olwell floating around his rotation of flutes.

Regardless, I agree whole-heartedly with your main point

You just don't need eight keys -- or any keys, if it comes to that -- to make good music.

I actually had keyed flute that went down to low B at one point, as well as another vintage 8 keyed flute. Sold both of them on because I just kept going back to my keyless. Maybe I'll get some keys some day; for now I'm happy without. And I know Seamus Tansey is fond of slagging people who get too fond of their keys...

[an seanduine]

Bigsciota: ¨And I know Seamus Tansey is fond of slagging people who get too fond of their keys. . .¨

Yes, Seamus Tansey, the man renown for stripping the keys off his RH flute to facilitate it being played LH, and plugging the resulting key holes with plump sultanas How like Tansey to take his own quirks and crotchets and elevate them to Dogma! To give the man his due, he can play, or at least could, to a high standard.

Bob