But... but... but... I want a wooden flute and the eBay cheap garbage is what I come closest to being able to afford.

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Reasonable person
Walden

You'd probably be better off using that money to buy a lot of chocolate with which to console yourself for not having a flute.

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oh Lana Turner we love you get up

Mmm... chocolatey.

It's my belief that used instruments are like used cars-----you have to be very careful who you buy them from. Often times you get something good, but sometimes you get a real lemon. I would trust used instruments being sold by a member of a local irish music chapter or a builder like Sweetheart flutes. He posts flutes in their exact condition. That way you know what you're getting. If you buy second hand from a local musician, you can look at it, try it out. If they're honest, they'll let somebody reputable check it out for you. Let local musicians know you're looking. I've found the Irish music community to be super nice and helpful if you're looking for something. Ebay is a wonderful thing. Just make sure what you're getting and that you can return it if you are unhappy.

I'm fairly new to Irish music, only a couple of years, but I'm not new to wood instruments. There's so many factors involved in getting them in good condition second-hand. They may not have stored it in a good environment. Temperature is a HUGE factor. As anyone will tell you, cracks can develop in a lot of little places that can effect the instrument's playing ability. Cracks you may not see. Cracks the seller may or may not know about. If it is a keyed instrument, environment plays a big factor in the function of the keys as well. The pads can dry out or swell. And can make for a pricey repair.

You may want to check out Patrick Olwell's bamboo flutes. They are very affordable and a good quality instrument. My only complaint is that my hands are a bit small for the reach and fingers a bit small to completely cover the holes. Hardly the flute's fault. I still love it. There's also a fellow in Florida named Erik The Flutemaker. He makes an Irish flute, but it's for larger hands. I have purchased some of his Arabian flutes and been really happy with the quality. He's affordable as well. You may also want to consider a resin instrument. I've heard M & E makes a nice one. I've played one and they sound good. They're no substitute for wood, but it's an option. I have a 3 piece Tony Dixon resin I've been very happy with. It was under $300. If you're set on wood, I'd save up for an Olwell. Takes a bit of time for one to be built, but you could save the money in the meantime and have a wonderful instrument that will last.

Or, save up that money you would be spending on chocolate and use it to buy the flute. Works for me.

Some people I know have raised money in a pinch by contracting with friends and relatives for casseroles, BBQ ribs, etc. Everyone loved their dishes, so when they needed some fast cash they got orders for items that do well when frozen, then went out and bought ingredients and some of those disposable oven-to-freezer pans, and made up a batch. Sold them for about twice the price of what went in them.

If you're good with desserts or bread, contract for those and deliver them fresh once or twice a week. Pre-made school lunches are a winner, too.

I bought a black 8-key plastic (or whatever) irish flute from an indian flute dealer for 35 dollars. It sounds okay but you have to tilt your head a different way for every note in order to play in tune. It reminds me of my shakuhachi in that sense. i knew exactly what i was getting for the money, and just thought I would be cool to have a junky flute to kick around. Is this the pakastani thing you're talking about?

How hard is it to make a wooden flute? Could one make a flute out of bamboo or pcv?

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Not to big, not too small
about the size of Montreal!

You could make it out of chocolate.

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Aanvil

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I am not an expert

hi all

does anyone know of, or can anyone think of, a way that flutes or flute makers could be certified to be of a certain quality or skill level?

as I see it, Pakistani flute makers, like flute makers anywhere, should have the opportunity to strive for success but the headline of this post is not going to encourage them at all to keep honing their craft.

maybe things would be a bit easier for everyone if all crummy bamboo flutes were labeled FOR FENG SHUI PURPOSES ONLY...then the good flutes get marketed to people who actually want to use them for music.

I am sort of joking about the Feng Shui thing but this is actually a serious question...it really is problematic for us that so many poorly made flutes are being sold to the public.

First, it furthers the notion that bamboo flutes are not "real" flutes, which increases the chances of "affordable" silver flutes from Wal-mart winding up in the landfill.

Second, it reflects badly on the culture of bamboo flute making in general, which is truly a shame.

just curious to hear people's thoughts and ideas on this...

-Suzy Nees

ps. there is a bit of bamboo flute making info at windwoodflutes.com and bambooflutes.org.

Interesting question but I'd say no.

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Aanvil

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I am not an expert

Question: One of the posts here said that the flute seemed to defy physics (being incredibly out of tune). Is the problem with these flutes that the holes have been drilled in the wrong position, or are the dimensions of the bore all out of whack? Or both?

I can adjust the position of holes and reposition the end cork. But it is a lot harder to change the bore of an instrument.

Anyone have one they want to get rid of?

Oreo Phil

Hey, look what I found: http://www.hakamdin.com/ . This is a Pakistan-based musical instrument factory. Among other instruments, they make wood flutes, piccolos and "matel flutes". (could this mean toy flutes?)

Dana

hahaha, i bought one of those too, and i hate it. it doesnt play one note oh well lesson learned.

If they truly cared, one would think and hope that the thread topic would in fact have the opposite effect - I'm sure that the Pakistani concerns don't live in a vacuum - but this is a matter of long years' running, and it is known that your average Pakistani flute is mass-produced. In fact, the trad flutes appear to be worse than ever, so I suspect that profit, more than true craft, is the general watchword. Let them actually bother themselves to produce good flutes for a change, and I'll shift my opinion, and applaud them for it.

From the Hakam Din website Dana provided a link to:



It's things like that that that are revealing, I think.

Nevertheless, the wood flutes on that website appear to be a cut above if you don't look too closely. But I'm not willing to shell out just for an experiment after my own experiences, and I've dealt with that exact same keywork before. I disliked it; clunky, effortsome to use, and the plating started coming off in papery flakes if I just looked at it. By the way - the key plating is listed as silver. It's not. It's chrome, or something very like it.

The point of this is that if they're aware of their disservices to fluteplayers but don't change for the better, then they just don't care. It's up to us to tell the truth until they do.

If our telling the truth makes a disincentive to them to improve, they have no business making instruments, or at least making public claims to "high quality".

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"Time is the wisest counselor of all." - Pericles

"I remain not entirely convinced of it." - Nano

There's also another way to determine their origin if you're lucky enough to check before, or otherwise after the unfortunate fact of purchase: inspect the case. If it's original from the factory, under the removable support bed (flimsily constructed of cardboard supports covered in velveteen, but serviceable) you'll probably find newsprint in Urdu. Personal experience.

By the way, by "concerns" in the previous post, I meant "businesses", not states of caring, in case there's any confusion.

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"Time is the wisest counselor of all." - Pericles

"I remain not entirely convinced of it." - Nano