I’m wondering …
I’m very tempted , after good advices read here, to buy a Casey Burns Folk flute. But I’m very puzzled with the difference of price between the flok flute and the ergonomic standard flute. Is that because all is set to upgrade the second or is there also a big difference in the sound ? has someone already try the two ? :roll:
I think the best explanation comes from CB himself, and no reason to suspect that it’s not the truth:
We use a minimalist aesthetic throughout, maximize our production efficiencies on this model, and provide no options or extras.
In no way do we compromise on materials or time which would benefit tonal quality. The Folk Flute features the same accoustical design as the Casey Burns Standard 3-piece flute, voiced and tuned with the same degree of care and attention.
from: http://www.caseyburnsflutes.com/ffaq.php#differ
Having been in small-scale manufacturing, it’s a huge advantage to be able to make products ahead of time if needed, spend no time working carefully with customers for customizations, and have simple support requirements and limited support policy. I expect it’s a similar situation for CB with his Folk Flute.
Some people on this board have spoken very favorably of the Folk Flute, with some preferring it to more expensive flutes and others liking it but preferring the other models. I have played them, and prefer them to many well-regarded contemporary instruments priced much much higher. I suspect that it’s really more at the level of personal preferences and aesthetics, but I like minimalism. In my own experience price is only useful as a preliminary and general indicator of quality, not as an absolute indicator. Sometimes it simply indicates supply/demand dynamics or just plain hubris.
Paul
Casey Burns folk flute seems to be a wonderful flute for the money, I don’t think you could go wrong with it. However, you might pay duty on it, I don’t really know, which would bring the cost up a bit.
Has anyone mentioned this man’s flutes to you, since he is in France, and from what I’ve heard, makes a good flute too. I don’t know anything about his offerings, other than I think someone mentioned he made a 2 piece flute also. [Edit] I believe I was mistaken, it was someone else I was thinking of for 2 piece flutes. However, his prices are supposed to be on the lower side, but there is a wait involved. He does not seem to have a website. Here’s the informantion:
Gilles Lehart Gilles (Jil) Lehart
Kernigen, Trezelan
22140 Begard, FRANCE
Tel: +33 296 453603 Makes flutes in F, Eb, D, and Bb
I didn’t mean to make your choices harder, but it may be to your advantage to buy locally. Good luck with your choice.
i have gilles lehart flute, 5 keyed.excellent instrument.only disadvantage( for me!)is that havent so big volume as my plastic seery.
his price is around 550 euros for keyless plus around 77 euros for one key. his waiting time was ( 1,5 year ago) around 8-9 months for both models.his models is rudall style with some modifications.
marin
Yes, I thought to that this morning … I have some advantage with the change from dollar to euro but duty is perhaps a lot more … 
The problem is to have some opinions from people who have already used these flutes… As a beginner, I’m not sure to have the good eye and the right ear to see is a flute is good or not…
thanks for this very nice comment ! I had already check the adress : http://www.firescribble.net/flute/makers.html
but as I said below, it’s good to have some opinions of users before going and ordering a flute …
The standard flute in mopane sounds better and its more nicely finished.
nicole,did you read messages carefully?
i posses lehart flute, my coment is one bellow the coments of henke!
marin
Hi Nicole,
I’ve done side by side comparisons of Casey’s models (Rudall, Standard, and Folk).
They are all terrific instruements. I think the folk flute’s tone isslightly less complex than the others. However they are really great flutes for the money. The other advantage to the other models is that you can add keys later if you want.
Doc
tuning slides are handy too.
I lived in France for a short time, and I believe that the only thing applied is TVA, which is no more than 20% and maybe less. The US will not apply any tax on outbound merchandise (at least not flutes). Thus, if you want to order from a US maker I would use www.xe.com for exchange rates, it’s easiest for me:
USD 250 = (today’s rate) EUR 193 +20% TVA = EUR 232
Int’l shipping looks like USD 30 / EUR23, I don’t know if TVA is applied to shipping.
[edit]I think you will also pay TVA on domestic purchase of a flute, though it may already be calculated in the price - but I’m not expert on the issue[/edit]
Have fun with the choice and your eventual new flute, whatever that may be!
Paul
I have asked about them to Two french flute players… and they told me too that they need a lot of breath … So I think it’s not for me … 
Just joking around mate. I was just given that link by a friend and though it was useful, found nowhere useful to use it, so it ended up here. Really, your question wasn’t that dumb, not dumb at all in fact.
[quote="Paul Thomas]
I lived in France for a short time, and I believe that the only thing applied is TVA, which is no more than 20% and maybe less. The US will not apply any tax on outbound merchandise (at least not flutes). Thus, if you want to order from a US maker I would use www.xe.com for exchange rates, it’s easiest for me:
USD 250 = (today’s rate) EUR 193 +20% TVA = EUR 232
Int’l shipping looks like USD 30 / EUR23, I don’t know if TVA is applied to shipping.
[edit]I think you will also pay TVA on domestic purchase of a flute, though it may already be calculated in the price - but I’m not expert on the issue[/edit]
Paul[/quote]
Many thanks for your counts ! I have looked at some invoices I had from US and I think you are right. There is some fixed price + TVA which is 19,6% . Cost remains interesting …
I spoke this afternoon with Alan Kloatr , french player, who told me that he can find without problems, an already used flute to buy. But I don’t know if I will not prefer to buy a new one … 
I will see what he proposes and at what prices …
That’s pretty unique when one of the first Bretons to play Irish flute can track one down for you. I would definitely pursue that avenue.
Cheers,
Aaron
hi nicole!
i must disagree about volume of breath in lehart flute.i think that you will be very easy able to produce decent tone on it. it is very responsive flute, believe me you don’t need to have some big breath support.
for me, to achieve good and strong tone on seery was more chalenge! i need maybe month or two, but than i was still begginer.
i know that here in forum there is several owner (or ex owner) of lehart flutes, so any comments..? micheal eskin is one of them, pduun, blackbeer…
i really think that you will be satisfied with his flute.mcgoldrick and veilon used to play his flutes, among others..
marin
Speaking of that, does anyone have a picture(s) of Lehart flutes? The ones on the flute porn thread have disappeared.
Can you tell us, Maracirac, the significance of why McGoldrick and Jean-Michel Veillon USED to play these flutes ?Why, in fact, did they get rid of them ?
probbably, because they found some other flute suit to they better.
veillon play now willkes.
but, i still think that lehart is great value for money you pay for it.and waiting time is short.( and for willkes is … how much now? 7 years..?)
marin
