I’ve been looking around and around at flutes to buy (even though I have no money right now). I will have a job this summer, so I’ll (hopefully) have some money to spend later in the year.
I have a Tipple G that I’ve been playing for a few months now, and I’m really having a wonderful time with it. I want a flute in D, but with money so tight during the school year, I’d like to skip the Tipple D and spend a little more money at the end of summer (while I have it).
If that makes sense.
SO, I first looked at M&E. This is pretty much right in the middle of my price range. And it’s got some very glowing reviews around these parts.
Then I looked at Burns. The Folk Flute is cheaper than the M&E, but doesn’t have the tuning slide and whatnots. Then I looked at the full-fledged Burns flutes, and noticed that I can get an all-mopane flute from Mr. Burns for $450. That’s with no tuning slide and rings. Now, is there a very significant difference between the Folk Flute and this particular flute? I mean, it’s got a separate foot joint, but really they strike me as very similar beings… but $200 different.
I also e-mailed Jon C, and his flute is right in the same area as the M&E. Could someone offer some comparitive language regarding a Jon C polymer and an M&E?
I’d do a search of M&E and Jon C. this gets talked about quite often. They all go pretty much like this:
I would probably say either the M&E or the Cochran polymer are amazing flutes for the money and would probably lean towards the Cochran.
Henke would then chime in with something similar and probably lean more towards the M&E.
Bang would say he really enjoys his Cochran R&R delrin flute (I would probably reply and say I’ve played it before and almost bought it over my blackwood one…that flute could really sing).
Peeplj would probably say something about his M&E’s.
Then, you’d probably get a mixture of Cochran flute owners saying Jon’s flutes are the way to go and another mixture of M&E owners saying to go with that.
All of them would probably agree that either flute is worth the money and you can’t go wrong with either.
I may have just saved you a bunch of time. The decision is still yours in a existential kind of way.
I haven’t played Jon C’s polymer, but I have played a Cocobolo version. And as you might know, I’m a big fan of M&E. You can’t go wrong with any of these flutes to be honest. Both are tremendous instruments. They are a bit different, which one you would prefer is impossible to know before you try them out. But I think that whichever flute you buy, you will grow to like and that one will eventually be the flute you prefer (does that make sense?).
M&E has the advantage of instant availability. If you order a flute, it gets sent the same day. I would imagine that you’d have to wait a bit longer for the Jon C, but not very long anyway.
Jon C has the advantage of being slightly more refined though. It’s not as rough in apperance. I think Jon pays a bit more attention to details than Michael. Michael just makes flutes that play great, they don’t look as great as most other flutes (unless you are into the rough apperance, which I must say that I sort of am, although if I bought a more expensive flute I would want it to be a work of art).
Hope that makes it at least a bit easier to decide.
I would not go for an all wood flute in the same price range. A tuning slide is a great thing to have. If you can, go with a fully feathured flute, like the M&E or Jon C.
Michael, you beat me!
I really laughed out loud when I read your post. You are very right though, as I said in my original post. You couldn’t go wrong with eighter, so just get one of them and be done with it. Which one is your choice and from my point of view it really doesn’t matter. They are both so great.
Here’s a review I did a while ago which feathures the Jon C and M&E R&R. http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=34875
It might not be the best review and it’s only one mans opinion, but maybe it’ll help a little.
It doesn’t say anything about the all polymer M&E though, but in case you wondered, it’s great
Yes, excellent work Michael! This I think deserves sticky status! Of course, I would add an amendment where Jayhawk comes in and gives the root for his Seery! (and me too).
You can spend a couple of hundred for a Burns folk flute, and they get wonderful reviews.
You can spend a few hundred more and that gets you into the range of M&E, Seery, and other fine makers.
But here’s a thought: if you’re up to $500 anyway, if you could swing a bit more, you can spend a few hundred more and get a Hamilton blackwood–one of the very best Irish flutes made.
Yeah, and if you just save for a few months longer, you could get an Olwell… It never ends. You can always save a few more pennies and get something “better”. Although I have recently began to question the word “better”, or “best”, or even “one of the best” lately when it comes to flutes.
Hammy is probably great, so is the Olwell, so is the Jon C and the M&E. I just don’t think it’s worth it to save longer and endure a waitlist for someone who’s buying he’s first “real” flute.
One difference is that the non-folk flute includes a servicing / re-reaming after you’ve owned it for a while, which is extra with the FF. Also I think Casey will take particular requests for non-folk flutes (in terms of characteristics), whereas with the FF you take what he sends you.
Henke, I agree. Especially for the first flute, I think it makes a lot of sense to invest in a polymer instrument. It is really hard for even the most clueless beginner to harm a polymer flute; wood is more fragile, and while it’s not necessarily particularly delicate, it just won’t survive everything a polymer flute can shrug off.
To answer an earlier question, I’ve played both the CB folk
flute and the 450 CB mopane, like them both, and, yes,
the latter has a finer sound than the folk flute.
Let me add that wood like mopane and blackwood is
tough stuff, and I sure wouldn’t let fear of damaging
a flute made of wood stop me from buying one.
Reasonable care, which doesn’t amount to much,
is all it takes. The only issue that might involve some
more than slight effort is humidity–if you live in some
very dry place or heating dries out your place in the
winter. Then you may need to store the flute
in a plastic container with a damp sponge.
At the moment I’m in providence ri and it’s cold as hell
and the humidity in my apt is well above 50.
Anyhow, sooner orlater it’s going to be wood, odds are,
and there’s nothing wrong with sooner.
Well, I have no shortage of wooden whistles, and I live in a rather humid part of South Carolina, so I don’t think the care of a wooden flute would strain me much.
That said, I will probably still go with a polymer flute for two reasons: the wait is not as long (and I’m impatient to get something I can play at my session), and I feel like a polymer flute is a useful thing to have. I’m sure, though, knowing my instrument-buying habits, this will not be my only flute. And it probably won’t be long after I get this one that I order a wooden flute. In fact, I’ll probably force a family member (or several) to but me a flute for Christmas.
I had an M&E and it was not a bad Flute, but I prefer wood and had no reason to keep it when Ironwood is probably the most stable wood and I have 2 Ironwood Flutes(one in D one in F). You will notice a big difference between the Tipple and the M&E.
