Small-holed R&R type flute; my understanding is that it’s a keyless version of the one Chris Norman plays. Its very easy to fill and get a rich tone out of. It comes with a soft case. The head is not lined, and it has thread-wrapped tenons.
I really haven’t played it since acquiring my keyed Grinter in November, so it’ll need to be ‘played in’ again. But has been well maintained, and served me very well for the 5 or so years I’ve been playing. No cracks or other flaws; the only evident wear is to the finish below the emboucher.
It does have a tuning slide. It’s made of Blackwood, I presume African.
I’ll try and post pictures and a sound clip this weekend, (as soon as I figure out how).
I still feel in the learning stage with the Grinter, but I’d say the Cameron is more accessible; very easy to ‘honk’ the bottom D on. The Grinter takes a tighter embouchure, but the reward is the bigger, buzzier sound I want. The sharp, small holes on the Cameron make crisp ornaments easier.
Its hard for me to make a good comparison since these are the only two flutes I’ve spend any time playing. They’re both great flutes, but different.
I haven’t been able to manage a decent sound file, but here’s a couple pictures. They’re pretty poor quality, but I don’t have the equipment to do any better. Hopefully the one with the tape measure gives a sense of the hole spacing, and the other the actual look of the flute. The rings are silver, it’s just the flash reflecting that makes them look like cheap fake ivory.
I know I’ve commented on these flutes before, but I still remember trying two of them (one boxwood, one blackwood) at a Chris Norman workshop a couple years ago, and boy were they were fantastic. And CN sounds spectacular on his–such a rich, colorful tone, and he can achieve laser-like intensity and projection on it.
Yes, Chris Norman has an amazing, projected sound. He can play both in a rougher, folk style, and with a clear, “classical” sound. Very flexible and very expressive in tone and style.
Yes, I was at a workship with Chris N.
He played his Cameron.
Oh gee, what a sound! Obviously
it’s Chris more than the flute,
but he got that flute for a reason.