I need a flute with a tone that is more “mellow” than my silver concert to do playing for some eastern and western folk songs. I am a college student so my means are limited and would like to find a decent sounding instrument that is under or at 200 dollars. Please give me your honest opinions on which to choose out of these models
flutes I can definetly afford:
dixon 2-piece D
dixon 1-piece D
Mid-east cocuswood keyless
mid-east cocuswood 1-key
Buck D rosewood
(other recommendations, tell me)
Sweetheart folk fife (I don’t know how this sounds compared to the modern piccolo and if that would be too shrill)
I was also looking at some of the oriental flutes at this site http://www.eriktheflutemaker.com/ to fiddle around with as they are inexpensive. Any thoughts on them?
Hello, and welcome to the site!
First of all I will echo all the suckers that have bought mid-east flutes, to say— DON’T BUY ONE, THEY ARE JUNK!
That being said, You can go with the oft recommended bamboo flute made by Owell, I think these are under $100. If you pay a wee bit more you can get a 3 piece Dixon flute made out of delrin, that is quite nice, and unlike the “mid east” flute, it is in tune!
The Olwell bamboo is an excellent suggestion; one warning, the D flute has rather large holes and a decent finger spread. If you would rather smaller holes with a smaller spread, either the Dixon, or an Olwell in, say, F or G would be great. Erik the Flutemaker makes some cool flutes; I had a Vivaldi minor flute at one time that played really well.
Micah
I’ll also agree that a good bamboo flute might fit your bill (Olwell, Eric the Flutemaker, Tallgrass Winds).
If you’re thinking of a Dixon, I’d go with the 3 piece polymer for $189 at www.thewhistleshop.com . It’s a real conical flute, and it has a closer finger hole spread than the cylindrical bamboos and will have an easier/stronger high octave.
Just a note, I was on the House of Musical Tradition waiting list for an Olwell bamboo flute, there were 27 people on the list ahead of me and they just told me they haven’t receive any flutes in the last 3 months. It will be a looong wait. Since I ordered a new Copley, I took my name off the list. So the list is one person shorter.
The Sweethart folk fife is a good bet. Any folk flute or fife with a small cylindrical “renaissance” embouchure is best for quiet playing with a slight drawback of reduced embouchure “bending”. If you couple this with a decreasing conical bore,the tone color becomes increasingly reedy and mellow toned.
I’ve designed and made many of these quiet pipes for friends(mostly in the key of g) who require reduced volume and mellow tone for apartment dwelling. I can share measurements if you wish to make one of these from 1/2" aluminum tubing. Its easy,just 7 holes,a polyclay plate and a hobbie cork. Any takers?
thank you all for such good suggestions! what a great bunch of folks.
I do want to put my name on the olwell list as I have read nothing but good reviews about them. however I really need to grab up an instrument to perform on for the asian heritage month celebration april 25. Maybe I’ll get my olwell on time for that next year…
I am thinkin of getting either the 3 piece dixon or the renassance or folk fife. I’ve always been better with playing the piccolo than the fife (I have a very focused air stream) so I’m leaning that way right now. Is the dixon 3-piece easy playing or does it take a lot of air (as opposed to say a standard Boehm)
I’m particulary intrigued by the dixon polymer 3 piece. I have a P.J. Hardy wood piccolo that I’ve globetrotted with. Poor thing has been dropped in the mud, kicked, flung, lost and found by the airline, rained on, carried in pockets, marched with, cracked and repaired and it still works. I feel I should honor it by retiring it from heavy service. Oh the places I could go with a plastic flute…
call Patrick Olwell. Get a flute. Don’t bother with HMT. I got a flute from them that was so dry that it cracked after 15 minutes of playing. Call Patrick and get one from the man himself.
Chris
