In order to start becoming a real one though i would need a flute and i have a strong hunch that my flute choice lies in the identification of the maker of a particular flute…or two!
Let me be a little more precise, it’s been a long time since i started listening to various samples of different flutes and i keep comming back to two particular videos. It’s these two:
it’s probably impossible to tell if two flutes are made by the same maker by just listening to them, played by two different flute players. You will discover that what makes a flute sound in a way or in an other is mostly the player. Give the same flute to different players and it will sound a bit different all the times.
no idea who made those two flutes, but the long f keys look quite different to me… and they don’t sound that similar either (is probably a matter of training, a newby might not hear the difference much)
I played a Bruce Du Vé flute for about 10 years before changing to the present instrument made by Brendan McMahon who lives in Ennis - still making fine flutes, now in his 70s. I also have an E flat flute by Hammy Hamilton, an F flute by Hawkes & Son and a piccolo by Brendan. I very rarely use these. On the “Loozin 'air” album, I play the Brendan McMahon D flute on all tracks.
It seems though that i could have been more lucky
It is not really efficient to get a flute from him right now and by the time that i will be on the run for a second flute, he propably will have retired…
It’s a pitty. I have to say i really liked it
Nevermind. I will search some more and i will propably soon come back here for more advice
concur… mcmahon (rip) flutes played by both. his son might of taken over operations but down the road are the o’brien’s who are using a similar design (as m. king’s flute, 7-holed) at o’brien flutes…
Am I right that these are Pratten Style flutes?
I’ve searched on the maker but can’t find anything.
Kind of amazing to have somebody surface like this.
It’s really sad to hear that about brendan mcmahon. Rip.
Kevin, a 6 keyed is way too much for my budget and an Eb is way too off course. I’m looking for something in D…
That might be a hamilton, i like their tone nearly as much
Thanks, when I said ‘I’ve searched on the maker but can’t find anything,’
I was a bit sleepy. I did find several online references to the fellow. But no
listing of a shop, no business address, no website, nothing on lists of flute smyths.
(Donal McMahon is perhaps Brendan, as you note, but I didn’t know that; note that
the info on Donal is ‘No information’).
It’s interesting to find that somebody has been making very good flutes, apparently,
whom I’ve never heard of till now and was flying under my radar businesswise.
Maybe the business side of things disappeared when Brendan M passed away,
but my impression is that this fellow was always very low profile.
Brendan M was a lovely old gent who made loads of flutes for everyday players in Ireland; he wasn’t someone given to puffery and self promotion, but seemed busy enough without all of that. I spent a lovely afternoon in his shop, and he was very forthcoming with any sort of flutemaking information. His reamers, in particular, were lovely and extremely sharp, producing massive scrolls of cleanly-cut blackwood.
Donal M is perhaps a more evolved maker. His flutes conform more to what you’d expect form the likes of Murray, Hamilton, etc. Lovely chap as well, similarly free with time, tips, tea, and info. As an aside, both father and son had a tinker on the loose slide of my Wylde flute, a fact I had forgotten until just now. I shall have to add them to the life-list of flute-wrights who have had a hand in keeping the aul’ splinter in good nick. Cheers,
