I came across a used Casey Burns folk flute (no frills 6 hole D flute).
Before I pull the trigger, for those who have played it, how does it compare to other top quality flutes (tonal quality, volume, ease of playing, tune and intonation, weight and balance, etc)?
The Folk Flute compares well to any other Irish flute out there. For the price, you get a high quality flute that’s capable of great tone and solid intonation. Balance is good. Very easy to play. Light weight. Holes are closer together so it’s very easy on the hands and wrists. Volume is up to the player, though the small hole version is a bit quieter than the other models. I get a loud, projecting tone with minimal air.
I know I sound like a Casey Burns rep, but I play only his flutes and really really like them.
Thanks. Guess that confirms what I’ve heard.
Fantastic flute. Better sounding than many that are much more expensive. They are loud enough to hold up in a session. Visually, they are very simple - nothing fancy. Wooden tenon tuning slide. Older ones are two-piece and newer ones seem to be three piece.
I’ve played a few and they seem to be very consistent. Echo what Akiba said about the small hole version. I do prefer the standard version.
They’re great. well-crafted flutes. My only concern is whether the one you are looking at has the holes in-line or offset 3rd fingers. While the offset may be easier to reach & likely more comfortable, I don’t like it when switching to other flutes without that feature. Also, what wood are you looking at: boxwood, blackwood, mopane? I particularly like the sound of the boxwood ones.
It’s African mopane. And the looks to have offset third holes.
I think kevin has a good point, but I wouldn’t let the offset holes
stop you. I’ve found (at 74!) that I’m quite adaptable. I play
keyed flutes, unkeyed flutes with thumb holes, unkeyed flutes
without thumb holes. Just do it.
I also add that, like Kevin, I especially like the sound of Casey’s boxwood flutes.
How do they compare with the M&E?
Best wishes all,
K.
I haven’t played an M&E in a while, but here is what I would say:
The Burns is easier to play than the M&E. The Burns is more ergonomic. The Burns is wood vs. plastic. The Burns lends itself to more of a modern Irish flute sound, whereas the M&E I think is more in line with an older, more pure-drop sound.
I do have a boxwood Burns that is my #1 flute. I also have a blackwood Burns that also has excellent tone, though of a different quality. To be honest, I don’t think the type of wood makes that big of a difference. I would say, though, that I know Casey continues to improve his flutes, and I think he is currently making the best flutes of his career. Casey told me that even Matt Molloy tried his new large hole model and was very impressed. That said, I think it’s worth getting a new flute from Casey now rather than an older model used. OK, now I really sound like a rep, but those are my honest thoughts.
Thanks Jason - just what I wanted to hear.
Best wishes,
K.
I bought the large-holed, 3-part version in mopane last year. loud as hell, easy to play, very nice flute. requires more air than the standard version (which i had before).
I have one in ABW. It’s very easy to play and has a powerful woody tone. Simple but great!
I have one in african blackwood. It’s a solid performing flute. I don’t have enough wooden flute experience to state definitively where it sits in the pantheon but it does almost everything I want it to. For the money I doubt it can be beaten.
That statement really impressed me.
Because I met Casey at Lark Camp in the 1980s and his flutes were great then!
I played for some years a c1990 keyless Casey Burns flute made of highly flamed Mountain Mahogany which was simply terrific, so easy to fill, so powerful. I played in a band with a very loud piano accordion guy and that flute didn’t come anywhere close to being downed out. I think the bore was based Pratten specs.
My c1860 London-made 8-key cocus Pratten-spec flute, which was my primary flute for decades, I played with a c1990 Casey Burns headjoint, which was far superior to the original.
To be making flutes at a level like that, back in the late 80s/early 90s, and continued to improve… that’s impressive!
(Now I’m starting to sound like a Casey Burns rep!)
Thank you for the kind words Richard! You were always one of my favorite clients and also responsible for me pushing myself to continually improve my work!
Am still hard at it though I have a semi-retirement strategy. That would be stocking up enough flutes to sell deep into retirement, and then otherwise spending time making all the strange instruments I’ve wanted to make, as well as having the luxury to work on one flute over a span of months the way some other top makers do it.
You were also important in helping me understand Irish music. I still have your instruction sheets somewhere from the early years of Lark Camp. Also, one of your other students from 1987 Lark Camp named Nancy Ball and I have enjoyed being married ever since!
It would be great to see you sometime - I may be down in the southland for a bit later in winter.
Casey
Casey Burns and Lark Camp in the '80s prompts some fond memories for me as well. Playing a highland pipe duet with Casey at the camp fire one night among them.
This was not your normal duet, nothing was ever “normal” at Lark Camp as I remember, anyway, Casey hadn’t played pipes in a while and mine had a chanter reed with roughly the same cross section as a wooden clothes pin…so I blew and squeezed while Casey fingered the chanter.
And we sounded damn fine if I do say so myself. 
JD
Joe, the reason for that piping (Chris Caswell was also playing with us on his GHP) is that we were piping my father into the afterlife - as I had just found out that he had passed away suddenly just the day before.
As we were playing some French tune on the Great Highland Pipes together you said to me (as I was playing the melody on your chanter) “Why am I stamping my feet?” We had a good laugh about that that my father would have appreciated!
Thanks Casey!
Bummer that I can’t play flute any more. I would get hand cramps and shoulder pain even back then, and things didn’t improve with age! So around ten years ago I had to face facts and sell off all my flutes (including that wonderful c1860 Koehler & Son, London flute with your headjoint, a great player).
I’m fine with vertical instruments, so my piping and whistling aren’t affected.
Due to the musical limitations of Low D Whistles I’d love to get a great-playing Irish Kena. I’ve made a couple out of PVC but the octaves are wrong, I need a different ID tubing I guess.
Anyhow this is all offtopic but the bottom line is that Casey knows how to make flutes!