This is a Sweetheart Rosewood flute with one key (Eb).
You can find it on the Sweetheart site under ‘keyed flutes’
for 425 plus shipping.
This one is about a year old; it’s in new condition
(the only change is slight discoloration in the
tenon wrap). It sounds very good–it’s perfectly
in tune, it’s has a clear, warm tone and good
volume. Rosewood is lovely stuff and this flute
sounds like what it’s made of.
The flute is easy to finger. Also these flutes are
very easy to care for. I’m selling it because
I’ve replaced it with a more expensive flute.
I listed it here before for 350; now I’m lowering
the price to 325. I pay shipping/insurance.
Such a deal! If you do a search on Sweetheart
rosewood flute you will find testimonials from
board members saying how much they like
these flutes.
I have an Olwell Pratten lined blackwood, which is
amazing; a Byrne rudall, which is driving me crazy
but which I love. Brad H is giving me flutotherapy
in private messages.
Also an Olwell unlined boxwood Nicholson.
Also a keyed Copley and an unkeyed one too.
Also a Casey Burns blackwood D; I bought it used cheap
with a damaged headjoint, sent it to Casey
for repairs, and he sent me a new headjoint!
This is what’s replacing the Sweetheart
These have accumulated over time, it seems.
I won’t go into keys other than D. Too many flutes,
of course, but I’m consumed by these things;
I play them all.
And yourself? I hope you have something nice
to play.
Wow, you really have been stockpiling dude! But don’t hold back, what other flutes, in other keys ya got going on? You got a little F flute and some Bb action going on?
As for me, I just rescued a neglected and abused Boxwood 4 Key Murray - it took some work to get it playing again, but it’s a nice flute, although a little to fragile to be carted around to sessions, particularly on foot during winter here in Boston, so I still need to get a something a bit more durable as a daily driver. Of course I’d really love to get a decent Bb flute and an F as well, but I think those are not in the budget in the forseeable future.
As an aside to Jim and Loren’s flute memoirs, I’ll vouche for the quality of my rosewood sweetheart 4 key flute. Well in tune, as loud as my Seery, and able to tune sharp or flat with the tennon. I play mine at session, for classical at home, and right now it’s specializing in Christmas carols since some force greater than me is keeping me from my Session this month (flu, snow, not sure what’s next ). I think Ralph’s rosewood flutes are a serious step above his fruit wood flutes…even Chris Wilkes blessed a Sweet rosewood flute that Andrew (still missed) sold as a charity sale stating it was a very good flute.
I’m not affiliated with Jim, but this is a great price for this flute.
I have a Bb Casey Burns flute (very nice and his
ergonomics help); a C boxwood CB flute (which
is something else; very nice);
a C Sweetheart flute.
I have a G rosewood Sweetheart, which is a lovely
flute (useful on the street), a Bleazey boxwood
G which is lovely, too, and a Tipple G. I like
G flutes, as you probably notice.
I have a Tipple high A, too. Doug’s flutes are
a lot of fun. I also have one of his Eb flutes (lower).
Also a Seery D delrin, which is a solidly
good Pratten with a heart of its own.
Also helpful on the street..
My wife looks at these and sighs, but you know,
once you have em, how can you say goodbye
to them? Each is so beautiful in its own
special way… All the best, Jim
Jeez Jim you said a mouthfull there. I am trying to make up my mind as to whitch flutes I will be saying good by to here in the next couple of days and it is driving me crazy. I have decided to get down to just what will fit in my one humidor as my life is getting even more scattered then it usualy is. Very difficult to decide. Good luck selling your Sweet. I love rosewood. I am not getting rid of any of my rosewood flutes.
Yes, I find that whenever I sell an instrument, for the
next few months I wake in the night screaming.
You would think my wife would prefer that I keep
them; sound sleeper, I guess.
I’ll second Jayhawk viz Ralph Sweet’s rosewood vs. fruitwood flutes. I came back to the flute after a 30 year hiatus with one of Doug Tipple’s one piece PVC flutes - a good, solid, in-tune and honest flute. Thank you Doug. My husband and I were at Song of the Sea in Maine and I had an opportunity to try several of Ralph’s. I tried three or four of his fruitwood flutes, and while they were nice they didn’t tempt me to spend 10X the price of my Tipple for a a wooden flute, especially as I didn’t like the intonation of the C#/Cnat. Then the sales girl mentioned that she had one of Ralph’s new rosewood models. I asked to see it, played it and couldn’t get my credit card out fast enough. There was a quantum difference betweend the rosewood and the fruitwood flutes, and both my teachers (Liam Hart and Linda Hickman) has been quite complementary of my Sweet – in fact, when my embouchure is “on” (not all the time yet, alas) it sounds quite good when played with Linda’s Olwell. All this with no disrespect to Doug – in fact, I have since bought two more of his flutes, an tuneable D and a G, which is a real sweetie.
Yes, rosewood is lovely flutewood. I’ve been told by
a maker that, while the player can hear the difference between
rosewood and blackwood ‘under one’s ear,’ a listener
can’t. Don’t know if it’s true, but perhaps it is.
However I wonder if you are talking about Sweet’s new
‘Resonance’ flutes. The rosewood flutes aren’t new.
But don’t hold back, what other flutes, in other keys ya got going on? You got a little F flute and some Bb action going on?
). I think Ralph’s rosewood flutes are a serious step above his fruit wood flutes…even Chris Wilkes blessed a Sweet rosewood flute that Andrew (still missed) sold as a charity sale stating it was a very good flute.
