being inspired by the purchase etiquette thread, I wonder about the reasons of people to switch their ‘main’ flutes (in case they have a ‘main’ flute of course), i.e. buy new and sell old ones.
I played a kind-of selfmade plumwood flute until I decided to order a new one, mainly because I wanted a louder, session-capable instrument (and keys). After incidentally meeting Maurice Reviol and trying some of his flutes, I decided to get one from him since I was truly delighted about them. After receiving it half a year later I don’t think that I’ll ever need another one (in D ). But I guess that most people have thoughts like this and order a new one and sell the old anyhow, maybe even decades later. Maybe others don’t.
I am not a musician, seeking to express himself in music. Hence I do not see a flute as a tool.
I am a flute nut, seeking to explore and understand the world of wooden flutes. I’m not after the “Best” flute, nor am I looking for a panacea flute, I seek enlightenment!
I don’t ever think of it as owning a flute. I am simply a steward caring and tending to them till they bring joy to another. Though I confess to freely buying, selling and trading them. I’ve now had the privilege of getting to know over 60 different wooden flutes.
Does my obsession with wooden flutes stand in stark contrast to your own?
I tried a few flutes initially till I found one I clicked with. Then once I felt I had the chops to give a few flutes their due, I wanted to try several by a variety of makers so that I could get the best flute for me. Over the last couple of years I’ve procured a few flutes, but these are different. I’ve gotten flutes in multiple keys, and I’ve gotten some traversos and another one-key Irish flute. I have one more flute on order, a Rottenburgh with two midsections from Peter Noy. I’ll likely offer on a Cameron (heck, I offered on one yesterday), either a Grenser or Rottenburgh model. And as I just recalled in another post, my wife is on the list for a fully keyed slideless Olwell.
Well, interesting thread. I kind of side with Sillydill, as far as being steward to the flutes. For me it is kind of like a huge orphan house, with some rich kids and some poor. There are several flutes that I could say, “this is the one for me”. Of course I could always make one for myself, but somehow they always get sold.
My favorite flute at the moment is my Blackman and Fentums, but the other 20 are nice also…
Interesting the analogy of it being a alterative to polygamy, my great great grandfather Heber C. Kimbal had 46 wives and 64 kids, so I guess I need to get a few more flutes to match him!
I don’t have multiple flutes – yet. I will likely get another flute in the future to replace the one I have on order if I grow my skills or my needs beyond its capabilities. This first flute is a gift to myself to start a new skill and find something fun to do. The second one will be a gift to myself for my progress.
Soooooo… To Spoonerise inanely, with all this talk of fish, should we rename this site Fish and Chipple? (British joke???) Mind you, I dread to think what chippling a flute might entail! (Yes, that was deliberate…almost…) Tippling (saving Doug’s presence) OK; chippling… sounds a bit Kronospan! (Of MDF infamy.) Drastic!
I don’t think of myself as a caretaker of flutes, or a flute-sitter, but rather, I’m on a quest to find what different flutes have to offer, and how they play, and for a tone that I love to hear.
Some fluters are focused on tunes and the music, others are focused on tone and playability, and some are blessed to be able to combine the two and be happy with what they find, and are glad just to be making music!
I think we all have our own roads to travel, to find a flute that inspires us to play and practice, and one that plays the best in our own hands. As Cocus said recently, we’re all on the same path, it’s just that we’re on different points along the way.
If you’ve found “your flute” early along the way, then you probably are either lucky, or more music driven. But, any way you look at it, our flute quests are an individual thing that we all have to tailor to our own needs and desires.
Hey, I’m down to three beautiful flutes now, and I’m pretty darned happy too!
If you’re having having fun and stay inspired, then that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?
Well as you know Jordan, I am a one flute kinda guy
It’s funny, I remember years ago a long and intense thread on whether or not to stick to one flute. I couldn’t do it then and I sure can’t do it now. My flutes all have a little something different to say and I have the pleasure of being the sole recipient of their offerings. I have traded flutes and sold them and for a while tried to justify it to myself by telling myself that I was in surch of the ONE. All bull. I love the darn things. I will never be a flute player realy but I do love the noise I get out of them. And to my mind, when I am, say playing my darn nere 200 year old Pelubett, or my darn nere 150 year old BS I can’t help but think about who else played these beauties and what beautiful sounds they must have gotten out of them. Jon C. worked his magic on both of them and no I would’nt part with them. I still dig out my first wooden flute, my rose wood Dixon, and I still love it. And my bamboo Williams and my Pratten impover picalo and my dang whistles to. Who’s obsessed
Sometimes I wish I could be a dedicated musition(?) but hell I’m too old to be dedicated to much other then breathing and getting up in the morning. But hey I sure do love hearing all you play so much good music.
i have two flutes. an antique english and a silver flute (with a dave copley headjoint).
i’m pretty happy with them, but i still cant loose the feeling that i might be just a little happier with a keyless flute floating around that i could stick in a backpack… and maybe a keyed olwell for when i’m feelilng lazy and an antique rudall when i’m feeling snobby and possibly an Eb copley when i feel like driving a race car and maybe a delrin flute if i ever decide to take up deep sea fishing or something equally rugged and manly.
EDIT:
i just added a profile pic, with a picture of me and my amazing copley headjoint.
As everyone knows, the sound of box type instruments (guitar, fiddle, mando, etc.), improves the more they are played. Is this true of wooden flutes as well? (How about silver?)
.
If someone has a dozen flutes and never gets around to playing them all, does it eventually detract from the resonant qualities of the neglected?
Now this flute would be a good addition to any collection, both serviceful and handy… I like the bamboo look, with the boxwood nodes!
The problem is they want $5K for it…
150134214926
). But I guess that most people have thoughts like this and order a new one and sell the old anyhow, maybe even decades later. Maybe others don’t.
I’ve now had the privilege of getting to know over 60 different wooden flutes.
