OT (kinda): Is it possible to buy a decent cheapo fife?

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 12:12 am

My hubby's been having fun playing around with a souvenir fife I picked up in Williamsburg years ago. He's actually getting to where he can play a couple of tunes on it, despite the fact that, as you might expect, it's totally out of tune with itself, and probably much harder to blow than it needs to be (you know these souvenir instruments...they're more toys than anything else). Do any of the relatively inexpensive whistle makers out there make playable fifes? I think he might really enjoy playing one, but I can't afford to shell out much more than I would pay for a solid, midrange whistle.

Redwolf

rbm · Post by **rbm** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 1:41 am

yamaha make a cheap fife that plays ok, but looks truely terrible in yellowy cream plastic - errm nice.

Richard.

Zubivka · Post by **Zubivka** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 3:29 am

I think Alba may have something for you.
info@albawhistles.com

skh · Post by **skh** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 4:14 am

rbm wrote:yamaha make a cheap fife that plays ok, but looks truely terrible in yellowy cream plastic - errm nice.

That's not a fife, that's a torture instrument, it does _not_ play ok (at least mine doesn't), and it has 8-hole recorder-like fingering, probably not what you want. I wouldn't even give them away as a toy.

What about http://www.beafifer.com/eleven.htm? Any fifers with an opinion present?

Sonja

Tak_the_whistler · Post by **Tak_the_whistler** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 5:18 am

I thought of beginning a fife as well, and I asked the same question in the Flute seit and got the recommendations for

"Cooperman"

Sells the student model for 30, I think...

One in the SongSea costs only $16! Is it...um...safe!?

The picture there *looks* playable to me, though.

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 5:36 am

www.beafifer.com.

According to madfifer9 the seven dollar or so Cooperman plastic fife is a very good fife and highly recommended for beginners. I haven't gotten one yet but am also considering.

rbm · Post by **rbm** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 5:47 am

skh wrote:
That's not a fife, that's a torture instrument, it does _not_ play ok (at least mine doesn't), and it has 8-hole recorder-like fingering, probably not what you want. I wouldn't even give them away as a toy.

Sonja

errm

mines only got 7 holes (six front one back!) but also it did come via Russia so may be it's a fake

Richard.

skh · Post by **skh** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 5:58 am

rbm wrote:errm mines only got 7 holes (six front one back!) but also it did come via Russia so may be it's a fake.

Well, if the fake plays better than the real thing, enjoy

Sonja

madfifer9 · Post by **madfifer9** » Fri Sep 12, 2003 11:35 pm

Thanks, G4M.... yup, the plastic Cooperman is a Fifer Best Buy for about nine bucks. It is relatively in tune with itself and can even play in tune with other more expensive fifes. It is also virtually indestructible. It looks like a piece of plumbing, but hey, if we can have good plumbing flutes and whistles, why not fifes too?

I started with a plastic Cooperman til I *knew* I wanted to commit to fifing and reenacting. Then I bought a $90 Model F (beafifer.com), which I adore. Cooperman also makes nice moderately priced wooden fifes at, I think, around $60.

The Yamaha plastic fife is a mutant. I have no idea what they based it on. It's in the key of C, the fingerings are weird, and it doesn't play well with others. ANY others.

My attendance has been sporadic for a while, I'm in the process of moving to a new abode. If anyone specifically wants to get in touch with me, please PM. Thanks!!

madfifer9

Blackbeer · Post by **Blackbeer** » Sat Sep 13, 2003 10:55 am

Didoe on the beafifer plastic fife. Mine was 7 or 8 bucks. I have had a Cooperman for a long time and couldn`t get a thing out of it. Ordered the plastic one and first try was playing whistle tunes. Now I can even play the cooperman. There are even fife lessons on that site and I think it is a must visit for anyone wanting to play the fife. Just as an aside I also have a Bb bamboo flute from Sunreed that is just a blast to play and smells good to boot.

Tom

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Sat Sep 13, 2003 11:12 am

I ran across the Yamaha one at, I think, Lark in the Morning, and they actually state in the ad that it is really a "transverse-blown recorder." Kinda makes me wonder why anyone would WANT a transverse-blown recorder, when fippled ones are readily available and much easier to learn to play, but to each his own, I guess.

The only problem with the one at beafifer.com is they don't appear to take credit cards (my husband the programmer prefers not to use Pay Pal for various security reasons). I wonder if the same instrument is available elsewhere, or is it a proprietary thing? Or perhaps someone here has one they'd like to sell?

I don't know what brand the one we have is. We got it in a gift shop in Williamsburg, which should tell me something right there

, but the packaging has long since been lost. It's black plastic with what appears to be brass on the ends, and it is possible to get a sound out of it, but it's very out of tune with itself in the second octave, and it takes tons of blow, even when you have the emboucher just right. The block inside also slides around quite a bit...you always have to fiddle with it before you try to play it.

Has anyone tried one of those maple Cooperman fifes? That price looks a little too good to be true, but maybe....

Redwolf

DCrom · Post by **DCrom** » Sat Sep 13, 2003 1:33 pm

Redwolf wrote:I ran across the Yamaha one at, I think, Lark in the Morning, and they actually state in the ad that it is really a "transverse-blown recorder." Kinda makes me wonder why anyone would WANT a transverse-blown recorder, when fippled ones are readily available and much easier to learn to play, but to each his own, I guess.

I have one of these, and that's a pretty fair description. Hard to get a good note on, and recorder fingerings - it put me off flute or fife for *years* because it's such a bear.

Redwolf wrote: The only problem with the one at beafifer.com is they don't appear to take credit cards (my husband the programmer prefers not to use Pay Pal for various security reasons). I wonder if the same instrument is available elsewhere, or is it a proprietary thing? Or perhaps someone here has one they'd like to sell?

Are you sure? I bought one of these online with a credit card - I think from "beafifer.com", though possibly from Cooperman itself.

Redwolf wrote: I don't know what brand the one we have is. We got it in a gift shop in Williamsburg, which should tell me something right there , but the packaging has long since been lost. It's black plastic with what appears to be brass on the ends, and it is possible to get a sound out of it, but it's very out of tune with itself in the second octave, and it takes tons of blow, even when you have the emboucher just right. The block inside also slides around quite a bit...you always have to fiddle with it before you try to play it.

Has anyone tried one of those maple Cooperman fifes? That price looks a little too good to be true, but maybe....

Redwolf

The plastic Cooperman looks much like that, but in mine the block doesn't move, and it's pretty well in tune.

I'll admit that I cheat - about half the time I play it like a little Irish flute (1st/2nd octave, not 2nd/3rd) - though the 1st octave isn't quite perfect, it still sounds pretty good (and doesn't kill my ears. )

WARNING: if you plan to play the fife indoors, earplugs are a necessity, even more so than 3rd octave on a Susato! Really.

But plumbing or not, I like my plastic Cooperman - fairly easy to play, and sounds surprisingly nice. And I can leave it under the seat of my car without worrying (and it would probably come in handy in a barrom brawl - wait, that's a different thread

)

Thomas-Hastay · Post by **Thomas-Hastay** » Sat Sep 13, 2003 3:15 pm

I love my Ralf Sweet fruitwood fife in "D" These are good quality,inexpensive keyless fifes. If you want perfection, then I suggest a simple system wooden piccolo.

Ralf Sweet Homepage
http://www.sweetheartflute.com/index.html

syn whistles · Post by **syn whistles** » Sun Sep 14, 2003 3:30 am

I actually began my musical career in a fife and drum band in primary school, and my first musical instrument making was copying the fife I used back then. look where that has led me!
I would really recommend making fifes as an introductionary exercise to instrument making because it is so easy! Pipe or tubing is easy to get hold of and all you have to do is drill seven holes in more or less the right spots. Those calculations are easy too, why not give it a try, playing an instrument you have made yourself adds a whole new dimension to musical enjoyment.
By the way, I have never really been satisfactorily appraised of what a fife actually is, where it fits in the flute/ fife/piccolo continuum. Does anybody have a proper definition?

trisha · Post by **trisha** » Sun Sep 14, 2003 5:56 am

skh wrote:
rbm wrote:yamaha make a cheap fife that plays ok, but looks truely terrible in yellowy cream plastic - errm nice.
That's not a fife, that's a torture instrument, it does _not_ play ok (at least mine doesn't), and it has 8-hole recorder-like fingering, probably not what you want. I wouldn't even give them away as a toy.

What about http://www.beafifer.com/eleven.htm? Any fifers with an opinion present?

Sonja

You're right, my 13yo daughter has a dark brown one which is virtually unblowable.

Trisha

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OT (kinda): Is it possible to buy a decent cheapo fife?

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