Hey. Feel free to help

[Henke]

The choice is yours, if you want to play a plastic flute, fine go ahead, on the other hand if you eventually decide to come on board with the great wood-flute players, you are welcome to the sweet sound of the wood flute.
What i am attempting to convey here is that there is no close comparison in the tone of plastic or wood flutes.

What have you been playing? Sounds to me like you're confusing Susato whistles with nice polymer flutes

[Cork]

...anyhow, wood sounds better than delrin, all other things being equal.

Well, I'd say that Delrin sounds different than wood, but not worse, frankly.

Oh, boy, here we go...
How 'bout it feels different than wood, and that might make a difference in whether you like one over the other?

I agree that wood does feel different than polymer/Delrin, and it's largely due to that difference that I prefer wood flutes, but that's not to say Delrin flutes perform as anything less than wood flutes, please.

There are positives and negatives to each, but in terms of performance, it's a tough call. It really does come down to just who made the flute, much more than whatever material the flute could be made of.

On the bright side, however, I'd say to be happy with whichever you get. Besides, if you stick with it for awhile, eventually you'll have a collection including some of each, as many of this C&F board already have.

;-)

[jim stone]

21 Jun 2004 15:41 Post subject: Plastic -- NOT WOOD Reply with quote
NO plastic flute is as good as a good wood flute. There is not a single top level player who plays a plastic flute. Adjectives like "terrific" "reedy" and "wonderful" are never used by top players to describe plastic flutes.
The main reason to get a plastic flute is to save the $200 or $300 that a much better wood flute would cost. You might argue that you're saving a tree by buying plastic or that the delrin is less pervious to changes that might adversly affect a wooden flute. But accomplished players do not choose plastic flutes based on the way they play.

From David Levine, who lives and teaches flute in Ireland.

[Doc Jones]

What i am attempting to convey here is that there is no close comparison in the tone of plastic or wood flutes.

Hi Glinjack,

That's a fairly broad statement.
In the interest of full disclosure may we ask what delrin flutes you've played?

Did you have an exact duplicate (style, maker, embouchure cut etc) in wood for side by side comparison?

For the record:

I've played flutes by the following makers in true apples to apples side-by-side comparisons all other elements being equal.

Jon Cornia
Terry McGee (GLP, Rudall Refined, Rudall perfected, Pratten)
Desi Seery
Dave Copley
Hammy Hamilton
M&E
Paddy Ward
Tony Dixon

I agree that there are nuances to wood that are absent in delrin. The differences are subtle to the player and virtually non-existent to the audience in my experience.

Delrin flutes that play poorly do so because they are made poorly. Try the wooden flutes of same make and you'll likely be similarly underwhelmed. Makers that make a great wooden flute also make a great plastic flute.

My own flute is wooden mostly because I like the way it buzzes under my fingers when I play. Delrin "feels" a bit dead to me but sounds great.

Incidently, whenever I've said "wood" in this thread I mean blackwood.

Boxwood is an entirely different story in my opinion...no comparison to delrin or balckwood. But that's an entirely new can of worms.

Doc

[Cork]

21 Jun 2004 15:41 Post subject: Plastic -- NOT WOOD Reply with quote
NO plastic flute is as good as a good wood flute. There is not a single top level player who plays a plastic flute. Adjectives like "terrific" "reedy" and "wonderful" are never used by top players to describe plastic flutes.
The main reason to get a plastic flute is to save the $200 or $300 that a much better wood flute would cost. You might argue that you're saving a tree by buying plastic or that the delrin is less pervious to changes that might adversly affect a wooden flute. But accomplished players do not choose plastic flutes based on the way they play.

From David Levine, who lives and teaches flute in Ireland.

First, I'm not here to promote or sell Delrin, and I've already stated my preference for wood, along with due respect to Delrin as a flute material. Yeah, I like Delrin, too.

However, Jim, I'd like you to consider something relative to your quote, as above, please. For instance, professional and other "top" level players have their audiences, and in general there is an unspoken assumption that these audiences also have their expectations. Now, as I have known a number of music professionals, would you be willing to believe that the music heard on their recordings might not always be made with the particular instrument these players are photographed with on their album covers?

Basically, unless one is a Rock 'n Roll star, the vast majority of professional musicians are aware of their audience's expectations, and rarely go out of their way to disappoint them.

That's show biz.

[glinjack]

Hi Doc,
i am not saying that Delrin flutes are no good, ive played a Seery delrin flute and i was amazed at the great tone and response which comes imediately, and does'nt change any, even after playing for a couple of hours.
on the other hand, a good wooden flute will get even better after playing for some time. I guess its a persons choice of what they prefer to play.

[Jon C.]

Hi Doc,
i am not saying that Delrin flutes are no good, ive played a Seery delrin flute and i was amazed at the great tone and response which comes imediately, and does'nt change any, even after playing for a couple of hours.
on the other hand, a good wooden flute will get even better after playing for some time. I guess its a persons choice of what they prefer to play.

They do burn pretty well, if you get cold in the winter...

[glinjack]

Too much fumes from the Delrin.

[chas]

Another difference between wood and Delrin is the weight. I've had Delrin flutes by Seery and M&E, both of which I liked, but both were really heavy and the M&E was especially unbalanced.

Of course, I generally play boxwood flutes with unlined heads; they're somewhat lighter than blackwood.

Boxwood burns very well; I've burned a few scraps that were left over after cutting logs into turning squares.

[Jon C.]

Another difference between wood and Delrin is the weight. I've had Delrin flutes by Seery and M&E, both of which I liked, but both were really heavy and the M&E was especially unbalanced.

Of course, I generally play boxwood flutes with unlined heads; they're somewhat lighter than blackwood.

Boxwood burns very well; I've burned a few scraps that were left over after cutting logs into turning squares.

The weight of Delrin and Blackwood are the same. M&E are made of PVC and quite thick, so they would be a little heavier. With flutes, the balance is more important then the weight, you get more fatigued if the flute is head heavy.