Question - M and E Ebonite Flutes

[sablemist]

Does anyone have an M and E Ebonite flute with the threads on the joints, and not the cork joints? I am trying to determine if a particular flute is Ebonite or Polymer, and I used to think that all the Ebonite ones had cork joints. Is there any other good way to know for sure?

Thanks in advance!

Holly

[tucson_whistler]

my ebonite is cork...

email them and ask: mecronnolly@gmail.com

cheers,
eric

[Elvellon]

My ebonite has no cork or thread, just bare joints (fine for non-wood). Our session guys told me if it smells like rubber, it's definitely ebonite.

[sablemist]

That's interesting about the smell - when I first got it (about 8 months ago), it did have a pretty strong smell. I guess that was the rubber? Like, would a new Polymer one "not" have a smell?

[Denny]

yes, delrin does not have that smell

[tucson_whistler]

My ebonite has no cork or thread, just bare joints (fine for non-wood). Our session guys told me if it smells like rubber, it's definitely ebonite.

is it a D flute? i have an Eb too; and the Eb is just the joint.

[greenspiderweb]

According to Doc Jones at the Irishflutestore, this is an easy and quick way to tell the difference between a poly M&E and an Ebonite M&E:

Ebonite is shinier and has corked tenons. Poly has bare tenons and a matt finish.

Patrick

Apparently, there has been some use of thread by Michael Cronnolly for the tenon joints on the Ebonite also (maybe he ran out of cork?!) as reported in an email to someone who bought one from him last year.

And possibly, as Roman suggests, just plain tenons could have been done too-unless of course, Roman's is the polymer flute and not Ebonite? Though I'm inclined to think if it smells like rubber, and has a smooth and not satin finish, then it's probably Ebonite also.

I just got to play one of these, and I have to say, it is a very nice flute overall-good tone and tuning, easy to produce a satisfying and solid tone, easy stretch-just a little heavy, and not a slim flute (@ the upper hand position). If you have no hand problems, it should be a fine flute to enjoy playing without the wood care concerns. Better tone than the poly M&E or other Delrin? Not so sure about that, as tone is pretty player dependent, but it is very easy to like. Though others have said it has a little more complex tone than the poly, and that may be. It is one of the few flutes with a fully lined head, as keeping with the traditional 19th century practice. Can't argue with that-it has it's own tone, and I like it.

Oh, and I kind of forgot-it's got Bling with those wide rings! What else could you ask for in a non-wooden flute?!

[psychodonald]

My M&E Ebonite has, as Doc suggested, a very high shine and has cork fittings. It is very heavy and would be an excellent weapon in a pub brawl as I'm certain that you would'nt damage it. When new, it did smell like rubber, that's because that is what it is. Now, the rubber smell is faint. One caution, if you should ever drop your flute, God forbid, and it is dropped on a hard surface, it may chip or shatter. My understanding is that it isn't as forgiving as Delrin if dropped on a hard (like concrete) surface. I have an 8 key M&E Ebonite and I love it; however, my favorite is still the Folk Flute by Casey Burns (boxwood), it sings. Merry Christmas to all, Don.

[sablemist]

Thanks for all the informative replies, everyone. I really appreciate all your input. I think the flute in question is probably an Ebonite.

[Stuporman]

The ebonite M&E flutes don't need much in the way of tweaking; they're very good players. The cork joints are of the chipped and pieced together type, and do get compacted and loose fairly quickly. Replacing the tenon corks doesn't take long and is worth it. The keys come to M&E from Asia already padded and the pads work well, but aren't glued very well. They can be put back on with a hot glue gun or melted shellac. If you lose a pad, the white roo pads(look up roo pads) match very well aesthetically and work as well as the originals. The C and C# trouble is probably caused by the loose joints, as the all the keys work. While ebonite is shiny and looks slippery, it is easy to grip wet or dry.

[Stuporman]

I apologize for the last post. It wasn't meant as a hijack. I responded to the wrong thread.

[Elvellon]

For those that asked, mine is a D flute and shiny.

[Jayhawk]

I've had my ebonite flute for well over a year now. I agree the smell test is the best test to determine if a flute is ebonite. My old 6 key polymer flute was shinny, too, but in a slightly different way.

Since I've had my flute so long, it no longer smells rubbery at all...just smells like mint cork grease. Does that mean it's no longer ebonite?

Eric

[Doc Jones]

I've never seen an M&E with thread. I wonder if somebody removed the cork and replaced it.

I'd ask Michael.

Doc

[greenspiderweb]

I've never seen an M&E with thread. I wonder if somebody removed the cork and replaced it.

I'd ask Michael.

Doc

Sablemist (Holly) got her new Ebonite flute directly from Michael Cronnolly last year with the threaded joints. When she asked him about it (because she was expecting cork), he said he uses both on the Ebonite flutes.

Could be he uses thread when he runs out of cork, or cork glue! Or maybe on special customer request? He didn't say why or when though. Either way, it plays great, I'm sure. I like thread myself, because you can add or take away with ease, unlike corked joints. Not much variation in the dimensions of Ebonite, Delrin or polymer joints because of humidity or moisture like on a wooden flute, though both cork and thread can get compressed over time on any flute. Then, thread is the easiest to adjust both ways-plus or minus, so it just makes more sense.