Casey Burns Folk Flute??

Henke · Post by **Henke** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 12:31 pm

What's wrong with a good workout wormdiet?

Seriously, I have an M&E with 5 kind of heavy silver keys on it, and I'd say that anyone who find a keyless M&E difficult to play for extended periods shouldn't get a lighter flute becasue they need the workout!

Wormdiet · Post by **Wormdiet** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 1:37 pm

Henke wrote:What's wrong with a good workout wormdiet?
Seriously, I have an M&E with 5 kind of heavy silver keys on it, and I'd say that anyone who find a keyless M&E difficult to play for extended periods shouldn't get a lighter flute becasue they need the workout!

Workouts causing several days of not playing due to pronounced pain in the wrists? I think not.

As I sent to the original poster in a PM, I put down my Murray last night and picked up my M & E for a set in a bar. The increase in strain and tension was immediate, obvious, and not something trivial.

But as in all things YMMV.

Henke · Post by **Henke** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 2:17 pm

No offence, but I think you might want to work on that, the way you hold your flute while playing and maybe condition the muscles in your hands and wrists that is.
The only conclusion I can draw from the fact that your wrists hurt when your playing an M&E is that you have a bad playing posture. Holding a lighter flute might conseal that problem, but I think you might start getting problems after a while with that flute as well if you don't do something about it.
The M&E is a heavy flute, but not that heavy. I don't think anyone should have a problem holding one with the proper technique unless they suffer from some condition that severely effects the joints. I can even think of a few players who do suffer from some condition and are still able to play fully keyed M&E flutes.

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 3:25 pm

Much of it can have to do with hand size, for many people, myself included: The smaller your hands and shorter your fingers, the more you have to bend your left wrist in order to cover the holes, when using the Rockstro Grip.

One of the things that struck me about the recent youtube Molloy post was that Matt's left wrist is nearly straight - the luckly bloke has long enough fingers to get away with that.

Loren

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 3:26 pm

I had an M&E once. The holes were fuzzy (not properly finished) and the tone was uninspired. The main body section was not tapered, making the flute, with its very thick walls, look totally clunky. I also hated the badly-glued nickel or nickel-plated rings. I liked the Dixon polymer better than the M&E.

The Burns Folk flute is, in my not-humble opinion, so, so much better. To each his own.

Bart Wijnen · Post by **Bart Wijnen** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 3:41 pm

Henke wrote: The M&E is a heavy flute, but not that heavy. I don't think anyone should have a problem holding one with the proper technique unless they suffer from some condition that severely effects the joints. I can even think of a few players who do suffer from some condition and are still able to play fully keyed M&E flutes.

Well, I think that every M&E is less heavy than a Boehm model. And every child from 9 years of age can play that tube.

Bart

Bart Wijnen · Post by **Bart Wijnen** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 3:47 pm

JessieK wrote:I had an M&E once. The holes were fuzzy (not properly finished) and the tone was uninspired.

True, my holes (or actually, those of my M&E) are not properly finished as well, the tone of the flute is good enough, but my point of view is that it's the flautist's embouchure that will make the tone.

Bart

RonKiley · Post by **RonKiley** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 3:53 pm

I just began to play flute after thinking about it for a long time. I tried several flutes with varying success. I bought a CB Folk Flute and just love it. It is easier to play than any I have tried. I agree with Jessie.

Ron

Kame · Post by **Kame** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 4:12 pm

I'm 6 feet 7 inches tall and have huge hands. I've been playing classical and jazz piano for 17 years, and my hands can easily reacha 13th on the piano (that's the distance of an octave and a fifth) I really don't think the size of the M and E will matter. You have to go with something, right? I just have a good feeling about it. I'm sure I could return it if it's no good.

Thanks again for all the insite, and please keep it coming!

Lee Stanford

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 4:25 pm

In case you're interested, there is a very good, medium-range Casey Burns flute for sale right now on eBay.

This is not the folk flute being discussed, but the higher priced "ergonomic standard". They sell new for $500, (as opposed to $300 for the folk flute). I've not played one, but have heard great things.

I did bid on this item, but don't intend to bid high enough to win it, unless the whole world happens to be asleep at the wheel!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... &rd=1&rd=1

Unseen122 · Post by **Unseen122** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 5:36 pm

Seriously, Casey's Flutes are top-notch. The wait is around 6 months currently and if you can get that standard right now it is probably worth what you can afford. This is like the Folk Flute only it has the endcap, better wood (no sap wood intrusions as is common on the FFs), a foot joint, and the ability to upgrade it.

Tweeto · Post by **Tweeto** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 6:24 pm

JessieK wrote:I had an M&E once. The holes were fuzzy (not properly finished) and the tone was uninspired. The main body section was not tapered, making the flute, with its very thick walls, look totally clunky. I also hated the badly-glued nickel or nickel-plated rings. I liked the Dixon polymer better than the M&E.

Was that the original M&E model, or the current (Rudall-style) one?

Jayhawk · Post by **Jayhawk** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 7:26 pm

I have the R&R model, and the tone holes are not fuzzy...they're obviously hand finished, and the material is more difficult to smoothly finish than wood (by a long shot). My Seery was about the same.

I love mine. I've not played a Burns' FF, but I've played quite a few top notch flutes and my M&E sounds no worse or better than them (i.e. - I sound like myself on any flute I play).

Eric

Wormdiet · Post by **Wormdiet** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 8:58 pm

Henke wrote:No offence, but I think you might want to work on that, the way you hold your flute while playing and maybe condition the muscles in your hands and wrists that is.
The only conclusion I can draw from the fact that your wrists hurt when your playing an M&E is that you have a bad playing posture. Holding a lighter flute might conseal that problem, but I think you might start getting problems after a while with that flute as well if you don't do something about it.
The M&E is a heavy flute, but not that heavy. I don't think anyone should have a problem holding one with the proper technique unless they suffer from some condition that severely effects the joints. I can even think of a few players who do suffer from some condition and are still able to play fully keyed M&E flutes.

I suppose it's possible that I have poor playing posture, but I doubt it, after examining a lot of different holds and grips and so forth. I use the basic "rockstro" grip on the upper hand, and AFAIK it's completely a bog-standard posture and hold.

FWIW I have never been able to go bowling for similar reasons-it causes intense soreness in my wrist. So it might be an issue of my personal physiology.

Believe me, I have thought a *lot* about proper posture and considered a lot of options, etc. I would not have posted this if I didn;t think it was a serious consideration - otherwise I would say to go for it, because in all other respects I like the M & E a lot.

I also don;t want my original point to get distorted - the gist of it is that - all else being equal - the M & E is not as comfortable a flute to play as a wooden flute. At the end of the day I believe that it's a valid consideration. But it is perfectly usable flute.

dow · Post by **dow** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 9:12 pm

Hmm... Looks like it's a FF vs. M&E discussion. Personally, I'd try for that Burns ergonomic if I were you. If you can get it for a good price, you can have a great flute NOW versus having to wait weeks or months for either the M&E or the FF.

Of course, if I DID bid on the ebay Burns, my wife would kill me, and then you could probably bid on a McGee (after the funeral

)