Well...its official. Today I made the leap into the flute world! I drove an hour down to Skip Healy's shop in RI and purchased an off set 3 piece flute! Having the holes off set has made all the difference! No hand cramps! In fact, I played for 3 hours straight!!
All I can say is, if you're even thinking about buying one of his flutes - do it! Aside from the ease of playing, the tone is incredible and the air requirements seem much less than on other flutes & fifes! It was a great day there, with the "Wind on the Bay" symposium going on! Lots of talented musicians!
Peach
I did it!
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Loren
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Loren
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Yes, my Healy is gone, wish I still had it but.....
It was the very first wooden flute I bought, and was, quite frankly, too much flute for me at the time: As a beginner I simply couldn't lip it consistently. I bought the flute used, and didn't want to bother Skip about modifying the embouchure to suit me better (I probably should have though), so I gave up the Healy in order to pay for my Copley. And then I gave up the Copley to pay for my current flute, a Cocus Olwell. The Olwell is just what I need at the moment, and I love it dearly, unfortunately it turns out I'm allergic to Cocus, so playing my flute causes my lips to blister and crack horribly
So, now I'm trying to figure out how to deal with that problem, but that's been covered here before, so I'll quit my whining about it.
Oddly enough, I had no allergy problems with the Cooktown Ironwood Healy, but the first person I sold it to had to return it because she was allergic to that particular wood, which I hadn't heard of before. Crazy, isn't it?
Anyway, now that my embouchure has improved a bit, I wish I still had the Healy, not that I'd give up my Olwell mind you. I've gotta say, I've not seen a better made flute that those made by Skip, his roots with Chris Abell clearly show in the workmanship department.
Loren
It was the very first wooden flute I bought, and was, quite frankly, too much flute for me at the time: As a beginner I simply couldn't lip it consistently. I bought the flute used, and didn't want to bother Skip about modifying the embouchure to suit me better (I probably should have though), so I gave up the Healy in order to pay for my Copley. And then I gave up the Copley to pay for my current flute, a Cocus Olwell. The Olwell is just what I need at the moment, and I love it dearly, unfortunately it turns out I'm allergic to Cocus, so playing my flute causes my lips to blister and crack horribly
So, now I'm trying to figure out how to deal with that problem, but that's been covered here before, so I'll quit my whining about it.Oddly enough, I had no allergy problems with the Cooktown Ironwood Healy, but the first person I sold it to had to return it because she was allergic to that particular wood, which I hadn't heard of before. Crazy, isn't it?
Anyway, now that my embouchure has improved a bit, I wish I still had the Healy, not that I'd give up my Olwell mind you. I've gotta say, I've not seen a better made flute that those made by Skip, his roots with Chris Abell clearly show in the workmanship department.
Loren
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gcollins
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Hard to say...all these posts are opinions. I can't say I love the feel or tone of Healy flutes compared to my previous Olwell...and like Loren, I sold it to pay (partly) for my Rudall.
But one thing is for SURE: Skip makes the most combat-ready flute in the world. The keyed flutes are tight and meant to be played HARD and run over by trucks. No loose fittings on a Healy flute! I played one of his Ironwood flutes ( a wood I love anyway), and I liked the tone and responsiveness much better than the blackwood Healy ones. But that was just one flute I played.
Comparing flutes, it is instructive to note: When Skip plays his own flute, it sounds as good as any of the best flutes around.
Having said that...my Olwell Bb is STILL on the way. Along with a Noy flute sometime later.
But one thing is for SURE: Skip makes the most combat-ready flute in the world. The keyed flutes are tight and meant to be played HARD and run over by trucks. No loose fittings on a Healy flute! I played one of his Ironwood flutes ( a wood I love anyway), and I liked the tone and responsiveness much better than the blackwood Healy ones. But that was just one flute I played.
Comparing flutes, it is instructive to note: When Skip plays his own flute, it sounds as good as any of the best flutes around.
Having said that...my Olwell Bb is STILL on the way. Along with a Noy flute sometime later.
Loren - sorry to hear about the allergy problem. Would coating the area around the mouthpiece in wax help? You know, act as protective barrier and not hurt the flute...?
Doc - I don't know about offset holes for the two piece, but I know Skip does custom work, so he may be willing to work with you. As for tone - I can't see where anything has been lost due to the offset holes; in fact, and this may be more psychological, I think the tone is better, beacuase I'm more comfortable and relaxed. I spent another 2 1/2 hours tonight and no pain! Plus the tone continues to deepen as the flute wears in!
Doc - I don't know about offset holes for the two piece, but I know Skip does custom work, so he may be willing to work with you. As for tone - I can't see where anything has been lost due to the offset holes; in fact, and this may be more psychological, I think the tone is better, beacuase I'm more comfortable and relaxed. I spent another 2 1/2 hours tonight and no pain! Plus the tone continues to deepen as the flute wears in!
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Loren
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- Tell us something.: You just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don't need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free - Location: Loren has left the building.
Nothing to infer really Stuart, I simply meant what I said - you won't find a better made flute in terms of workmanship or materials. I think Pat and Skip do equally good work, although the flutes they make are radically different - Pat's being very traditional, Skip's being fairly non-trad.On 2002-10-06 21:27, sturob wrote:
So Loren, what to infer?
Are Skip's flutes better made than Pat Olwell's, or are they on par?
Stuart
I think each flute will appeal to a different player, at least on different days of the week
Loren
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rhodeirish
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Greetings,
I’m just gathering my strength back after Wind On The Bay myself. As most of you know, I’m Skip’s Webmaster and PR person, so I can help answer some of the questions that have been posted. Fair warning, this is a relatively long message.
OFF-SET TONE HOLES
Doc Jones asked if Skip will put off-set tone holes on a two-piece flute. The answer is yes.
It was also asked if off-set tone holes affect the flute’s tone. The answer is no. When drilling off-set tone holes, Skip does a lot of channeling and detail work to ensure that the tone hole voices in the correct position on the inner flute wall, while appearing in a comfortable position on the exterior flute wall. There is a lot more to it than that, but you really need to ask Skip about the details.
It was also asked if Skip charges more for offset tone holes. The answer is (most likely) yes. He charges extra for all custom work, as can be expected. I don’t know how much he charges, but I don’t think it would be too costly compared to custom keywork.
ALLERGIES AND SUCH
On the subject of allergies, it’s different from person to person. I have heard of very few allergic reactions to grenadilla (though there have been cases). I have heard of a few cases of allergic reactions to Cooktown ironwood. The two woods that seem to generate the most allergic reactions is cocus and rosewood. And being allergic to one doesn’t seem to dictate that you’re allergic to any of the others.
When shopping for a flute, I strongly recommend asking the maker about his policy when it comes to allergic reactions. I have nothing to do with Skip’s pricing and return policies, so the following opinions should be confirmed via an actual correspondence with Skip.
I suspect that if you ordered a basic keyed or unkeyed flute and had a reaction, then he would swap the flute for another type of wood at little or no charge. Now, if you ordered a customized flute and had a reaction, I’m pretty sure you’d have to pay more for the replacement, seeing as the flute you’re returning would be harder to place with another client.
PREDATOR VS. ALIEN | JASON VS. FREDDIE | SKIP VS. PAT
...THE SAGA CONTINUES
As a Healy Company man, I guess I should tell everyone that Skip makes the absolute best flutes and all others are crap. But I’d rather be taken seriously...
Here’s my honest opinion. If you’re going to shop for flutes from the top makers, then your embouchure style, hand size / length, playing style (etc, etc) are going to be just as important as the brand name on the flute. You will also want to examine the maker’s reputation for customer service and communication. When you find a satisfying combination of all those factors, then you have found the right flute and maker for you.
As far as I’m concerned, blanket opinions (Skip is better than Pat, Pat is better than Skip, or Chris Wilkes is better than anyone) are relatively useless in light of the wide variety of considerations involved in buying a flute.
BUT AS A HEALY COMPANY MAN...
...I will point out that Skip’s waiting list for unkeyed flutes is two weeks to one month. His waiting list for keyed flutes is 1-3 months depending on how much custom work you want.
Take care,
John Harvey
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: rhodeirish on 2002-10-08 14:27 ]</font>
I’m just gathering my strength back after Wind On The Bay myself. As most of you know, I’m Skip’s Webmaster and PR person, so I can help answer some of the questions that have been posted. Fair warning, this is a relatively long message.
OFF-SET TONE HOLES
Doc Jones asked if Skip will put off-set tone holes on a two-piece flute. The answer is yes.
It was also asked if off-set tone holes affect the flute’s tone. The answer is no. When drilling off-set tone holes, Skip does a lot of channeling and detail work to ensure that the tone hole voices in the correct position on the inner flute wall, while appearing in a comfortable position on the exterior flute wall. There is a lot more to it than that, but you really need to ask Skip about the details.
It was also asked if Skip charges more for offset tone holes. The answer is (most likely) yes. He charges extra for all custom work, as can be expected. I don’t know how much he charges, but I don’t think it would be too costly compared to custom keywork.
ALLERGIES AND SUCH
On the subject of allergies, it’s different from person to person. I have heard of very few allergic reactions to grenadilla (though there have been cases). I have heard of a few cases of allergic reactions to Cooktown ironwood. The two woods that seem to generate the most allergic reactions is cocus and rosewood. And being allergic to one doesn’t seem to dictate that you’re allergic to any of the others.
When shopping for a flute, I strongly recommend asking the maker about his policy when it comes to allergic reactions. I have nothing to do with Skip’s pricing and return policies, so the following opinions should be confirmed via an actual correspondence with Skip.
I suspect that if you ordered a basic keyed or unkeyed flute and had a reaction, then he would swap the flute for another type of wood at little or no charge. Now, if you ordered a customized flute and had a reaction, I’m pretty sure you’d have to pay more for the replacement, seeing as the flute you’re returning would be harder to place with another client.
PREDATOR VS. ALIEN | JASON VS. FREDDIE | SKIP VS. PAT
...THE SAGA CONTINUES
As a Healy Company man, I guess I should tell everyone that Skip makes the absolute best flutes and all others are crap. But I’d rather be taken seriously...
Here’s my honest opinion. If you’re going to shop for flutes from the top makers, then your embouchure style, hand size / length, playing style (etc, etc) are going to be just as important as the brand name on the flute. You will also want to examine the maker’s reputation for customer service and communication. When you find a satisfying combination of all those factors, then you have found the right flute and maker for you.
As far as I’m concerned, blanket opinions (Skip is better than Pat, Pat is better than Skip, or Chris Wilkes is better than anyone) are relatively useless in light of the wide variety of considerations involved in buying a flute.
BUT AS A HEALY COMPANY MAN...
...I will point out that Skip’s waiting list for unkeyed flutes is two weeks to one month. His waiting list for keyed flutes is 1-3 months depending on how much custom work you want.
Take care,
John Harvey
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: rhodeirish on 2002-10-08 14:27 ]</font>