First time flute buyer: Help!

[xoxtinkerbellxox]

My dad is getting me an irish flute for my 21st birthday, but we are unsure what type to go for. I've played the flute for 13 years and post grade 8, so I thought i'd give the irish flute a go. Would you recommend a second hand flute with a mechanism, or a new flute with no mechanism? And is there any type of wood that is better than others?

Thanks!
Nikki

[maki]

What is your budget?

[Loren]

Also, where do you live? If buying new, rather than used, it can be helpful to buy from a maker that is close to you.

[tin tin]

Yeah, it's easier to make recommendations knowing your budget and where you live. Also, how soon is your birthday? I'm guessing you'd rather receive a flute that receive a note that you've been put on a two-year waiting list.

Don't worry too much about material. If you're doing wood, African blackwood is pretty standard, but mopane is nice, too. Boxwood is perhaps a little higher maintenance. I wouldn't worry about getting keys. They up the price (and delivery time) quite a bit, and a keyed simple system flute is very different from the Boehm flute you're used to. Plus, there are thousands of tunes you can play on a keyless flute.

Here's a good resource:
http://www.firescribble.net/flute/

At any budget, here are a few good flutes available relatively quickly:
http://www.copleyflutes.com/
http://www.forbesflutes.com/
http://www.martindoyleflutes.com/
http://www.caseyburnsflutes.com/

[xoxtinkerbellxox]

From the links my dad has shown me it looks like he will spend around the 500 pound mark. I live in Cheltenham but he lives up in Scarborough. And my birthday is in July. I have a Yamaha flute atm so I am used to keys, but I also know I'd have to get a second hand one as they seem to be more expensive (although did find an antique one as well). Is there any difference in sound? Between keyless and mechanism? I think I am edging towards keyless, but the antique one also looks good despite needing new pads.

Thank you all

[boyd]

Wooden flute embouchure is challenging, maybe moreso than metal flute. (My teenage daughters play metal flute but struggle to get the wooden going, 20 yr old niece is also a grade 8 flute player like you and again she can't get the kind of volume or tuning or fluidity which totally unqualified me can!).

Antique flutes can require a certain amount of control to get individual notes in tune.

Not all antique flutes were tuned to A=440Hz

For the budget mentioned, a keyless flute will be best, could be in wood or in Delrin.
For Delrin I'd say a Seery or M&E or Forbes or similar would be good as a starter.
Keyed flutes under £500 might be a bit of a gamble, likely will have issues.

You and your Dad could check out "donedeal" an Irish trading site which has lots of musical instruments.

Sometimes flute teachers will know of players who are upgrading and would like to sell off the flute they have.

Better still would be to borrow one for a while then save for the £600 to £900 that a really good keyless flute will be.

All the best with it.....the tone is so much better !!!
Boyd

[Loren]

Nikki,

Sounds like you will want keys sooner rather than later, however keyed wooden flutes are far beyond your budget, even used. Your best bet may be to buy a keyless Delrin (polymer) flute with the key blocks in place, and then have the keys added later as finances allow. Dave Copley makes top quality, great playing Delrin keyed and keyless flutes here in the USA and would be well worth checking with regarding the cost of this sort of option. Of course it would be worth checking with makers closer to you as well to see if this may be an option, but I can highly recommend Dave Copley's flutes from experience as I've owned several of his flutes over the years, both wooden and Delrin. M&E flutes could be an option too, but I find the quality of these flutes to be significantly lower, however in fairness I haven't played an M&E made in the last 8 or 10 years.

[Latticino]

You should also keep an eye on the used instrument section of this forum. Buying an antique flute from sources like e-bay and craigs list is typically quite a gamble. I've done it and at times been lucky, but you can get burned rather easily. The flutes posted here, and from previously "vetted" sources (irish flute store, Jem, or John C...) are much less likely to be a disappointment. Currently there aren't a lot of used flutes listed (but check the Old and Sold for some that may still be available), but there is one Nach Meyer keyed flute that looks like a good deal: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=88094. Your budget does not seem out of line to me for a decent used modern keyless wooden flute either (or even a new Burns Folk flute for that matter).

EDIT: Here is one from the sold and old that looks good, and should be in your price range: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=86532. I"ve not personally played a Copley, but I've heard many in sessions and from all reports they are great flutes.

However I would recommend starting out with a polymer conical flute to see if this will be a good path for you at all (lower cost, higher durability and easier maintenance). If you get a Copley, Forbes, Seery, or Somers flute you will most likely be quite satisfied, and if not they retain their value for resale quite well.

Best of luck with your choice.

[tin tin]

Like you, I came to Irish flute playing from the classical/Boehm flute world. They're really quite different instruments. As mentioned above, they take different approaches to blowing/getting a good tone, and the keys on a simple-system flute have virtually nothing in common with a Boehm flute and are not intuitive for Boehm flute players (the only ones that are the same are G# and Eb). I have a friend who plays classical flute in an orchestra; she began learning Irish flute a few years ago and is entirely content with a keyless instrument.
I'd say for your budget, a good keyless flute is the best option. Copley and Forbes both make excellent flutes in your price range, and they'd probably have one ready for you by your birthday.

[LorenzoFlute]

but there is one Nach Meyer keyed flute that looks like a good deal: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=88094.

Sale is pending on this flute, sorry.

[jemtheflute]

No time now, off to a sesh.... but I have some ideas for you, not least getting in touch with Ben Hall (moderator here) who lives accessibly near to you (Forest of Dean) and has flutes he might be willing to let you "taster" try to see what's what/how you get on...... I would tend to advocate going for a fully keyed antique - there are such in your price range, but new-made ones are not.

[boyd]

for info:

Buying within Europe is simpler than buying from eg USA as there won't be any risk of import duties.

Often you can get things in from the States without paying any duty, but if your instrument gets stopped in customs you can expect something like an extra 20% to pay. Ouch.

Boyd

[Tonehole]

My dad is getting me an irish flute for my 21st birthday, but we are unsure what type to go for. I've played the flute for 13 years and post grade 8, so I thought i'd give the irish flute a go. Would you recommend a second hand flute with a mechanism, or a new flute with no mechanism? And is there any type of wood that is better than others?

Thanks!
Nikki

Just a different take here - have you considered the baroque traverso flute?

You can get a handmade real wood one, which plays all the chromatic music you wish for. I like baroque traversos - just one key.

This guy sells them within your price range:

http://users.skynet.be/fluiten/gallery.html

Please don't ask for No.100. I've asked him to reserve it for me!

[Aanvil]

A basic Martin Doyle blackwood keyless will last you all your life.

I see he was already mentioned.

It's a bit more than your budget but not really much.

For a "beginner" Irish flute player you could do no better really... and it will grow with you.

If you can find one used for a lower price or more "features" snap it up.


Wonderful flute.

I keep one as a regular player along with my vintage Wylde Rudal 8-key.

I've played all the others listed and this is the one I've kept.

Just get one and play the hell out of it.

[Julia Delaney]

I agree that it would be hard to find a better flute than Doyle's, especially for somebody new to the timber concert flute. Martin is my friend and neighbor. I stop in every so often and play the flutes that he has finished. They are superb. Lately he has been making them from black wood grown under the auspices of the Forestry Conservation Project. I buy the best of the best. I have one here now that I will be selling for €700, including a hard leather protective case.