M and E questions
- SirNick
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- Tell us something.: I love Irish music! I am mostly a whistle player but would like to learn more about flutes. I also have a couple older whistles I'd like to sell and maybe pick up a bamboo flute to practice with.
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M and E questions
Does anybody have any experience with the "split embouchure" offered by M and E? Also, does anyone have the metal rings on one of the delrin flutes? If so, have you had any trouble with the rings becoming loose?
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- glauber
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My M&E is the original model (non Rudall) with the split embouchure. I like it very much, but i don't have a non-split model to compare it to.
The "Rudall" model doesn't offer the split head option.
For the non-initiated, what Michael Cronolly calls a "split" embouchure is what other makers call a cutaway head.
I have no experience with rings on M&E flutes.
The "Rudall" model doesn't offer the split head option.
For the non-initiated, what Michael Cronolly calls a "split" embouchure is what other makers call a cutaway head.
I have no experience with rings on M&E flutes.
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- SirNick
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- Tell us something.: I love Irish music! I am mostly a whistle player but would like to learn more about flutes. I also have a couple older whistles I'd like to sell and maybe pick up a bamboo flute to practice with.
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- Aodhan
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If you don't have a problem with standard embouchures, then I wouldn't get the split embouchure. It's designed to make a flute easier to play.SirNick wrote:I don't have much problem with standard embouchures. I worry that if I got the cut-away it might make me slack on a standard. Am I worrying over nothing?
I've played the M&E split embouchure, and have a R/R M&E, and I didn't notice an appreciable difference in the embouchure requirements. I also have the silver rings, and on my model they have not come loose (Even after knocking about at faire for two years), although the split model I tried out had a loose ring, I believe. Or maybe that was the Seery I played...I forget, it's been a couple years.
Aodhan
- SirNick
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- glauber
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FWIW, i bought mine as a cutaway because Michael said it improved the sound.
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- peeplj
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I have an original model 6-key with the cutaway embouchure, as well as his Rudall & Rose model.
The Rudall & Rose is louder and more projective but I think this has more to do with the bore and tone holes than the embouchure. The flute with the cutaway is a loud flute in its own right, with a rich sound, and I do think the sculptured embouchure does increase the strength of tone on the lowest notes.
These are fine flutes and I enjoy playing them.
--James
The Rudall & Rose is louder and more projective but I think this has more to do with the bore and tone holes than the embouchure. The flute with the cutaway is a loud flute in its own right, with a rich sound, and I do think the sculptured embouchure does increase the strength of tone on the lowest notes.
These are fine flutes and I enjoy playing them.
--James
- kkrell
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Re: M and E questions
I used to have one of the original M&E's with rings. The rings and tenon fit were never loose.SirNick wrote:Does anybody have any experience with the "split embouchure" offered by M and E? Also, does anyone have the metal rings on one of the delrin flutes? If so, have you had any trouble with the rings becoming loose?
Kevin Krell
International Traditional Music Society, Inc.
A non-profit 501c3 charity/educational public benefit corporation
Wooden Flute Obsession CDs (3 volumes, 6 discs, 7 hours, 120 players/tracks)
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A non-profit 501c3 charity/educational public benefit corporation
Wooden Flute Obsession CDs (3 volumes, 6 discs, 7 hours, 120 players/tracks)
https://www.worldtrad.org
- Matt_Paris
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Loose rings
Hello,
I just wanted to say that I have seen rings becoming loose on all my flutes, very bad ones (I will not name the maker) and very good ones as well (Tom Aebi and Rudall & Rose). Never thaught it was a big problem. Some makers paste them with glue, others just let them loose.
I have never seen loose rings on any Delrin flute, and anyway in this case, the rings are for decoration purpose only.
Matt
I just wanted to say that I have seen rings becoming loose on all my flutes, very bad ones (I will not name the maker) and very good ones as well (Tom Aebi and Rudall & Rose). Never thaught it was a big problem. Some makers paste them with glue, others just let them loose.
I have never seen loose rings on any Delrin flute, and anyway in this case, the rings are for decoration purpose only.
Matt
- MarcusR
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Hi!
I have an original M&E with rings and cutaway embouchure that I really like. Used it and dragged it along through heat, rain, hail, wind and snow. Rings still rock solid. Also had a chance to compare it to an original embrouchre M&E that a friend got at the same time. As Aodhan pointed out, the sound is much the same. The only difference I experienced with the cutaway embrouchure was that I found it to be much easier to hit the high register without increasing the volume to much. This is something one will learn to compensate for using the traditional embrouchure, goes with experince I guess. I'm glad I choosed the cutaway, uggly looking but still a nice feature.
/MarcusR
I have an original M&E with rings and cutaway embouchure that I really like. Used it and dragged it along through heat, rain, hail, wind and snow. Rings still rock solid. Also had a chance to compare it to an original embrouchre M&E that a friend got at the same time. As Aodhan pointed out, the sound is much the same. The only difference I experienced with the cutaway embrouchure was that I found it to be much easier to hit the high register without increasing the volume to much. This is something one will learn to compensate for using the traditional embrouchure, goes with experince I guess. I'm glad I choosed the cutaway, uggly looking but still a nice feature.
/MarcusR
- SirNick
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- Tell us something.: I love Irish music! I am mostly a whistle player but would like to learn more about flutes. I also have a couple older whistles I'd like to sell and maybe pick up a bamboo flute to practice with.
- Location: Indiana
Very interesting.........maybe I should have made this a poll. I guess a positive point would be that the flutes are not very expensive with not a long wait so you could make changes if you weren't satisfied. This is one of things that scares me about ordering a flute like a McGee. He has so many different embouchure choices I'd be second guessing myself if the tone wasn't "just right". :roll:
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- GaryKelly
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Well, I have an M&E with the split embouchure, and although I'm rather happy with it now, I wasn't when it first arrived. I had to send it back within a week, one of the tenons was loose and the lining of the tuning-slide peeled away. Of course, Michael repaired it immediately.
Shortly afterwards I bought a Bleazey (in mopane), which was about £40 cheaper than the M&E, and incidentally much lighter (it's a short-foot flute). I think if I'd bought the Bleazey first, I wouldn't have bought the M&E, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. I believe it was James who posted earlier in the year to say that the M&E has quite a bit of 'bang' in it, and he's right.
The M&E was my first choice mainly because I believed all the horror-stories about wooden flutes being a pain to maintain and 'plastic' flutes being 'maintenance-free'. Perhaps the climate in Swindon is relatively benign, but I've since learned that caring for a wooden flute is certainly no hardship, nor is it onerous. I've also since learned that 'tone' comes from the player as much (if not more) as it does from the flute itself.
Shortly afterwards I bought a Bleazey (in mopane), which was about £40 cheaper than the M&E, and incidentally much lighter (it's a short-foot flute). I think if I'd bought the Bleazey first, I wouldn't have bought the M&E, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. I believe it was James who posted earlier in the year to say that the M&E has quite a bit of 'bang' in it, and he's right.
The M&E was my first choice mainly because I believed all the horror-stories about wooden flutes being a pain to maintain and 'plastic' flutes being 'maintenance-free'. Perhaps the climate in Swindon is relatively benign, but I've since learned that caring for a wooden flute is certainly no hardship, nor is it onerous. I've also since learned that 'tone' comes from the player as much (if not more) as it does from the flute itself.
"It might be a bit better to tune to one of my fiddle's open strings, like A, rather than asking me for an F#." - Martin Milner
- peeplj
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I enjoy taking care of my wooden flutes, especially my Hamilton (which should be back from Ireland any day now). I agree it is no burden.
There are things I simply will not do with the Hamilton, though, that I've done with the polymer flutes: taking a flute on a boat, or playing outside on a cold Autumn night by a bonfire, or playing outside in the rain, or in a hot tub: all of these are things you should never do with a wooden flute.
Also, I have so little practice time, I'm often catching a tune on the fly. It's handy to keep a flute assembled all the time on my desk to catch 30 seconds of practice here and there in the evenings without having to waste any time drying out or disassembling the flute.
--James
There are things I simply will not do with the Hamilton, though, that I've done with the polymer flutes: taking a flute on a boat, or playing outside on a cold Autumn night by a bonfire, or playing outside in the rain, or in a hot tub: all of these are things you should never do with a wooden flute.
Also, I have so little practice time, I'm often catching a tune on the fly. It's handy to keep a flute assembled all the time on my desk to catch 30 seconds of practice here and there in the evenings without having to waste any time drying out or disassembling the flute.
--James
- GaryKelly
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James, do you still have that "bang" soundfile online that you posted all those months ago? Maybe Sir Nick would appreciate a listen, since he mentioned 'tone' and all.
I agree wholeheartedly about having a polymer flute for all those occasions where playing a wooden one would be daft. I have a Calmont and an Indian-made rubber keyed flute loafing around always assembled. Not sure I'd want to take my M&E out on a boat...it cost a fair bit from my wallet's perspective and I wouldn't want that disappearing over the gunwhales
I agree wholeheartedly about having a polymer flute for all those occasions where playing a wooden one would be daft. I have a Calmont and an Indian-made rubber keyed flute loafing around always assembled. Not sure I'd want to take my M&E out on a boat...it cost a fair bit from my wallet's perspective and I wouldn't want that disappearing over the gunwhales
"It might be a bit better to tune to one of my fiddle's open strings, like A, rather than asking me for an F#." - Martin Milner