An Olwell is born . . .

Ro3b · Post by **Ro3b** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 9:10 am

I want to see waht it looks like five or so years from now, after the wood has darkened and there are marks from your hands on it. Then it will really be beautiful. Congratulations.

eilam · Post by **eilam** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 9:32 am

sturob wrote:
The embouchure is 9mm by a little less than 11mm . . . so not huge.

thats small, even 11.6x10.2 would be on the small side, I like small embouchures, but most makers make them bigger for ITM

BMFW · Post by **BMFW** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 9:45 am

eilam wrote: thats small, even 11.6x10.2 would be on the small side, I like small embouchures, but most makers make them bigger for ITM

I just checked the drawings that I have made of the flutes I have (or had) and see that Hammy is 11.6x10.3, my Wilkes-headed Prowse is 12.2x10.9 and a Wylde that I had was in the order of 12.2 x 12.0 (but it had been butchered).

What I don't know is how much of the playing charecteristics are in the physical size or plan shape of the hole, and how much comes from the shape of the undercutting and the like. (And before anyone points it out, I think we all know that the player is by far the biggest variable.)

PS - Sorry for hijacking your Olwell thread Sturob!

Graham

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 11:12 am

Yes, just because you have a big blowhole doesn't mean you have to flop all over it.

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 11:14 am

Sorry, that sounded weird. What I'm trying to say is just because you have lots of blowhole real estate doesn't mean you have to occupy it all. But I guess that's why I like bigger blowholes -- they give me more options.

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 11:14 am

Oh, heck, that still sounds weird.
Never mind; I'll go away now.

eilam · Post by **eilam** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 12:30 pm

cat, we love you! dont go away!
you real estate waster

sturob · Post by **sturob** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 10:20 pm

Actually, I think smaller embouchure holes are better IF you can play them. If I recall correctly, Andrew's mentioned the same impression before.

They're not as forgiving as a big hole, but if you play precisely, wow, you can actually play FORTE or piano.

And you didn't hijack my thread, Graham! It's weird, but since you mentioned it, I almost can't look at the embouchure in the pics because it looks SO BIG.

Stuart

andrewK · Post by **andrewK** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 3:37 am

I have always had the impression that if people learn to blow on a small hole they will play better and can choose from then on how they produce their sound.They will find that they don't need a big hole !
My round hole Rudall & Rose plays as well as the others.
The flutemaster tells me that the hole on the Patent head Rudall is too big, and he is itching to bush it !
As regards boxwood darkening over time / use I have to say that my Rudall & Rose boxwood flute of 1832 is yet to darken !
I am still waiting.

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 8:11 am

andrewK wrote:I have always had the impression that if people learn to blow on a small hole they will play better and can choose from then on how they produce their sound.They will find that they don't need a big hole !
My round hole Rudall & Rose plays as well as the others.
The flutemaster tells me that the hole on the Patent head Rudall is too big, and he is itching to bush it !
As regards boxwood darkening over time / use I have to say that my Rudall & Rose boxwood flute of 1832 is yet to darken !
I am still waiting.

I don't think that you are going to get very many listers to believe that you are that old!

Denny

andrewK · Post by **andrewK** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 8:27 am

Listeners, maybe. But I would have no trouble with viewers !

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 10:02 am

sturob wrote:Actually, I think smaller embouchure holes are better IF you can play them. If I recall correctly, Andrew's mentioned the same impression before.

They're not as forgiving as a big hole, but if you play precisely, wow, you can actually play FORTE or piano. ....

True, but what I'm saying is you can also play precisely on a big one, with similar results. A tight embouchure is a tight embouchure regardless of what you're deploying it on.

But yes, I agree, the bigger ones are more forgiving. Personally, I also like the tonal range they offer if you decide to go for a looser embouchure & the resulting tone color -- just for for variety, of course.

Shoot, that still sounds weird.

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 10:07 am

andrewK wrote:Listeners, maybe. But I would have no trouble with viewers !

So often reality is skewed by the visual!

I suppose that "listers" is incorrect as this is a BB format. What is the correct name for the frequenters of this virtual place?

Denny

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 10:52 am

Obssessives?

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 10:58 am

Cathy Wilde wrote:Obssessives?

Not exactly what I was thinking of but apt.

Having a small holed embouchure flute about is good for you. Bigger is more fun.

Weird. "embouchure" is better than the "blow hole" thing!

Denny