Well played, gentlemen.Denny wrote:Doug has a few decades experience...Jack Bradshaw wrote:Plans is one thing...Quality is another....
PEBFACDenny wrote:You are describing a user error.
Oops, geek speak.
(Problem Exists Between Flute and Chair)
New to the idea...what to buy...
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GaryKelly
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Stop trying. That *is* a Pakistani flute.kourtjestr wrote:On the plus side, you guys and some other sources have fairly turned me off to the Pakistani flutes... I have to say, I was concerned from the get-go about a $25 handmade wooden flute...
now i'm trying to convince my wife i deserve this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/Beautiful-Cocus-Woo ... dZViewItem
"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-
kourtjestr
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ok..enough said..won't touch it....GaryKelly wrote:Stop trying. That *is* a Pakistani flute.kourtjestr wrote:On the plus side, you guys and some other sources have fairly turned me off to the Pakistani flutes... I have to say, I was concerned from the get-go about a $25 handmade wooden flute...
now i'm trying to convince my wife i deserve this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/Beautiful-Cocus-Woo ... dZViewItem
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Jack Bradshaw
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There is a huge difference between a flute-like object you make by drilling holes in a tube so that it makes noises which vary in pitch and a musical instrument created by an experienced and reputable flute maker.
I can't see EBay from here, but from the looks of the link, it appears the site is selling mass-produced flutes . . . probably from Pakistan. If your wife doesn't like the idea of it, she probably has very good shopping instincts. You should listen to her.
You get what you pay for. If your goal is to spend as little as possible, then you'll get as little as possible of a flute. If, on the other hand, your goal is to purchase a good musical instrument which will be a joy, you'll need to research the issue and decide which of the known good flute-makers' instruments you want, and you'll have to resign yourself to possibly paying slightly more for that instrument.
There are several very reasonable choices, including Doug Tipple's flute, which is a legitimate musical instrument . . . it is not just a tube with holes in it.
I can't see EBay from here, but from the looks of the link, it appears the site is selling mass-produced flutes . . . probably from Pakistan. If your wife doesn't like the idea of it, she probably has very good shopping instincts. You should listen to her.
You get what you pay for. If your goal is to spend as little as possible, then you'll get as little as possible of a flute. If, on the other hand, your goal is to purchase a good musical instrument which will be a joy, you'll need to research the issue and decide which of the known good flute-makers' instruments you want, and you'll have to resign yourself to possibly paying slightly more for that instrument.
There are several very reasonable choices, including Doug Tipple's flute, which is a legitimate musical instrument . . . it is not just a tube with holes in it.
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kourtjestr
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Jack Bradshaw
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I'm a beginner here, myself. I've been fooling around with a PVC flute for a couple of years, but only recently broke down and got a decent "real" flute - in my case, a Casey Burns Folk Flute (these sell new for $250, and sometimes a bit less second-hand).kourtjestr wrote:Denny wrote: Although it varies a bit by maker, mainly the 8 hole just allows you to poke the cat from farther away. Not necessarily a bad thing.
That's hilarious... I'll definitely remember that for a long time.. On the plus side, you guys and some other sources have fairly turned me off to the Pakistani flutes... I have to say, I was concerned from the get-go about a $25 handmade wooden flute...
now i'm trying to convince my wife i deserve this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/Beautiful-Cocus-Woo ... dZViewItem
The differences between my PVC flute (Dixon Duo) and the Burns are remarkable. But even so, for the first few days I just couldn't play the upper register on the Burns, while I could (sort of) on the Dixon. If I hadn't known Burn's good reputation, I would probably have spent a lot of time blaming the instrument, rather than myself. And it was me - I've still a long ways to go, but the upper register is getting better each time I play.
This is a long-winded way of saying: don't buy it from eBay unless you know the maker. It might well be worth while laying out the money on a REAL Tipple flute - by all accounts, they are much better flutes than my Dixon, and they're rugged.
But unless you've got an experienced player that you trust to go over the instrument before you buy it, avoid no-name instruments. Better no flute at all than wasting the money on something unplayable - not only does it put you further away from being able to afford a *good* flute, it may put you off playing for good.
From my own experience (and what I've read here), the cheapest decent-quality conical flutes start somewhere over $200 - Casey Burns Folk Flute (wood), Sweet (various - wood and laminate models), Dixon (3-piece polymer or wood - not the cheaper "Duo" cylindrical like I have), M & E (polymer), Seery (polymer).
If you're willing to go with a cylindrical flute, besides the Tipple polymer there are a number of reasonably-priced cane flutes with good reputations - Olwell (may be hard to find) and Tallgrass Winds are the ones that came to mind first.
Spend some time thinking about the makes and models you'd like, and until then stick with your homemade PVC. Save. And if you see one of your preferred models offered at what you know is a decent price, snap it up.
EDIT: I see you have a flute coming. Good luck, and have fun! But I'll admit I'm curious, too. What did you get?
Oh, Other Worlds, 722 Pasadena Ave S. St Petersburg, FL 33707. Not so much "other worlds" as in foreign countries, but as in "other worldly." Spiritualist and New Age. Twenty-pound amethyst crystal clusters. Healing with panpipes. Drum circles and spiritualists. Celtic as in Nouveau Druid and "I believe in fairies." Celtic as in Michael Flatley.
They're right near the beaches--tourist trade. I go by them on my way to work. My hairdresser told me all about them. "Ooooo, they have everything!"
I've never been inclined to stop by, but certainly if anyone craves an opinion on a $146 flute . . . I'll be happy to go count its splinters.
Hmmm, I see they also have a "blackwood" flute. "John Rutzen, a Scot, works in Donegal making great flutes using modern materials and the old traditional methods. In blackwood. The modern head joint material avoids risk of cracks." If it's modern and avoids the risk of cracks, then it's not blackwood. The photo looks like three different substances. Black, reddish, and "modern."
They're right near the beaches--tourist trade. I go by them on my way to work. My hairdresser told me all about them. "Ooooo, they have everything!"
I've never been inclined to stop by, but certainly if anyone craves an opinion on a $146 flute . . . I'll be happy to go count its splinters.
Hmmm, I see they also have a "blackwood" flute. "John Rutzen, a Scot, works in Donegal making great flutes using modern materials and the old traditional methods. In blackwood. The modern head joint material avoids risk of cracks." If it's modern and avoids the risk of cracks, then it's not blackwood. The photo looks like three different substances. Black, reddish, and "modern."