Underrated Flute Makers?

[GaryKelly]

The Bleazey was my first wooden flute. There is no way you'll hear me saying Phil Bleazey is "the best Flute maker that rarely gets mentioned here."

Why not? Phil has been making Flutes for about 20 years, that is why I think he is underrated as a maker. So when someone asks for a Flute in the $500-$700 range, why does it seem that I am the only one mentioning Phil?

Here's why you'll never hear me saying that Phil is "the best Flute maker that rarely gets mentioned here."

The Bleazey is, as I said before, 'rustic'.
For a start, the ring on the foot joint is screwed onto the wood and is agriculturally larger than the wood it's fitted to. It's held on with epoxy resin. A week after I bought mine, it dropped off. "Just glue it back on" was the advice I received when I 'phoned him.

The bore has a great spiral reamer mark running practically its length. It was out of tune, a fact I didn't appreciate until I played with other musicians and discovered no amount of fannying with the extremely loose tuning-slide would bring it into tune.

The tuning-slide was loose enough so that enthusiastic playing made the headjoint move out of the playing position.

The cork lapping consists of a strip of automotive gasket material approximatley 1mm thick (if that) cut into a strip and glued to the tenon by rubber contact adhesive. They both split, in spite of greasing every time before assembling. They split six times in the course of a year before I sent the flute back to Phil for servicing...

Now, during the 'service', Phil did a lot of work on the flute. He "touched up the embouchure hole", replaced the cork lapping, brought the flute in tune by working on the tone-holes and undercutting them (apparently, he only recently - last year- developed a tool for undercutting his tone-holes), replaced the headjoint cork and set it in 'the correct position' (I hadn't touched the old one, which was apparently 3mm out of position).
He tightened up the loose tuning-slide by roughing up the brass inner tube and applying grease.
He didn't touch the bore, the swirly tool-marks are plain as day to see. But for £38 for the service, what d'you expect?

Now, as I said, the Bleazey is a good affordable wooden flute, and it was my first. I still have it. I still give it air from time to time, and I know someone who'll enjoy it when she's old enough and her arms are long enough to move off a Tipple G and onto a D flute.

Some people may find it to be the only flute they'll ever need. I'm not one of them.

It's a good first wooden flute for someone who can't afford anything better. But it isn't "the best" by any stretch of the imagination. I'm sure yours is wonderful. Since it's at least a year later than mine, you probably have undercut tone-holes, since Phil made the tool to do that early last year (they're very small tone-holes, as you know, particularly the E).

Here's another reason why I don't think Phil Bleazey is "the best Flute maker that rarely gets mentioned here": I have a Grinter.

I also have an Allan, which cost me a mere £140 more than the Bleazey. The difference in quality and craftsmanship between the Allan and the Bleazey is, quite simply, phenomenal, like comparing a cruise liner to a liberty ship. I know which one I'd prefer to be on when crossing the Atlantic. But you have to wait for an Allan to come along.

So when someone asks for a Flute in the $500-$700 range, why does it seem that I am the only one mentioning Phil?

Generally speaking, the only folks who recommend a certain flute are those who own them, and as you rightly pointed out, not many people on the board own them. Although from time to time you'll see people saying something like "I've never played one, but the Patrick Kintastic flute gets good reviews around here..." as if that's supposed to mean anything to a prospective purchaser.

There's also a body of opinion that suggests it is unwise to purchase a wooden flute not seasoned and made in one's own climate, but that's a debate for another thread.

[kkrell]

Good points Tod and Gary. In addition, I wonder how consumers would rank these same instruments if they (the customer) were a bit more educated in regards to workmanship and knew what to really look for in a well made instrument. I am often appalled when someone hands me an instrument that they believe to be "really well made" only to find spur marks all over the tenon ends, sockets that are not cut centric to the body of the instrument, tone and embouchure holes that are crudely finished, bores with hideous reamer gouges, poorly made and/or fit rings, and generally crappy keywork.

Loren

I remember comments by David & Nina Shorey after Nina took on repairs of some modern maker's flutes. Before this, she had only been working on flutes that were about 150 years old. She found the current workmanship appalling (although they may still have played well).

Kevin Krell

[David Levine]

When people review flutes, or pass judgement on a flute-maker -- positive or negative -- the person making the judgement should let us know how long he/she has been playing. Even so there are plenty of people who have been tooting for twenty years who still don't play well enough to pass judgement and who still can't play in tune or get a hard D consistently.
I think most flute makers are pretty fairly valued here. A few makers are way over-valued and over-priced. Martin Doyle is consistently a maker whose flutes are still cheap enough and good enough to be rated best-buys. One of his flutes would be my choice for a first keyless flute.
I've been playing flute for over fifteen years.

[johnkerr]

Ya don;t hear a lot on this boad about Copeland flutes, which is odd because

1) He's been at it for decades and

2) He has a website.

I have no real experience with his work other than that one of my local session buddies has one. He makes it sound great.

Michael Copeland's flutes are very nice, but perhaps the reason you don't hear much about them is that he wasn't making flutes at all for quite a few years (over a decade I'm sure, maybe even two decades) after the early days of his career. Instead he became the pioneer of the high-end whistle, which is what he's best known for. He also had some medical problems that slowed or stopped his whistle production for a year or more a while back. But he's been cranking out the whistles again for the last several years now, and I hear he's making flutes again too, so perhaps his name will start to be mentioned in these circles a bit more often.

[jim stone]

I think most flute makers are pretty fairly valued here.

I second this. This thread, which is certainly interesting,
has an odd dynamic, because obviously many of us don't
wish to say bad things here about flutes we don't
much like..

[madtom]

Michael Copeland's flutes are very nice, but perhaps the reason you don't hear much about them is that he wasn't making flutes at all for quite a few years (over a decade I'm sure, maybe even two decades) after the early days of his career. Instead he became the pioneer of the high-end whistle, which is what he's best known for.

Yep. More like two decades. I bought one of the last of keyed flutes he made back in the mid-80s before he started his whistle business (I have one of his prototype brass D whistles that has a less finished look than the works of art he makes now.) The flute is top notch so I was always dismayed that he quit that line of work.

He also had some medical problems that slowed or stopped his whistle production for a year or more a while back. But he's been cranking out the whistles again for the last several years now, and I hear he's making flutes again too, so perhaps his name will start to be mentioned in these circles a bit more often.

That's good news. His website does say that he is making keyless flutes in the Prowse style (which I guess is what he has always done). And he apparently intends to make keyed flutes again someday. The website says "Keyed Flutes are planned for late 2004", though, so I don't know if he is actually doing that now or not.

[treeshark]

I second this. This thread, which is certainly interesting,
has an odd dynamic, because obviously many of us don't
wish to say bad things here about flutes we don't
much like..

That shows how nice we are!

But you are right the first flute I bought (at great expense) I had great trouble with, when I got a teacher he played it and said it was not great. But I'd still prefer not to say who made it...
Tom Aebi isn't mentioned a great deal but I played one of his Bflat flutes and loved it.
Though you must judge this comment on the 2 years 3 months and 12 days I have been playing the flute!

[Brian]

Hello folks,
Based on many comments about Micheal Copeland's "early period" flutes,
I bought one of the first of his flutes when he resumed building a couple of years back. I'm very glad I did. Highly recommended.
If I'm not mistaken, there may be no waiting period at the moment. Check his website.
Brian

[GaryKelly]

If I'm not mistaken, there may be no waiting period at the moment. Check his website.

Two dollars short of 1200 bucks. Which is likely why we don't see so many of the rave reviews the considerably cheaper flutes get. The greater the expense, I would suggest, the rarer the object.

Not sure about the waiting list, though. The website does say:

"Keyless flute made in Blackwood, with Sterling Silver rings. Brass-lined headjoint and tuning slide trimmed in Sterling Silver. Cork tenons. Case included.

A 20% deposit is required when order is placed with balance due upon completion. "

Which suggests a waiting period.

Here's the website for anyone that doesn't have it in their bookmarks: http://www.copelandwoodwinds.com/catalog.asp

[maire]

I had the chance alot of years ago to try Brendan Mc Mahon`s flutes in County Clare. Love strong toned dependable flutes that carry the sound well in a session.
What a gentleman as well. Deserves a mention.

[johnkerr]

I had the chance alot of years ago to try Brendan Mc Mahon`s flutes in County Clare. Love strong toned dependable flutes that carry the sound well in a session.
What a gentleman as well. Deserves a mention.

Just be careful which McMahon's flute you buy. A friend of mine used to have a Brendan McMahon flute and although I never played it myself, he got great music out of it. Likewise a second friend of mine who I've not seen lately also did great stuff with her Brendan McMahon flute. But back in 1998 or 1999 when I was at the Willie Week, a lady staying at my lodging who was not yet a flute player asked me to come with her to the shop of Brendan McMahon's son (Donal I think, but don't quote me on that) to help her evaluate one of the flutes Donal had made, as she was thinking of buying it. I was not very impressed with it. (But what did I know, David would ask? I'd only been playing 7 or 8 years myself at that time.) McMahon Og's shop was then in the basement of a house on the edge of Milltown Malbay down the Lahinch road, but in subsequent visits to Milltown I noticed his shingle was no longer hanging there. Perhaps he moved his shop, or maybe he got out of the flute-making trade. I've never run across one of his flutes since.

[bradhurley]

I also think Glenn Schultz was better known for his Whsitles, but damn where his Fltues nice. I only had the opportunity to play one once, but it was excellent. It had the tone and the volume it was like the best of both worlds, and that was only with playing it once or twice.

Maybe the two or three flutes of his that I've tried over the years weren't his best work, but they certainly were unremarkable. They weren't bad, but I would hardly call them underrated. I think there's a reason he was better known for his whistles.

[rh]

Maybe the two or three flutes of his that I've tried over the years weren't his best work, but they certainly were unremarkable.

well, i'm an unremarkable player, maybe that's why it suits me so well

[tin tin]

Frequency of mention on C&F has little to with how good a maker's work is. It has much more to do with how may people have a flute by a particular maker, which has lots to do with price and waiting lists.

And re: Copeland flutes, this from the website:

Keyless Blackwood Flutes are ready to ship and can be ordered on-line! No waiting, instant gratification.

I think Doc Jones has 'em, too.

[SoTX]

I certainly must be careful that none of my early flutes get out on the market. Perhaps I should burn them.

I recently played one of the early flutes by a maker who now has a ten-year waiting list. The 6th hole was in an "anti-ergonomic" position, farther away from the hand than the other holes. That surely wasn't workmanship to be proud of. But it was a wonderful instrument to play and hear, and the world would be poorer without it.

Seriously, I would hope that the flute any builder makes this year is in some sense better than ones she or he made last year. The difference will be greater for newer makers.

-- Don