Flute Reviews, some guidance
- michael_coleman
- Posts: 762
- Joined: Wed Nov 20, 2002 6:00 pm
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- Tell us something.: I play the first flute Jon Cochran ever made but haven't been very active on the board the last 9-10 years. Life happens I guess...I owned a keyed M&E flute for a while and I kind of miss it.
- Location: Nottingham, England
I've just received my new Jojo McKracken Blackwood D# with ornamental Haggis flute and it's absolutely brilliant! I don't have nearly enough time to write a comprehensive review of the instrument, but will try to remember to do so in future. I can take some digital photos of it, but I might need a volunteer to host them. Any takers?
Here's a quick review though.
Architecture
The quality of Architecture is superb, and so is the fit and finish. The Jojo McKracken just screams quality. It's as though the flute just wants to be held! The distances between the holes and the hole sizes themselves were really good, and seemed to be made for my average hands. I think perhaps someone with small hands might want to consider this though. Holes were cut round, and straight.
Playability
The Jojo McKracken plays loud, rough, soft, focused, gynormous, scrumtrulescant -- just what I'd wanted! . Super easy to fill the flute - it plays, in this respect, very like some of the high end flutes I've tried. It takes very little air, and is free blowing. I can tell it's capable of more than I can give it, so I look forward to earning this thing's respect!
It is in tune with itself, as far as my ears can tell. By varying my embouchure, I can sharpen or flatten the tone by as much as 50 cents each way. It's very well balanced across all 4.5 octaves.
I am most impressed with its responsiveness! This flute is like a Pinto, classy, sexy, all-out speed with beauty and power. It will cruise comfortably, hugging the curves, but when you put the throttle down, she'll take off like a rocket! Even though I've only been playing for -20 years and I'm not so good on the ornaments yet, I can tell this flute will always be able to play faster than I'm capable of!
I would say that in a session this Jojo McKracken would blast through the tunes very well indeed. A real session powerhouse!
Tone
As I said, the Jojo McKracken plays loud, rough, soft, focused, gynormous, scrumtrulescant, but you can vary the flute's tone through to hairy, periwinkle, refined just by adjusting your embouchure! Vary the strength of your blow, and even with a real relaxed set of lips, you can get anything from a very focused tone to an airy unfocused tone, and it can be both loud and reedy or quiet and round.
Thank you Jojo McKracken, I love this flute! Oh, and did I mention that the Hard Low D is really howling and buzzing!
Here's a quick review though.
Architecture
The quality of Architecture is superb, and so is the fit and finish. The Jojo McKracken just screams quality. It's as though the flute just wants to be held! The distances between the holes and the hole sizes themselves were really good, and seemed to be made for my average hands. I think perhaps someone with small hands might want to consider this though. Holes were cut round, and straight.
Playability
The Jojo McKracken plays loud, rough, soft, focused, gynormous, scrumtrulescant -- just what I'd wanted! . Super easy to fill the flute - it plays, in this respect, very like some of the high end flutes I've tried. It takes very little air, and is free blowing. I can tell it's capable of more than I can give it, so I look forward to earning this thing's respect!
It is in tune with itself, as far as my ears can tell. By varying my embouchure, I can sharpen or flatten the tone by as much as 50 cents each way. It's very well balanced across all 4.5 octaves.
I am most impressed with its responsiveness! This flute is like a Pinto, classy, sexy, all-out speed with beauty and power. It will cruise comfortably, hugging the curves, but when you put the throttle down, she'll take off like a rocket! Even though I've only been playing for -20 years and I'm not so good on the ornaments yet, I can tell this flute will always be able to play faster than I'm capable of!
I would say that in a session this Jojo McKracken would blast through the tunes very well indeed. A real session powerhouse!
Tone
As I said, the Jojo McKracken plays loud, rough, soft, focused, gynormous, scrumtrulescant, but you can vary the flute's tone through to hairy, periwinkle, refined just by adjusting your embouchure! Vary the strength of your blow, and even with a real relaxed set of lips, you can get anything from a very focused tone to an airy unfocused tone, and it can be both loud and reedy or quiet and round.
Thank you Jojo McKracken, I love this flute! Oh, and did I mention that the Hard Low D is really howling and buzzing!
- dow
- Posts: 954
- Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2003 12:21 am
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- Location: Boerne, TX
I've just received my new Ed Wardian conical soda straw flute and it's absolutely Brilliant! I don't have nearly enough time to write a comprehensive review of the instrument, but will try to remember to do so in future. I can take some digital photos of it, but I might need a volunteer to host them. Any takers?
Here's a quick review though.
Architecture
The quality of Architecture is superb, and so is the fit and finish. The Ed Wardian just screams quality. It's as though the flute just wants to be held! The distances between the holes and the hole sizes themselves were really good, and seemed to be made for my average hands. I think perhaps someone with small hands might want to consider this though. Holes were cut round, and straight.
Playability
The Ed Wardian plays loud, gritty smooth, dark, reedy focused -- just what I'd wanted! . Super easy to fill the flute - it plays, in this respect, very like some of the high end flutes I've tried. It takes very little air, and is free blowing. I can tell it's capable of more than I can give it, so I look forward to earning this thing's respect!
It is in tune with itself, as far as my ears can tell. By varying my embouchure, I can sharpen or flatten the tone by as much as 50 cents each way. It's very well balanced across all 4 octaves.
I am most impressed with its responsiveness! This flute is like a Buick Roadmaster, classy, sexy, all-out speed with beauty and power. It will cruise comfortably, hugging the curves, but when you put the throttle down, she'll take off like a rocket! Even though I've only been playing for 2 years and I'm not so good on the ornaments yet, I can tell this flute will always be able to play faster than I'm capable of!
I would say that in a session this Ed Wardian would blast through the tunes very well indeed. A real session powerhouse!
Tone
As I said, the Ed Wardian plays loud, gritty smooth, dark, reedy focused, but you can vary the flute's tone through to smooth, gray, fast just by adjusting your embouchure! Vary the strength of your blow, and even with a real relaxed set of lips, you can get anything from a very focused tone to an airy unfocused tone, and it can be both loud and reedy or quiet and round.
Thank you Ed Wardian, I love this flute! Oh, and did I mention that the Hard Low D is really howling and buzzing!
Here's a quick review though.
Architecture
The quality of Architecture is superb, and so is the fit and finish. The Ed Wardian just screams quality. It's as though the flute just wants to be held! The distances between the holes and the hole sizes themselves were really good, and seemed to be made for my average hands. I think perhaps someone with small hands might want to consider this though. Holes were cut round, and straight.
Playability
The Ed Wardian plays loud, gritty smooth, dark, reedy focused -- just what I'd wanted! . Super easy to fill the flute - it plays, in this respect, very like some of the high end flutes I've tried. It takes very little air, and is free blowing. I can tell it's capable of more than I can give it, so I look forward to earning this thing's respect!
It is in tune with itself, as far as my ears can tell. By varying my embouchure, I can sharpen or flatten the tone by as much as 50 cents each way. It's very well balanced across all 4 octaves.
I am most impressed with its responsiveness! This flute is like a Buick Roadmaster, classy, sexy, all-out speed with beauty and power. It will cruise comfortably, hugging the curves, but when you put the throttle down, she'll take off like a rocket! Even though I've only been playing for 2 years and I'm not so good on the ornaments yet, I can tell this flute will always be able to play faster than I'm capable of!
I would say that in a session this Ed Wardian would blast through the tunes very well indeed. A real session powerhouse!
Tone
As I said, the Ed Wardian plays loud, gritty smooth, dark, reedy focused, but you can vary the flute's tone through to smooth, gray, fast just by adjusting your embouchure! Vary the strength of your blow, and even with a real relaxed set of lips, you can get anything from a very focused tone to an airy unfocused tone, and it can be both loud and reedy or quiet and round.
Thank you Ed Wardian, I love this flute! Oh, and did I mention that the Hard Low D is really howling and buzzing!
Dow Mathis ∴
Boerne, TX
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently motivated fool.
Boerne, TX
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently motivated fool.
- Wormdiet
- Posts: 2575
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This thread is a good study on how treaditional Irish flute players vary their. . . .reviews. The jingles are recognizably the same; the beauty comes in recognizing each player's subtle variations on the repeats. I'm looking forward to a Matt Molloy vs. a Paddy Carty review of the same Hyper-Pratten Nach McChuddy Eb flute with Radcliffe Fingering.
OOOXXO
Doing it backwards since 2005.
Doing it backwards since 2005.
- I.D.10-t
- Posts: 7660
- Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2003 9:57 am
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- Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA, Earth
I think that I will try this...
edit.
Nope, didn’t do it right.
edit.
Nope, didn’t do it right.
Last edited by I.D.10-t on Fri Feb 10, 2006 1:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Be not deceived by the sweet words of proverbial philosophy. Sugar of lead is a poison."
- GaryKelly
- Posts: 3090
- Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 4:09 am
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- Location: Swindon UK
Ah G's dude, major bummer on the bogoak. Man that sounded like a lovely stick! I'd heard McNotChud's are pretty solid for the price.treeshark wrote:Ah, Gary, bad news on the McNotChud. Sad to say the wife read my last post and found out how much I'd spent. She grabbed my new bogoak lovely and hit me repeatedly round the head with it. I can tell you, that McNotChud was a solid piece of work, it wasn't until the tenth blow it broke.
I tell you if that woman was a bottom D she'd be mighty!
I hope to God she doesn't find out about the top of the range clueless Tim oblong C flat I've ordered. I need it so I can play along in tune with my friend Cyril who plays the shakey egg.
Hey, didn't Bernard Ovarytone make an aluminium tunable shakey egg? Or was it a Keggy Pro? Just a thought, but probably a bit late now you've ordered an oblong from Tim.
Don't forget to post a review when it arrives...Doh!
"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
-
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- Location: Scotland
Generation Review
Being slightly older and arguably wiser here is my review of
My Generation using your adjectives Gary, hope you don't mind!
My Generation are:
Bright, Focussed, Buzzing, Sweet but firm!
A few of my generation however are thick, rough, big, fat and even wide!
In saying that, there are also those of my generation that are: Rich, Complex, Pure, Simple, Powerful, strong, beautiful, wonderful and even clean!
All in all it must be said that My Generation are truly
Well mannered, refined and extremely eloquent!
Vote for My Generation (Key Bb)
Cheers
pkev
My Generation using your adjectives Gary, hope you don't mind!
My Generation are:
Bright, Focussed, Buzzing, Sweet but firm!
A few of my generation however are thick, rough, big, fat and even wide!
In saying that, there are also those of my generation that are: Rich, Complex, Pure, Simple, Powerful, strong, beautiful, wonderful and even clean!
All in all it must be said that My Generation are truly
Well mannered, refined and extremely eloquent!
Vote for My Generation (Key Bb)
Cheers
pkev
- Chiffed
- Posts: 1298
- Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 1:15 pm
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- Location: Pender Island, B.C.
Since we've turned to whistles, I'll do my review of a Search and Rescue Fox 40:
I've just received my new Fox Model 40 keyless in B# whistle and it's absolutely brilliant! I don't have nearly the inclination to write a comprehensive review of the instrument, but will try to remember to do so in future. Soundclips will be available as soon as I can get Joannie Madden to help out.
Here's a quick review though.
Craftsmanship
The quality of Craftsmanship is impeccable, and so is the fit and finish. The Fox just screams quality. Mostly, though, it just screams. It's as though the whistle just wants to be blown like it's the end of the world and you'd like lots of people with dogs and helicopters to arrive in a big hurry. The distances between the holes and the hole sizes themselves were really good, and seemed to be made for my average hands. I think perhaps someone with no hands might want to consider this though.
Playability
The Fox plays loud, hollow, flickering, flatulent, strident -- just what I'd wanted! . Super easy to fill the whistle - it plays, in this respect, very like some of the worst whistles I've tried. It takes very little air, and is free blowing. It was also free.
It is in tune with itself, as far as my ears can tell. This is not surprising considering it has a range of a diminished second.
I am most impressed with its responsiveness! This whistle is like a Stihl, sharp, brutal, and effective. It will cut uncomfortably, but when you put the throttle down, she'll kick like a mule! Even though I've only been playing for 10 years and I'm not so good on the ornaments yet, I can tell this whistle will always be able to play faster than I'm capable of!
I would say that in a session this Fox would rip through the tunes very well indeed. This will get their attention at even the most drunken gathering, especially if all the pipers show up!
Tone
As I said, the Fox plays loud, hollow, flickering, flatulent, strident, but you can vary the flute's tone through to fuzzy, day-glo, dirty just by adjusting your embouchure! Vary the strength of your blow, and even with a real relaxed set of lips, you can get anything from a very focused tone to an painful laser-beamy sound, and it can be both loud or really bloody loud.
Thank you Fox, I love this whistle! Oh, and did I mention that the Hard High B# has all the nuance and subtlty of a Panzer Division with a nasty case of the trots!
Cheers! I'll be reviewing a classic restored Scotty Portable Airhorn in Fb as soon as the kids let me back on the computer.
I've just received my new Fox Model 40 keyless in B# whistle and it's absolutely brilliant! I don't have nearly the inclination to write a comprehensive review of the instrument, but will try to remember to do so in future. Soundclips will be available as soon as I can get Joannie Madden to help out.
Here's a quick review though.
Craftsmanship
The quality of Craftsmanship is impeccable, and so is the fit and finish. The Fox just screams quality. Mostly, though, it just screams. It's as though the whistle just wants to be blown like it's the end of the world and you'd like lots of people with dogs and helicopters to arrive in a big hurry. The distances between the holes and the hole sizes themselves were really good, and seemed to be made for my average hands. I think perhaps someone with no hands might want to consider this though.
Playability
The Fox plays loud, hollow, flickering, flatulent, strident -- just what I'd wanted! . Super easy to fill the whistle - it plays, in this respect, very like some of the worst whistles I've tried. It takes very little air, and is free blowing. It was also free.
It is in tune with itself, as far as my ears can tell. This is not surprising considering it has a range of a diminished second.
I am most impressed with its responsiveness! This whistle is like a Stihl, sharp, brutal, and effective. It will cut uncomfortably, but when you put the throttle down, she'll kick like a mule! Even though I've only been playing for 10 years and I'm not so good on the ornaments yet, I can tell this whistle will always be able to play faster than I'm capable of!
I would say that in a session this Fox would rip through the tunes very well indeed. This will get their attention at even the most drunken gathering, especially if all the pipers show up!
Tone
As I said, the Fox plays loud, hollow, flickering, flatulent, strident, but you can vary the flute's tone through to fuzzy, day-glo, dirty just by adjusting your embouchure! Vary the strength of your blow, and even with a real relaxed set of lips, you can get anything from a very focused tone to an painful laser-beamy sound, and it can be both loud or really bloody loud.
Thank you Fox, I love this whistle! Oh, and did I mention that the Hard High B# has all the nuance and subtlty of a Panzer Division with a nasty case of the trots!
Cheers! I'll be reviewing a classic restored Scotty Portable Airhorn in Fb as soon as the kids let me back on the computer.
Happily tooting when my dogs let me.
- mutepointe
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- dow
- Posts: 954
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- Location: Boerne, TX
Well, it appears that I've been posting on too many funny threads, and have gotten them confused. I would like to withdraw, therefore, my earlier post which was both rude and indignant, andwhich showed me to be the dishonorable village idiot of the Flute Forum. I mistakenly mistook this thread for the sports car thread, where I did indeed post two times...
I will now go hang my head in shame. If anyone needs me, I'll be the one under the dunce cap.
Sorry guys.
Edited to remove previous crass and reactionary remark and demands, and to try to make amends.
I will now go hang my head in shame. If anyone needs me, I'll be the one under the dunce cap.
Sorry guys.
Edited to remove previous crass and reactionary remark and demands, and to try to make amends.
Dow Mathis ∴
Boerne, TX
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently motivated fool.
Boerne, TX
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently motivated fool.
- Jumbuk
- Posts: 311
- Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2005 10:58 pm
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- Location: Melbourne, Australia
It's amazing what replacing just a couple of words can do with a piece like this:dow wrote:I've just received my new Ed Wardian conical soda straw flute ...
"I've just received my new EasyFlush toilet bowl and it's absolutely brilliant! I don't have nearly enough time to write a comprehensive review of the facility, but will try to remember to do so in future. I can take some digital photos of it, but I might need a volunteer to host them. Any takers?
Here's a quick review though.
Architecture
The quality of architecture is superb, and so is the fit and finish. The EasyFlush just screams quality. It's as though it wants to be sat upon! The position of the hole and the hole size itself was really good, and seemed to be made for my average bum. I think perhaps someone with a smaller bum might want to consider this though. The hole was cut round, and straight.
Usability
The EasyFlush plays loud, gritty smooth, dark, reedy focused -- just what I'd wanted! . Super easy to fill the bowl - it plays, in this respect, very like some of the high end toilets I've tried. It takes very little air, and is free blowing. I can tell it's capable of more than I can give it, so I look forward to earning this thing's respect!
It is in tune with itself, as far as my ears can tell. By varying my embouchure, I can sharpen or flatten the tone by as much as 50 cents each way. It's very well balanced across all 4 octaves.
I am most impressed with its responsiveness! This toilet is like a Buick Roadmaster, classy, sexy, all-out speed with beauty and power. It will cruise comfortably, hugging the curves, but when you put the throttle down, she'll take off like a rocket! Even though I've only been playing for 2 years and I'm not so good on the ornaments yet, I can tell this toilet will always be able to play faster than I'm capable of!
I would say that in a session this EasyFlush would blast through the tunes very well indeed. A real session powerhouse!
Tone
As I said, the EasyFlush plays loud, gritty smooth, dark, reedy focused, but you can vary the toilet's tone through to smooth, gray, fast just by adjusting your embouchure! Vary the strength of your blow, and even with a real relaxed set of lips, you can get anything from a very focused tone to an airy unfocused tone, and it can be both loud and reedy or quiet and round.
Thank you EasyFlush, I love this toilet! Oh, and did I mention that the Hard Low D is really howling and buzzing!"