Buying a middle-range irish flute - advice needed

[b_jean]

Hello,
i was consideringon which flute to choose by the price around 400 dollars and thats what i have found -

(all models are keyless D)

1) Sweetheart Resonans Flute in rosewood $375
http://www.sweetheartflute.com/irishflutes.html

2) Delrin Polymer Flutes (Keyless) by Copley and Boegli $440
http://www.copleyflutes.com/catalog.html

3) Rob Forbes Tunable keyless Pratten-style flute in Delrin, with metal rings, key of D $395
http://www.forbesflutes.com/ordering.html

That will be my second flute in life after dixon 2-piece (which is not too good) and the middle step to a Really Good Expensive Flute).

I have listened to the given sound samples either, but i really don't know!))) non of them seem to be perfect, but it depends on who is playing i think.

So i really need an advice from people who has experienced those flutes.

Which one to choose?
Or maybe you know a better option to suggest?
Any help highly appreciated.

b_jean

[b_jean]

and also i've found another good option - M&E Keyless Polymer D
http://www.irishflutes.net/mef/Product_Descriptions.htm

really need an expert's advice!

thanks,
b_jean

[Jayhawk]

They're all good flutes...get one you like (either by looks or sound of other players...although it's the player that leads to most of the sound not the flute)...and practice, practice, practice.

Eric

[radcliff]

Forbes all life long!
a very nice and cheap flute!
otherwise you can save your money for a Hamilton or an Olwell.

;- )

[chas]

I haven't played the Forbes, so can't comment. The other three are all good flutes; it depends on what you're looking for. I loved the way the M&E sounded and played, but it is a VERY heavy flute, and I just couldn't deal with the weight. I've had mixed success with Sweet flutes, but I haven't been excited by any of them. The only reason I would get the Sweet over the Copley is if I really wanted a wooden flute. I've been very pleased with my Copley polymer flute; it's the only poly flute I've kept. I'm not crazy about the modern-cut embouchure, but they're available with oval embouchures now. It's really easy to play, has excellent sound, and it's well-balanced.

[ancientfifer]

What about the Seery Polymer keyless as it sounds on the cd posted in another discussion, see viewtopic.php?f=2&t=73217&hilit=free+cd

[Denny]

Forbes all life long!
a very nice and cheap flute!
otherwise you can save your money for a Hamilton or an Olwell.

;- )

a bit wordy.....but

[jim stone]

The copley blackwood flute at 550 beats all of these, I bet.
Or save your money for something really good.

[Denny]

Forbes is really good

as long as ya don't mind a Pratten

[LorenzoFlute]

If you like pratten-style flutes (big holes, big tone) definitely go for the Forbes. Somebody mentioned the Seery, I've tried both and the Forbes was far superior (and cheaper).

[b_jean]

Thanks to everybody! Really helpful.

Saving money is a nice option too))
It's just that i would like to play at least on something better, than Dixon in the meantime )

[MarkP]

all good advice. I could add to the mix some things I'm thinking of selling to fund an adventurous purchase:

[edited for non-commercial posting - these flutes now to be listed over in instrument exchange forum...]

[jemtheflute]

MarkP's German flute is a really good example and for the way it plays should be worth rather more, but being German limits its value. If you want to go straight to an affordable and approachably playable 8-key intermediate standard flute, you'd struggle to find better value. (BTW, I have no pecuniary interest in it, but I did overhaul it recently.....).

video demo clip after overhaul

Although some of the modern-made keyless flutes are excellent, including some/most of those mentioned, personally I'd go for the wood and the keys every time - a far more forward-looking investment for someone at your stage of playing, and a flute in this case that would serve you well right up until you could afford/justify moving into upper echelon instruments, whether antique or new-made. It would let you explore/give you experience (at an ideal stage in your learning curve) of having keys available for similar money to the kind of keyless you are contemplating, so when you eventually moved on up you'd know if you'd want keys on your "for life" top range flute. Meantime you'd find it pretty satisfying and development enabling/driving from a tone-production angle.

[hans]

I am sorry to say, but I think it is not right to place any advertisements of flutes to sell in this thread, neither new, overhauled or second hand flutes. It seems to generally violate the commercial use of this forum. And the OP inquires specifically about other models.

[Holmes]

Although some of the modern-made keyless flutes are excellent, including some/most of those mentioned, personally I'd go for the wood and the keys every time

Keys & wood everytime. Keyless are for fending off drunks & general blowpipe work,H