Windward African Olive Flute......

[s1m0n]

Subject: Windward African Olive Flute......

Ok it's beautiful, so what? :D

...

Had a nice laugh while reading this PM the OP have just sent me :D
Sorry mods, couldn't resist posting it here. Won't happen again. :)

How uncouth. Posting this is exactly what was called for.

[s1m0n]

I can't get any of the windward pages to load. Is anyone else having trouble?

Edited:

Ah, perhaps that's it. Windward's web designer appears to have opted to use mandatory Flash to cut down on traffic and disqualify potential customers. How, um, brilliant!

[LorenzoFlute]

Now I really feel that I should put a clip of me playing in my signature. More likely after my uni exams...

[johnkerr]

I tried out a few of Forbes Christie's flutes when he was up at the CIAW last year, or was it the year before? Anyway, he makes a nice flute. Which is as far into a review as I'll go. Of course, I'd say the same about Patrick Olwell or the anonymous employee(s) at the Rudall and Rose factory who made the flutes I own and play.

[Denny]

clip

We want: a full biography (back at least two generations); a detailed analysis of yer first musical encounter, with a running dialog of any subsequent influences; a detailed list of all musical instruments that you have ever touched, further notes on those you attempted to sound, etc.; current photos; and clips of at least 3 (5 would be better) different types of Irish tunes.

On the up side, it matters not how horrid yer playing!

We should grant a waiver until two weeks after yer exams.
I'll put in a word for ya! (it will not help)

[Latticino]

Jim,

I'm sure you are aware that there have been multiple reviews of Windward Flutes in the past, including this one:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=52877&p=688541&hili ... rd#p688541 where I added my, admittedly novice perceptions. (Oops, I just re-read the thread and see that Chris may have already referenced this thread. My apologies for the duplication if there is one).

I do understand the drive to get a professionally standardized report on a flute on the order of a Consumer Reports analysis, but short of setting up a foundation to build one of those robotic flute players, purchase every variety of modern and antique flute, and create a full blown study (no pun intended...) I think we are going to have to settle for what we have been getting on this site.

Unfortunately I'm now getting the impression that only expert players who have gotten a chance to play a particular instrument for an extended period of time are being solicited for feedback. While that might be an optimumal review for another expert, I'm not all that sure that a more novice viewpoint wouldn't have value for others. After all we all seem to have different preferences for type of flute (embochure, keys, modern vs antique, Prattenesque vs Rudalesque...). I think some of the more expert players, who can get fantastic tone from a garden hose, may have forgotten their roots. Even with just a year or two under my belt, and struggling to improve tone and playing speed, I feel I can make a distinction between the differential ease of ornamentation and playing in the upper registers on my antique Metzler vs my Seery Pratten.

Sorry to rant on, and this post probably belongs with a different topic. I really have no objection to your post either, as you are accepting of other reviewers as long as they somehow indicate their status. Still, for those of us who don't have hundreds of posts under our belt, or are known professionals, it is difficult to constantly be adding an admission of novicehood. Should we try to institute some kind of ranking system for reviewers? What would the hierarchy be? Are player/manufacturers ranked higher than player/collectors or professional musicians? What about people who only own one flute vs those with a stable? People who come from Boehm roots vs those who started out with the whistle? Lot of variables...

[jim stone]

The whole of my suggestion is to encourage people reviewing
flutes to say something about themselves, give 'a bit of context' which may help the reader
put the review in perspective. That's all. Repeat. That's all.

Doesn't require equipment, know how or anything elaborate.
If one has played for only six months, there is no shame in that.
Once it was true of Harry Bradley. Not embarassing to say so.

This isn't a control trip. Nor is it an implicit request for something
more elaborate. I believe this one, minimal, easily done thing,
will go as far as solving our problem as we can go
without creating a serious down side. This is the
least imperfect solution. Nor is it a requirement.
I encourage people to do it.

If novices want to post reviews, that's OK with me.

[scheky]

I can't really disagree with Jim here. Heck, I'm a novice. I still have days where I can't get a tone at all, nevermind a good tone. When I give any answers on flutes, it's always a new player asking about something to start on. I'm qualified to give that advice (I've owned a few flutes the different times I've tried to start this instrument).

I really only started to be serious about Flute about 3 months ago. I put the whistles aside, and I spend more time on Flute than Concertina now. Given that, I can tell you from a rank beginner what's easiest to blow on and how much a flute wears down the arms after playing a bit. I have a decent idea how much air one requires to fill for a beginner. I also know the limitations of all the instruments I'm playing or have played is me. Thus, I don't review them, but compare some specific qualities. Also, since I have some pretty bad wood allergies, I stick to the plastic variants.

Still, were I posting a review, even from a beginner's perspective, I'd post a clip. You really can't review an instrument properly without one. Even if it's just playing the scale...it's something. Be honest about your ability. Explain what qualities you like in the instrument, because that will color the review.

That's my 2c anyway.