red lancewood

[tucson_whistler]

out of curiosity, does anyone know why Mr. Grinter makes his Bb flutes out of red lancewood? i'm wondering why, if it's a good wood for Bb flute, doesn't anyone make a D flute out of it? too expensive?

I saw Earle Bartlett makes whistles out of it, so now i'm really confused... i had thought certain woods look pretty (pink ivory) so you can make a whistle out of them, but aren't dense enough to sound good as a D flute. but if you can make a whistle out of red lancewood, and it's also good enough for a Bb flute, why not a D?

thanks...

eric

[Feadoggie]

does anyone know why Mr. Grinter makes his Bb flutes out of red lancewood?

You'd have to ask Mr. Grinter. I could speculate a bit though. Red Lancewood is a hard, stable, heavy, available local timber that probably is readily sourced in dimensions needed to make Bb flutes. Red Lancewood turns well and has a nice look to it.

I'm not one of those in the camp that says every wood sounds different. The sound is more defined by the flute design, the quality of the build and the player's experience than the wood (provided it is a suitable timber in the first place). Terry McGee has made flutes in red lancewood if I am not mistaken. From his website..

Red Lancewood

Also known as Dead Finish, an abbreviation for Dead Smooth Finish, a tribute to the working qualities of this lovely Australian timber. It is quite silky and innocuous to work, rather reminiscent of cocus.

I would think Terry could give you a good idea how suitable it is for flutes.

I do have one of Bartlett's red lancewood whistles. It's a nice whistle and the wood is attractive. It had a nice aroma to it when it was new. It has darkened quite a bit over time.

Feadoggie

[Irish Marine]

I've seen a Grinter D in red lancewood. Looked nice but not sure it sounded any different than a blackwood or cocuswood Grinter D.

[tucson_whistler]

i can understand the local thing i guess, although i expect Michael Grinter could get a piece of blackwood big enough for Kevin Crawford if he wanted to. but i'm also starting to think the wood doesn't matter as much as i thought before; i've tried boxwood and blackwood and ivory and they don't seem much different to me, but the embouchure cut sure makes a big difference.

anyway, i've love to give a red lancewood Grinter D a try some day...

thanks,
eric

[Denny]

red lancewood isn't used for clarinets

the clarinet makers buy a lot of blackwood
who do you think gets to pick first?

[talasiga]

.......I do have one of Bartlett's red lancewood whistles. It's a nice whistle and the wood is attractive. It had a nice aroma to it when it was new. It has darkened quite a bit over time.

Feadoggie

My C whistle (Syn) has that black peppery scent. Just a suggestion of it.
Is that how you would describe it?

[Feadoggie]

My C whistle (Syn) has that black peppery scent. Just a suggestion of it. Is that how you would describe it?

I don't know, talasiga. It was definitly a pleasant aroma and I was not expecting it in the whistle. It did strike me as a spice smell. Words fail me on this one. So perhaps peppery is it after all.

Does yours have the tulip-bulb shaped head?

Feadoggie

[talasiga]

@ feadoggie
Yeah

@ eric
I went into GRinter website couldn't see anything about Bb flutes.
Help me here as I really like phantasizing about the flute d'amour.

[tucson_whistler]

@ feadoggie
Yeah

@ eric
I went into GRinter website couldn't see anything about Bb flutes.
Help me here as I really like phantasizing about the flute d'amour.

yes, he doesn't list it; i don't know why not--maybe he prefers not to make them? i don't know. but Kevin Crawford plays his Lunasa tune Inion Ni Scannlain on a red lancewood Bb Grinter, and i've seen pictures of the existence of at least one more.

eric

[kkrell]

@ feadoggie
Yeah

@ eric
I went into GRinter website couldn't see anything about Bb flutes.
Help me here as I really like phantasizing about the flute d'amour.

yes, he doesn't list it; i don't know why not--maybe he prefers not to make them? i don't know. but Kevin Crawford plays his Lunasa tune Inion Ni Scannlain on a red lancewood Bb Grinter, and i've seen pictures of the existence of at least one more.

eric

Kevin Crawford also played a Bb Grinter on WFO2 ("The Hut in the Bog/ Creggs Pipes")

Kevin Krell