Advice on buying a flute
Rather than falling upon ones' flute one might
swallow one's whistle, as in this post from 2002.
Lately when my trainer, Davy Gamble, bounces a medicine ball off my gut while I do situps, something inside me emits a tone of considerable purity and sweetness. Finally I brought an electronic tuner to the gym--the note is a C, spot on.
I decided to have it checked out. Dr.
Weintraub, an expert endoscopist at Barnes
Jewish Hospital, performed the procedure,
assisted by two muscular nurses, Gertrude
and Brunhilde, who held me in place as the
scope navigated my innards.
"I see something up ahead," Dr. Weintraub
announced, peering at the TV monitor. "It looks like a tube, with four,
no, six holes. There's a red mouthpiece
and a logo: 'G' 'E' 'N'..."
"I know!" I exclaimed. "It was the philosophy and neuroscience picnic. I was
guzzling beer and playing my high G whistle
at the same time. Later I couldn't find the
whistle..."
"Well, it's lodged in your duodenum pretty
good" Dr. Weintraub said. "I can't budge it
with the scope."
"I don't want it out. I want to control
the pitch."
"Maybe we can arrange that much.
Cross your right leg over your left leg
and swivel your hips. Good! Brunhilde,
punch Professor Stone in the solar plexus,
please."
Whack!
Tweet!
"That was a D!"
"OK, now reverse, the left leg over the
right one.."
Whack!
Tweet!
"That was an A! Thanks, Doc! Let's
try for the second octave!"
"This is one for the journals, alright."
So there you have it. My digestive
system now doubles as a bagpipe. When
Davy bounces the ball of my gut I can
play B.B. King tunes, which really cracks
him up. Also I can sing duets with myself.
I do have to gyrate my hips, but, hey,
so did Elvis.
Next week Dr. Weintraub, Gertrude,
Brunhilde and I are going to work
on crans.
swallow one's whistle, as in this post from 2002.
Lately when my trainer, Davy Gamble, bounces a medicine ball off my gut while I do situps, something inside me emits a tone of considerable purity and sweetness. Finally I brought an electronic tuner to the gym--the note is a C, spot on.
I decided to have it checked out. Dr.
Weintraub, an expert endoscopist at Barnes
Jewish Hospital, performed the procedure,
assisted by two muscular nurses, Gertrude
and Brunhilde, who held me in place as the
scope navigated my innards.
"I see something up ahead," Dr. Weintraub
announced, peering at the TV monitor. "It looks like a tube, with four,
no, six holes. There's a red mouthpiece
and a logo: 'G' 'E' 'N'..."
"I know!" I exclaimed. "It was the philosophy and neuroscience picnic. I was
guzzling beer and playing my high G whistle
at the same time. Later I couldn't find the
whistle..."
"Well, it's lodged in your duodenum pretty
good" Dr. Weintraub said. "I can't budge it
with the scope."
"I don't want it out. I want to control
the pitch."
"Maybe we can arrange that much.
Cross your right leg over your left leg
and swivel your hips. Good! Brunhilde,
punch Professor Stone in the solar plexus,
please."
Whack!
Tweet!
"That was a D!"
"OK, now reverse, the left leg over the
right one.."
Whack!
Tweet!
"That was an A! Thanks, Doc! Let's
try for the second octave!"
"This is one for the journals, alright."
So there you have it. My digestive
system now doubles as a bagpipe. When
Davy bounces the ball of my gut I can
play B.B. King tunes, which really cracks
him up. Also I can sing duets with myself.
I do have to gyrate my hips, but, hey,
so did Elvis.
Next week Dr. Weintraub, Gertrude,
Brunhilde and I are going to work
on crans.
Thank you all for the responses, and thank for that list Tintin, it's just what I need. My budget for now is in the $500 neighborhood, though I could increase that, based on recommendations. I don't mind waiting 6-8 months for a decent flute. If I start with a keyless flute, will I have trouble moving to a keyed flute later, if choose to do so? (Is it better to take the plunge and start with a more complex instrument?).
Last edited by Fishie on Wed Apr 27, 2005 8:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
David Levine
- Posts: 673
- Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2003 12:55 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: Kilshanny, Co. Clare, ROI
Ireland
Flutes are cheaper and better over here. The Euro is now about $1.35. Ireland levies a 20% VA Tax on purchases -- refundable within a few weeks of departure, but still.... Music shops in Ireland have flutes for about €200 that look good but are best avoided.
You'd do better to buy from somebody here whom you trust or who is recommended to you.
You'd do better to buy from somebody here whom you trust or who is recommended to you.
Time will tell who has fell and who's been left behind,
Most likely you'll go your way, I'll go mine.
Most likely you'll go your way, I'll go mine.
-
Doc Jones
- Posts: 3672
- Joined: Sun May 12, 2002 6:00 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Location: Southern Idaho, USA
- Contact:
And how, pray tell, does one find Irish eBay?andrewK wrote:You may care to follow the flutes on Irish eBay to get au fait with the market there.
Doc
Doc's BookWant to learn about medicinal herbs?
Doc's Website
Want to become a Clinical Herbalist? Doc's Herb School
No you won't have trouble. It's the way to start, no question.Fishie wrote:Thank you all for the responses, and thank for that list Tintin, it's just what I need. My budget for now is in the $500 neighborhood, though I could increase that, based on recommendations. I don't mind waiting 6-8 months for a decent flute. If I start with a keyless flute, will I have trouble moving to a keyed flute later, if choose to do so? (Is it better to take the plunge and start with a more complex instrument?).
A more complex instrument is overdoing it, and keyless
flutes are very good anyhow.
The Copley' costs more but they're solidly good and
avialiable quickly. You might search on Dave Copley.
They have a tuning slide
and a lined head. The CB flutes at 450 in mopane
are also good, but lack a tuning slide and a
lined head. A tuning slide
may help you project better, which can be valuable;
on the other hand it's less woody a sound--some
difference of opinion here, but I like lined heads
when playing with other instruments. The tuning
slide can be very helpful for the same reason.
But there are plenty of good flutes.
Are you having me on, dogdoc ?
If you don't want to use Google, which no doubt you have heard of, you can go to the opening page of eBay and scroll to the bottom. Click on whichever country you are interested in, including Ireland.
I trust that is not beyond you !
I would have expected that you as a seller on eBay would know all about something so basic !
Is this yet another example of American insularity ( he says with his tongue in his cheek )
Fishie, you might consider buying a Martin Doyle flute at Christmas, those being so competitively priced, and no carriage being involved, and no duty if you play your cards right.
If you don't want to use Google, which no doubt you have heard of, you can go to the opening page of eBay and scroll to the bottom. Click on whichever country you are interested in, including Ireland.
I trust that is not beyond you !
I would have expected that you as a seller on eBay would know all about something so basic !
Is this yet another example of American insularity ( he says with his tongue in his cheek )
Fishie, you might consider buying a Martin Doyle flute at Christmas, those being so competitively priced, and no carriage being involved, and no duty if you play your cards right.
-
brianormond
- Posts: 850
- Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2002 6:00 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
I think you were referring to "Groundhog Day", Andrew. I thought its endearing parts outweighed its tedious parts, and the thought of keeping repetitive company with Andie McDowell makes me swoon. (or whatever men do when overcome with awe at perfection) Some things bear repetition. This has zip to do with flutes, but Oh! my beating heart! 