Considering Trying Flute: Questions on Tuning and Tipple PVC

[keytonw]

Greetings All,

I have posted one time some time back. I play mostly Irish mandolin, but have begun playing whistle some and would like to try flute.

I'm considering a Tipple PVC flute. They look like a good way to try the whole flute thing out without losing an arm and/or leg.

From various posts, it looks like folks like them.

I have a few questions for the group:
1. Are there any newbie flute players out there that STARTED with a Tipple? If so, tell me about your experience.

2. What would the group members recommend re: type (number of pieces, holes, etc)? I am thinking of an 8-hole 3-piece flute.

3. How hard is it to tune (please take into consideration that I have a decent ear but have never tuned a flute)?

4. Do I want/need a wedge? What is this? Why do I care about it? My guess is that there is already a thread somewhere on this one, so please just point me in right direction.

Thank you all.

Best,
Keyton

[jim stone]

I've never played one of Doug's flutes,
but they are well, and often, spoken of here.
You might do a search on Tipple flutes or whatever.
Plenty of info about the wedge, etc.
Also others more knowledgeable will
chime in. Hope you go stay with us, Jim

[monkey587]

1. Me. I've been quite pleased with it. The tone and tuning are great, and the ergo positioning is really comfortable. My teacher seemed to think it was good, too, and I liked the sound of it a bit better than her flute, which is quite a good one. I've seen some people say Tipples have somewhat of a low-whistley sound to them, and that's fine with me.

2. Mine is an 8-hole 3-piece gray one. I like it a lot... I don't know what difference the extra holes really make, but 3 piece is nice for individual adjustments for hand positioning.

3. Not hard at all. Just blow into it and push/pull the head joint until it's in tune with whatever you're tuning to.

4. I didn't get the wedge. I may try it at some point, but it's not hard to play it in tune, so I don't feel particularly compelled to try it now. His website says it's a little harder for beginners to learn with the wedge, because I guess it's less forgiving of embouchure, so I thought I'd wait.

[vomitbunny]

I've started on a Tipple. Shopping around for some wood now. Still happy with the Tipple. Just want some wood.
Big holes. I got mine in line. Not to hard to cover though. But, I play piper grip, so it may vary for some people. People say it's easy to fill, but I really don't have anything to compare it to. The low notes come out pretty easy, and seem to have a fair amount of volume. Almost like you can feel it vibrate on the low D. I've gotten to where I can play most of the things on it that I played on whistle, without huffing and puffing too bad. I can play stuff easier on it now than I can low whistle.
I got the eight hole two piece. Wish I'd gotten the three, so I could smuggle it into work easier.
As far as tuning goes, I have to pull out between 3/4 and a whole inch to play with others. C nat is best with 0xxx0x. Still winds up being a tad sharp.
BTW, the contact paper covering looks better than you would imagine. You can always take it off if you don't like it. I see a lot of people with plain ones.
In general, my experience has been very very good. I didn't start working at it much until a month ago, and I feel about half or better as competant on the Tipple as I did on whistle. So it must be a fairly easy starter. I want more flutes for the same reason I needed more whistles. Nothing wrong with what I have, I just need more.
Sorry for the disorganize ramble. I had to get up and do work in between words.

Ps. I got the wedge. It does seem to help with the high notes pitch. Hard to tell if it alters the tone though. I believe it worth it.

[fyffer]

My $0.02 (worth less now than it was a year ago, what with the bad exchange rate and all...) interspersed below....

1. Are there any newbie flute players out there that STARTED with a Tipple? If so, tell me about your experience.

That'd be me, too. Though I had been a fifer for a few years, my Tipple is my first "real" flute. Overall, it's well worth what I paid for it. I've already session-tested it, and once they got over the shock of me bringing a piece of plumbing pipe, it now seems to be just "what I do", so it's all good. I'm not real good yet, so I don't know if the problems I'm having result from the flute or from my inexperience (e.g. low notes don't speak well for me)

2. What would the group members recommend re: type (number of pieces, holes, etc)? I am thinking of an 8-hole 3-piece flute.

I have a 2-piece 6-hole, white, inline holed, dimpled bore (see #4 below). The inline is good for me because I have long fingers, and use standard grip. I didn't get the 8-hole, because I'm wasn't convinced that there was any acoustic difference between the 8- and 6-hole. Now I wonder if that's the issue with my quiet low notes. The 2-piece is a bit unwieldy, and if I were to do it again, I'd get an 8-hole, 3-piece, still inline holed and dimpled.

3. How hard is it to tune (please take into consideration that I have a decent ear but have never tuned a flute)?

Piece o'cake. Just pull it out, or push it in. It doesn't take much time to warm up, since it's plastic. Doug has designed it so that is should be in tune (A 440) with the headjoint out about 1/2 inch. That seems about right to me. However, mine can pull out about 2 full inches or more, but beware, of course, intonation suffers greatly with this much detuning.

4. Do I want/need a wedge? What is this? Why do I care about it? My guess is that there is already a thread somewhere on this one, so please just point me in right direction.

I recommend getting the "dimpled" bore rather than the wedge. You can only get white with this (if he has any left), and somehow, without the wedge, this factory-reject pipe makes the octaves in tune; the reason for the wedge with a smooth-bored pipe is that it simulates a boehm tapered headjoint, which helps keep the octaves in tune (Did I get that right Doug)

Thank you all.

Best,
Keyton

You're welcome.

[Unseen122]

The Tipple was not my first Flute it was my third my first was a "Folkwinds" PVC Flute which I don't think are avalible anymore they used to be on eBay but not anymore. My second was a Hall Crystal with Ivy pattern. The Third was the Tipple and hands down it is 10 times better than the other Flutes. I have no wedge or dimpled bore as mine is pre those things but the octaves are in tune in fact the G to g is perfect maybe 1 or 2 cents off but I just tested it when I got home about an hour ago. I have an 8 holer 2 piece I would rather have a 3 piece I am also convinced that 8 holers are better for the way I play and helor strength in the low notes because there are still holes opened on the D and it is harder to play with all the holes closed. Fyffer your problem with low notes may be due to the fact that it takes a looser embochure and since you are more of a Fiffer that may be your problem as yoiu are used to the tighter embochure. I say the 8 hole 3 piece is the best choice. A Tipple is a great starter and beater Flute (since you are a mando player you know what I mean as back in my mando days that was a common thing on the Cafe ).

See my signature for more encouraging words.

[monkey587]

I just got a wedge from Doug, moved my cork according to his specification, and dropped the wedge into the flute. I'm amazed at the results... the intonation in the upper octave is spot on now without having to compensate with my embouchure (now that I know more about playing than I did before). It took an hour or so go get used to it, but I'm thrilled with it. I do think it sounds better, and I assume that is because the overtones are in tune with the fundamental now. I could be wrong.

Nonetheless, my $100 PVC/wedge flute from Tipple is as in tune and smooth sounding as my sweetheart flute, and it's also louder and more powerful.

Condensation keeps the wedge from moving..........

[tin tin]

Get the wedge. (Or the dimpled bore, if Doug still has it in stock.) It greatly improves tuning in the second octave.

[eskin]

Hi!

I'd highly suggest getting the wedge, it really improves the ease of achieving good second octave intonation.

Cheers,

Michael