Traditional Irish Music
Hey Flute Players,
I want to get my first Irish flute and I need some guidance as to where and what type of Irish flute I should get. I've played tin whistle for about 2 years and classical flute for 7 years --so I think I'm kind of familiar with how to play those.
I was thinking of getting a delrin plastic flute.
Any thoughts?
Tags:
No Mike, I have tried lots of other Doyle flutes. Also everyone I've ever met with a Doyle flute has said how happy they are to have bought one. The one I bought for my daughter was perfectly in tune. Most other people would have found the flute perfectly acceptable. I just found that the bottom D was not as strong as my own Doyle. When I saw Martin to get a replacement, I played about a dozen and they were all excellent.
As for Delrin, I haven't played that many Delrin flutes. I have played one made by Desi Seery which I found to be excellent. I don't think that the material a flute is made from is of paramount importance, as long as it is dense enough. Ther are some differences in timbre but probably less than one would imagine. I think that the smoothness of the bore is a far more important. As long as a flute has been made with enough care and attention, I think that there will be little discernible difference delrin and wood. You can buy a Dixon plastic flute for £80 or so. It's just a shame that it's got holes in it otherwise it would do for plumbing. A delrin flute is only likely to be cheaper because of the cost of the material. If it's any good, the labour cost should be the same as a wooden one. You get what you pay for in the end. I would advise against trying to learn on a bad instrument, just because it's cheap.
If i may barge in.. What's the difference between car upholstery made of leather vs. synthetic leather?
difference between a uilleann pipes leather bag vs synthetic, between a folding knife handle made of wood or a synthetic one?
(my) answer: Nothing, except it "feels" better to use natural materials..
In the case of a flute, Delrin tends to be heavy and have a slightly slippery surface than wood.
I challenge you to do a "Pepsi challenge" regarding sound between for example Francois Baubets Delrin vs his blackwood flutes ;)
EDIT:
If i may barge in.. What's the difference between car upholstery made of leather vs. synthetic leather?
difference between a uilleann pipes leather bag vs synthetic, between a folding knife handle made of wood or a synthetic one?
(my) answer: Nothing, except it "feels" better to use natural materials..
In the case of a flute, Delrin tends to be heavy and have a slightly slippery surface than wood.
I challenge you to do a "Pepsi challenge" regarding sound between for example Francois Baubets Delrin vs his blackwood flutes ;)
EDIT:
I think the reason is that wood *is* a "nicer" material, more traditional, more attractive etc etc, besides, the work involved in making a flute out of Delrin vs a wooden one is identical, the only difference really is that you can do all steps in rapid succession on a Delrin flute whereas with a wooden one yu have to let the wood settle between turning, boring, reaming etc.
So the way i understand it, Delrin is really more time than labour saving.
(Btw i agree on the clips i provided, they were not meant as a parallell test as such but more of an eye opener to haw good a delrin flute can sound.
Of course you still have the weight and texture issues..
Never underestimate the placebo effect!
At the end of the day it's what *you* hear and feel, and are happy with :)
I had a uilleann piper friend drop his jaw to the floor when trying out one of Andreas Rogges Delrin chanters. He still plays his 4-keyed ebony Donncha Keegan though.
I am a fellow flute player totally smashed by all the different opinions out there as I also try to upgrade from my Casey Burns folk flute. I love my CBFF, however, I cannot tune it and it is missing a little bit of power. As I gain more experience, the key for me is ease of playing. My ring finger is shorter than my index finger. After 10 minutes of playing a flute with the holes straight across my wrists began to hurt! A lot! How can I concentrate on playing if my hands hurt? I found out I needed the holes set at an angle, whether that is "traditional" or not is a moot point for me. The flute should sound rich and full, not need a tremendous amount of adjustment (it will always need some) by me (embouchure, rolling in/out) to stay in tune, and be comfortable to play. Unfortunately it is hard to find a place to compare a lot of different flutes at the same time. I would pick a seller/maker who is willing to let you return the flute you buy so you can figure out what you want/need.
I am loving the discussion by the way. The more information/opinion the better. Plus I just like to "hear" people talk about flutes! This site definitely needs more discussions. I may have to start some of my own.
Danna Hotmar said:
I am a fellow flute player totally smashed by all the different opinions out there as I also try to upgrade from my Casey Burns folk flute. I love my CBFF, however, I cannot tune it and it is missing a little bit of power. As I gain more experience, the key for me is ease of playing. My ring finger is shorter than my index finger. After 10 minutes of playing a flute with the holes straight across my wrists began to hurt! A lot! How can I concentrate on playing if my hands hurt? I found out I needed the holes set at an angle, whether that is "traditional" or not is a moot point for me. The flute should sound rich and full, not need a tremendous amount of adjustment (it will always need some) by me (embouchure, rolling in/out) to stay in tune, and be comfortable to play. Unfortunately it is hard to find a place to compare a lot of different flutes at the same time. I would pick a seller/maker who is willing to let you return the flute you buy so you can figure out what you want/need.
Dave Copley fits your bill regarding the offline holes (although i would advice you to adjust to the flute instead of the other way around) What if you find a "killer" large hole Rudall or Pratten model you absolutely want, then you will have to start all over again adjusting.. I couldn't play a low D whistle at all when i tried it the first time, but by using "pipers grip" (covering some holes with the second joint pad) it's a non issue nowadays.
Rob Forbes has a return policy, and i think Francois Baubet has too.
I have never played a Burns, but the Forbes can be as loud as you want, and at the same time it is easy to fill.
Good luck in finding a flute you love!
Thanks Larry Mor! I will consider that. Even if flutists have different opinions you cannot deny our passion!
Lars 'Larry Mór' Mott said:
Danna Hotmar said:I am a fellow flute player totally smashed by all the different opinions out there as I also try to upgrade from my Casey Burns folk flute. I love my CBFF, however, I cannot tune it and it is missing a little bit of power. As I gain more experience, the key for me is ease of playing. My ring finger is shorter than my index finger. After 10 minutes of playing a flute with the holes straight across my wrists began to hurt! A lot! How can I concentrate on playing if my hands hurt? I found out I needed the holes set at an angle, whether that is "traditional" or not is a moot point for me. The flute should sound rich and full, not need a tremendous amount of adjustment (it will always need some) by me (embouchure, rolling in/out) to stay in tune, and be comfortable to play. Unfortunately it is hard to find a place to compare a lot of different flutes at the same time. I would pick a seller/maker who is willing to let you return the flute you buy so you can figure out what you want/need.
Dave Copley fits your bill regarding the offline holes (although i would advice you to adjust to the flute instead of the other way around) What if you find a "killer" large hole Rudall or Pratten model you absolutely want, then you will have to start all over again adjusting.. I couldn't play a low D whistle at all when i tried it the first time, but by using "pipers grip" (covering some holes with the second joint pad) it's a non issue nowadays.
Rob Forbes has a return policy, and i think Francois Baubet has too.
I have never played a Burns, but the Forbes can be as loud as you want, and at the same time it is easy to fill.
Good luck in finding a flute you love!
I also (try to) play the Northumbrian smallpipes and the set I have (by Dave Shaw) is made from lovely natural materials, i.e. wood, brass and leather (ok, one could argue that brass is not a natural material). There is something wonderful about the cobbler's-shop smell when I open the case and the whole set looks great when newly polished. (If only I was a better player and could do it justice). There is something special about those natural materials, even if there is no sound engineering justification for using them. But of course, I don't care that the inner bag is neoprene - so long as it works and lasts a long time.
Lars 'Larry Mór' Mott said:
Never underestimate the placebo effect!
At the end of the day it's what *you* hear and feel, and are happy with :)
I had a uilleann piper friend drop his jaw to the floor when trying out one of Andreas Rogges Delrin chanters. He still plays his 4-keyed ebony Donncha Keegan though.
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