McGee 4-Key Rudall-Carte Blackwood
My latest and hopefully final Irish flute acqusition for a long time....
Right in between the Hamilton and the M&E Rudall, quite loud with a very clear tone.
A very powerful and consistent instrument across its entire range.
Click here for the McGee Flutes Home Page
A definite session weapon... Large bore, big holes, very loud, can produce both a huge sound
as well as a sweet quiet tone if required. Also very powerful and consistent instrument.
Click here for the Hamilton Flutes Home Page
M&E Rudall and Rose Keyless in Delrin
Fantastic flute, indestructable, huge sound, compares favorably with flutes 4x in price.
When I travel on business, this is the flute I take with me to sessions.
I highly recommend this instrument for anyone in the market for a flute, delrin or wood.
Click here for the M&E Flutes Home Page
Antique 1857 Metzler 8-Key Cocuswood
Fully restored to its original splendor. Not the loudest flute in the bunch,
but very easy to play across both octaves. Plays in the key of D with the
slide out about an inch, or in D-sharp with the slide nearly all the way in.
Mine has the silver lip plate as well as silver rings around all the tone holes.
Antique 1857 Metzler 8-Key Cocuswood, with custom Hamilton Headjoint
In mid-2003, I had Colin Hamilton build a custom headjoint for the instrument
optimized for A440. The result was a much more stable and powerful first octave
while still retaining the ease of play across the octaves.
A great alternative to a high-D whistle. Not too loud, blends well with other instruments.
Click here for the Skip Healy Flutes Home Page
My first quasi-traditional flute. Quiet and diffuse tone, but very sweet. Very small holes.
An excellent starter flute and not bad for performance if amplified.
Click here for more information
Updated 6 September 2004
Over the past couple of weeks Robert has sent me first one of his inline 8-hole flutes to try, and now a prototype of an 8-hole flute with a 3-piece body that allows independent rotation of the right and left hand sections for maximum playing comfort. This is my ultimate PVC flute, very light, comfortable in the hand, with a huge bottom octave. Robert also provided a very nice handmade bag for the instrument.
I'm incredibly impressed with this instrument, its hard to believe one could turn a simple piece of pipe into such a nice instrument, and I very much hope that he makes this model available to the public. I wish a flute like this had been available when I started playing the Irish flute, and would happily recommend it to anyone who wants a flute for traditional music, without the weight of resin flutes or concern about cracking on wooden flutes.
This updated recording is with the same flute and Robert's new headjoint wedge, which brings the second octave very nicely into tune with far less effort than usually required on a cylindrical flute design.
Click here to find one on eBay
Antique 1900 Wallis High-G Brass
Another eBay find. So small it will actually fit inside of the Copeland high-D.
I bought it as a novelty act, and it suprised me with how sweetly and in tune it plays
Linda found this little bamboo whistle in San Francisco's Chinatown for a couple of bucks.
My primary session weapon. Loud, clear tone, plays well in tune, bullet-proof whistle.
Click here for the Copeland Woodwinds Home Page
Slightly more mellow than the brass, also a nice session whistle.
Click here for the Copeland Woodwinds Home Page
Very clear sweet tone but you have to underblow the C naturals
if you want to stick with the oxx ooo fingering.
Click here for the Chiff and Fipple Sindt review
Cillian O'Briain Improved High-D Brass
This one stays in the car for practicing at stop lights. Nice "stealth" whistle for
those sessions where I'm going to get teased for having a Copeland.
Click here for more information
Waited a year for this one. I think the first octave B is quite flat even when pushed.
With the tuning slide all the way in, it plays perfectly in tune in something like C#.
I keep this one primarily for solo work.
Click here for the Copeland Woodwinds Home Page
Sold and bought this back from a friend. Excellent for D-dorian mode tunes.
I generally keep this one on the table during sessions.
Click here for the Burke Whistles Home Page
Got this to play with my friends who have flat B Uilleann sets.
Click here for the Overton Home Page
Modifed Generation B-Flat Nickel
Filled the fipple space with wax, sanded the blade a bit.
I love the sound of this whistle.
Awesome whistle, lots of pop and very clear sweet tone.
Click here for the Chiff and Fipple Sindt review
Very hard whistle to play, but once it warms up, it has a very nice tone.
Narrow fipple tends to clog and one has to be careful
when crossing the octave to avoid squeaking.
Came as a set with one fipple and two bodies, G and A.
Click here for The Whistle Shop, a Harper dealer
Bought this for all those cool Michael McGoldrick and Lunasa tunes.
Purchased it directly from Colin Goldie in Germany.
Click here for the Overton Home Page
The ultimate low-D whistle. A banjo-playing friend had this in his closet for many years,
asked me at a party "Hey Michael, I have a Copeland Low D whistle I don't play.
Do you think you might want to buy it?". Takes everything you can throw at it.
Click here for the Copeland Woodwinds Home Page
My primary instrument, well built, plays in tune, very stable reeds.
I can't say enough good things about Kirk's instruments. Should have
a 3/4 set from Kirk very shortly.
Click here for Kirk Lynch's Home Page
Benedict Koehler / David Quinn C Chanter
Wonderful, wonderful flat chanter that I just can't put down once I start playing.
Should also have a 3/4 set very shortly.
Click here for more info on Koehler and Quinn