Need info for Grinter/Olwell/Murray/Hamilton and others

[Tchie]

Hello,

A month ago, I visited Mr. Jean-Michel Veillon in Britanny. Although I had met him even last summer for the first time, he was very kind to let me play some of his flutes.

I was really astonished not only by the sounds, but also craftsmanship, the weight (his 8 keyed Wilkes flute is much lighter than my 6 keyed Le Coant flute?!, and well balanced at the middle where as mine is not), easiness to handle even for small handed person like me etc.
In fact, the following factors make me difficult to play flute:

-my E hole 's diameter is 1.2mm (too big for me and I can put my middle finger in the hole easily )
-the distance between the right hand-side edge of F hole and left hand-side of E hole is 1.9mm

In addition, it was very comfortable to play his flute. I do not need so much air to blow in!

Since November 2002 when I got my first flute, I tried some known flutes (Lehart, Lejeune, Cotter, Aebi and so on)and even had visited several
ateliers but I had not find my only one.

So, I would like to have some information about Grinter/Olwell/Murray/Hamilton and others as below to consider buying my second but last flute! (I prefer 6 and + Keys in order to play some tunes of Britanny):

-E hole 's diameter
-the distance between the right hand-side edge of F hole and left hand-side of E hole
-shape of tone hole
-some remarks

Thank you very much in advance.

[rama]

tchie,

sometimes it can be confusing when refering to toneholes on a flute.
for instance, the 4th tonehole actually sounds the note G (and hence considered the G hole), the 5th tonehole sounds the note F#, and the 6th tonehole sounds the note E. as players, we tend to think of how many holes need to be covered to sound a particuliar note and then therefore might think of the 4th tonehole as F# (but it is actually the 5th hole that determines the sounding of F#). so sometimes i find its better to refer the holes by their relative position from the embouchure hole (i.e. 1,2,3,4,5,6).

i don't have measurements and i am only going by memory but i'd guess on the 5th hole: grinter's are slightly smaller than the rest and closer to the size on wilkes, perhaps murray and olwell (nicholson) a little bigger ; and olwell (pratten) and hamilton are larger. all are nicely balanced and present no weight problems. not a bum in the lot. but
maybe someone with more accurate measurements might chime in.

[marosan]

Hi Tchie,

I'm too lasy to take measurments from the instrumenst - perhaps some day I'll pull myself together to do such serious and precise thing. Meanwhile I can only give you some remarks:

As a last and final flute any of them can go (with keys). The majority of flute players likes the Olwell flutes best. But you have to wait for six to eight years for a keyed Pat Olwell flute - but you could consult with Pat about your special wishes or pretensions 'bout your future flute. Pat is a very nice, very friendly guy, he will listen to you patiently, and will make a flute exactly you want. But the waiting period...

Hammy, Grinter and Sam Murray also make splendid and beautiful instruments. Hammy Hamilton makes great Pratten flutes - requires not so much air; Michael Grinter makes very good Rudall and Rose flutes - requires a bit more air than Hammy's (as I experience it). Sam Murray makes significantly cheaper flutes - but excellent ones.

If you want a small handed flute I can recommend Casey Burns - but Pat can make you one also.

Whatever your decision will be, you will be very happy with any of them.

Bennet

[Tchie]

Thank you very much for those who replied me on this forum and send me by mail.

But I always want to know exact mesure on the flute. There are so many people who posted their beautiful flutes' photos and I see no one reply on my question makes me sad.

I send a mail to Mr. Wilkes some weeks ago but he has not yet repoled to me.

[Whistlin'Dixie]

Hi : Let me wake up a bit more, and then I'll go make a measurement of a couple of my flutes for you. I'll send you a PM.

Don't forget Gilles Lehart.

Don't forget Casey Burns, he can actually make you a flute (with 6 + keys) to suit your hand size. He replies very quickly to e-mail.

The other makers, from my experience and what I have heard, are happy to speak with one on the phone.

Now, for my morning coffee.......

Mary

Doh, sorry, I didn't see that you had already tried a Lehart flute.
Well, I just sent you a PM.

[Tchie]

Thank you very much Whistlin'Dixie.

I found this one who had a similar problem as mine:

http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php ... 51c5d772f7

Well, even my right hand hurts, I play with my flute with unusual way of covering the holes. I do not want to be accustommed with this position of holding flute and I am not satisfied with 1st register of my tone with my embouchure.

Hope to get some more acculate reply from you. It will not take more than 1min to mesure them!

[Tchie]

I just wanted to say thank you for the people who posted to give their idea and knowledges. It helped me a lot!!
Here is what had happenned afterwards.

-I realized that Le Coant's flute is not suitable for my small hands.
-I asked some great flutist and asked for his advice.
-I visited one atelier in Brittany. His himself is an excellent flute player but not known as a flute maker. (He recently began to create his proper flute, before he was specialised for the flute's head)
-He tries to copy one of world's most demanded flute through his experiences and experiments and with his friends' help.
-I tired his flute... excellent that what I wanted!! (not too expensive, suitable even for the small hands, beautiful sounds and body, no need to wait terrible manys years)

Sorry that I cannot write in detail...

Now, I tell you why I cannot give you specified name. It is just because the maker does not want to do the adverts; in others words, he does not want to accept countless commands and let the people to wait for horribly long time. (He only accepts 8 flutes/year)
(Petit indice pour mes amis francophones: le luthier est egalement un des excellent flutiste en BZH et fait partie d'un groupe aves 3 autres flutistes egalement connus.)