A question about flutemakers

[JPcares]

What's the difference between Terry McGee's flutes and Patrick Olwell's flutes?

[GaryKelly]

[ChrisLaughlin]

"Terry McGee" and "Patrick Olwell" are actually just brand names. The flutes themselves are identical - mass-manufactured in Chinese government-run prison-factories using wood from endangered sacred trees cut down in Tibet by followers of the Dalai Lama under threat of execution by the Chinese military apparatus. Once the flutes have been manufactured by the political disidents working as slaves in the prison-factories the Chinese government sells them to Happy Fun Industries, a front for Al Qaeda which is, coincidentally, also a subsidiary of Kellog, Brown & Root. Happy Fun Industries then rebrands them as "Terry McGee"TM and "Patrick Olwell"TM flutes and sells them to unsuspecting Irish-music addicts all over the world. Other than the name they are identical.

True story.

[Screeeech!!!]

Excellent

I did hear a rumour that China currently has all the silver work made in North Korean labour camps in exchange for weapons grade uranium. It could just be a rumour though, so dont quote me on this.

[David Levine]

I'm with Chris. I am a good American. I don't cut and run. Let's invade. Stay the course.
Where's Andrew when we need him?

[johnkerr]

Happy Fun Industries then rebrands them as "Terry McGee"TM and "Patrick Olwell"TM flutes and sells them to unsuspecting Irish-music addicts all over the world. Other than the name they are identical.

True story.

Chris, you forgot to mention the mascots that Happy Fun Industries has put in place, a la Ronald McDonald and the Keebler Elves. They're in rather limited circulation, but I do happen to have met them both. The Terry McGee mascot is used mainly in the Aussie market, but has established a bit of presence on the Internet. Happy Fun did take him on a world tour though a couple of years ago, and they did a tie-in spot one night in our session at Nanny O'Brien's in Washington DC. I don't think that one resulted in any flute sales for them, however, so perhaps that's why they haven't repeated the event.

The Patrick Olwell mascot is used a lot more sparingly, perhaps as a way to build up the cachet of the brand. Sure, they're all just sticks of wood with holes in them, but careful marketing of the Olwell brand has made it the Cadillac of the flute world. Happy Fun has set up a small Olwell World theme park in rural Virginia, complete with a faux primitive "shop" with no running water and few other modern amenities, where the Patrick Olwell mascot spends most of his time. It's open to tourists, but unfortunately unlike the Guinness Hop Store and other such attractions there are no free samples available at the end of the tour. There's also the Executive Embouchure Enclave nearby, with amenities to rival the grotto at Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion. There's a long waiting list to get into that one, though. I haven't made it in there myself yet, but I think Rob Greenway has. Maybe he could reveal a few juicy bits for the rest of us...

[jim stone]

Check private messages, please.

[flutefry]

Please check your PM.

Hugh

[Jumbuk]

What's the difference between Terry McGee's flutes and Patrick Olwell's flutes?

Poor JPcares! You ask a question (that seems to make sense to you) and everyone runs off into slapstick hour!

I think one reason for the surreal responses is just this: the difference is that Terry McGee flutes are made by Terry McGee and Patrick Olwell flutes are made by Patrick Olwell.

Do a search on this forum - there have been some good comments about both types of flutes owned by people on the list. See the recent thread that compares Jon C, M&E and McGee. That will be enough to show you that many of the differences are subjective.

Also, check out Terry's website - plenty of explanation of his approach and philosophy.

[Wormdiet]

What's the difference between Terry McGee's flutes and Patrick Olwell's flutes?

Poor JPcares! You ask a question (that seems to make sense to you) and everyone runs off into slapstick hour!

I think one reason for the surreal responses is just this: the difference is that Terry McGee flutes are made by Terry McGee and Patrick Olwell flutes are made by Patrick Olwell.

Do a search on this forum - there have been some good comments about both types of flutes owned by people on the list. See the recent thread that compares Jon C, M&E and McGee. That will be enough to show you that many of the differences are subjective.

Also, check out Terry's website - plenty of explanation of his approach and philosophy.

THat and flutes by either maker can vary dramatically from one instance to the next.

[jim stone]

I don't know T McGee's flutes well at all, sadly,
but I have the strong impression that Olwells
are consistent in quality and sound (setting
aside different models, of course).

[Wormdiet]

I don't know T McGee's flutes well at all, sadly,
but I have the strong impression that Olwells
are consistent in quality and sound (setting
aside different models, of course).

I didn't to imply that the variance would be in terms of quality (After all, I'm committed to one maker's flute already and the other is the frontrunner for my next D flute!) but in terms of style. Rudall/Pratten, embouchures, and all that.

[JPcares]

It's a funny thing. I started getting some really helpful info in my inbox. I appreciate this very much but I could not figure what triggered this off. So I looked in this thread and I could not for the life of me remember posting this question. I worried that perhaps my short term memory was going south for the winter. Later I found that my son, while I was still still logged on, posted this question. No harm done though because the information shared was indeed very helpful. Thanks... And we did find the above post very amusing.