Reviol question

[tommyk]

I'm waxing back and forth between ceasing my flute playing altogether (long story - suffice it to say, I have other instruments I'm interested in learning to play more which take up significant time), and just flat out selling my McGee blackwood Prattens keyless, or using most of that sale money for a Reviol with an Eb key (either ABW or tulipwood).

Can anyone speak to Reviol flutes?

I've two main questions:

1) what's tulipwood like? I assume (since most non-ABWs do) that it requires a bit more frequent oiling than ABW? (I keep thinking I should put an "H" in there for Howe!)

2) I'm mainly concerned about the fact that Reviol varnishes the outsides of his flutes. I have a question in to him, but have yet to hear.
In my area of the world, outdoor summer gigs can be a bear with the heat and humidity. The past two summers I've played gigs where the McGee unvarnished blackwood and even the Abell unvarnished blackwood whistles became significantly sticky - so much so that it affected my playing.
Wouldn't a varnish on the outside be even worse in such playing conditions?

Thanks.

[SoTX]

I can answer about tulipwood, but bear in mind I'm prejudiced.

Brazillian tulipwood is a rosewood, a member of the genus Dalbergia, as is African blackwood, kingwood, cocobolo, Honduras rosewood, and others. (North American tulipwood is something else entirely and is not suitable for turning.) It is hard, dense, crosslinked, and polishes beautifully. It is capable of being made into just as capable a flute as cocobolo, for instance, and fewer people are allergic to it. My tulipwood smallpipes are at least as good as the Honduras rosewood set.

It's also breathtakingly beautiful, especially directly off the lathe. With exposure to light and oxygen it darkens some, but is still strawberries and cream. A UV-inhibiting finish can slow or stop the darkening.

It is becoming rare, never grows very large, so is not usually available in large (furniture-sized) pieces. A lot of it has been used for (sob!) pool cues.

As far as I know, ABW is the densest and oiliest of the rosewoods. It's downhill from there. But tulipwood is oiler than mopane and boxwood, for instance.

It smells good too. (I warned you I was prejudiced.)

-- Don

[jim stone]

One thing I find about varnished flutes is that the varnish
is much reduced by wear. So heavily varnished flutes
become less so, IMO, if you use them a good deal.
I haven't had any trouble with varnish in hot
weather, but I suppose what matters is the sort of
varnish.

[Byron]

I'm not sure how directly this addresses your questions, but I play a Reviol in Honduran Rosewood which I find to be a great flute.

On mine the varnish is very thin and has mostly worn away. Not that it really matters, but for the record I wish it didn't have the varnish. It gives a patchy appearance except for right after an oiling.

Speaking of oil...I wonder if the oil your using could be reacting to the heat and humidity.

Good luck

Byron

[Unseen122]

I have a Mark Hoza Flute that had a varnish on it. I rubbed it down with Steel Wool and now the varnish is almost gone, it used to hav ethat plasticy edge but now that is gone also.

[Whistlin'Dixie]

I rubbed it down with Steel Wool and now the varnish is almost gone,

I was about to say the same thing, but Avery beat me to it.
The steel wool didn't hurt the flute (a boxwood) a bit, but I was also very careful.

M

[Unseen122]

I have used Steel wool on the back of the neck of my Banjo to clean it up a bit as the varnish came off. This of course was maple and the wood was not hurt, with me pushing hard on it and I am not a small guy.

[Byron]

Steel Wool !? Brave souls.

Seriously, though, I think it could be safely done.

One thing the worn look does do is show that I've been putting in my time. But the parts that are remaining shiny are just so...well, shiny.

Byron

[Unseen122]

Trust me it is not as intimidating as it sounds. I have used Steel wool on pretty much all my Flutes.