Healy Flute Owners Speak Up!

Brazenkane · Post by **Brazenkane** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 11:53 pm

Would like to hear some reports of the Healy flute, keyed and unkeyed, and IN any key. Let the gates open....

I.D.10-t · Post by **I.D.10-t** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:31 am

Does that include the fife players?

I don’t know what information will be useful to you from someone with as limited experience as mine, but here are a few observations. The construction is not typical of the “Irish” flute in that it has a Boehm taper in it’s head. The body is cylindrical and does not have the contours that are necessary on the outside to adapt to the internal taper of the common Irish flute. This may feel strange to hold for some (but probably not to a fifer). The cork on the fife is a solid piece of wood with a cork wrapping, so unlike most fifes that have an adjustable cork, this one only has one position.

The rounded rectangular embouchure seems to want to play in tune best (for me) when it is being played loud. When I back off on the pressure it seems to go a bit flat and rolling the fife does not seem to affect the pitch much. The embouchure seems to like to play a solid note that does not seem to change much due to positioning of the lips and other techniques to bend a note making F nat difficult to play with xxxxox in the second octave. Normally the second octave F nat would not be played on a fife (I think), but due to the taper of the fife it can play well in the first octave (hope that makes sense). Although a draw back on some notes (like the F nat mentioned) it seems to be in tune in spite of bad embouchure placement and seems very forgiving as long as you fill it.

I do not know if Healy gives a choice of embouchures for his instruments, but I would be interested how a round or an oval embouchure would act on his fife. The finish and workmanship is nice on his instruments and they come with a one year warranty (or at least mine did).

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 11:38 am

I've seen these but not played them.
My impression is that they get mixed reviews.
No substitute for a review by somebody
knowledgeable, however. A search
may help if nobody else is forthcoming.

artsohio · Post by **artsohio** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 1:02 pm

I have a keyed Healy that I love. The body is conical. The embouchure is different but once you get used to it, it's no big deal. I have no problem going between my Seery and the Healy,

It fills up easily, has a very strong cross-fingered C-nat. The C-sharp isn't as flat as some flutes. The holes are largish and very easy to half-hole.

I really enjoy playing my Healy. With flexible lips/throat it can throw out everything from recorder-sweet to oboe-buzz, like most flutes, I suppose.

Unlike other flutes, it has a very strong, easy-playing third octave. Not so important in ITM, but needed for early classical music and jazz.

I know the flute is less important than the person behind it, but I love how my Healy looks and feels. I enjoy playing it which makes me play more often and inspires me. I look forward to taking it out at the end of the day.

But probably play the Seery more because I keep it out and can toot on it a bit while guarding the power cords from my inquisitive baby, but taking out the Healy is a treat.

BillG · Post by **BillG** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 1:34 pm

I play a Healy D keyless Blackwood. It has a squarish embouchure hole cut away on the far side. Difficult to get used to but comes along with work. The head joint is unlined but there is a long silver tenon making it tunable as needed. The D hole is separated further than most flutes I've played and takes a bit of stretch to get used to it. I use pipers on the right so not too bad. The holes are larger than the average on the left hand but pretty small on the final D.

The shape is different, as mentioned above, tapered toward the third joint (no hole/s in this last joint) and it is lighter than some ofther keyless Ds in Blackwood.

Since it is joined with silver there is no fuss with cork grease, et al - pick it up, put it together and play. I sometimes like this feature as I don't always "pamper" my flutes. Plenty of volume when you want it and soft when appropriate.

It is not the first flute I pick up and play when I'm in my "lazy-dazy" mood as it takes effort keep a solid and well directed embouchure. BUT this is not a good reason not to love it.

Although small, check it out on my Avatar.

BillG

BillG · Post by **BillG** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 2:10 pm

Just read another thread here about F natural, half holing, and tried it on my Healy. Easy! Surprised even me. Also jumped to the third octave and found the Healy easy there as well - D3 and C#3 and I'm working on the fingering for a few more. I used to play a fife also but forgot some of the upper fingering.

BillG

headwizer · Post by **headwizer** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 10:18 pm

I.D.10-t wrote:The construction is not typical of the “Irish” flute in that it has a Boehm taper in it’s head. The body is cylindrical and does not have the contours that are necessary on the outside to adapt to the internal taper of the common Irish flute.

Is this true of all his flutes? His website does not say anything about the headjoint being a Boehm taper and the body of the pictured flutes is tapered like a conical, not a cylindrical. Months ago when I contacted Chris Abell (from whom Healy learned his craft, if I'm correct) about cylindrical flutes with simple system keying, he said he didn't know of anyone making such a flute. Only Terry McGee's name turned up in this forum as a maker of cylindrical flutes with traditional keying.

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 10:27 pm

I was under the impression that, while Mr. Healy uses a cylindrical body with boehm head-taper for his fifes, his flutes are of a conical bore. I could be mistaken.

headwizer · Post by **headwizer** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 10:36 pm

Congratulations, I think you're right. On Skip Healy's site, he says that his fifes/piccolos "feature a parabolic bore in head joint which (at the body) opens up to a cylindrical bore to the foot."

I didn't realize that a Boehm headjoint was useful for piccolos. I was told that cylindrical-bore whistles (which I believe play the same range as piccolos) didn't need the Boehm headjoint to be in tune because of their smaller dimensions compared to flutes. Maybe the Boehm headjoint helps with the 3rd octave, which most whistles don't care about?

I.D.10-t · Post by **I.D.10-t** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:43 am

I searched Healy’s site and was unable to find any information on the profiles of the bores of his instruments. This thread has been very educational. I have also been curious if Healy’s Bb (fife) head had the same dimensions as his D piccolo head. It would be nice to purchase another body for my fife.

So among the differences (between the fife and the flute), is the flute’s cork adjustable? (not that I would have a reason to change the factory settings)

I think that fyffer has both his fife and his flute, I wonder if he is going to chime in.

Jonathan · Post by **Jonathan** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:39 am

A friend of mine here plays one, and I can say that Healy flutes are most definitely straight head, conical body just like any other wooden simple system flute. I have no idea about his fifes.

I.D.10-t · Post by **I.D.10-t** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:44 am

headwizer wrote:
I.D.10-t wrote:The construction is not typical of the “Irish” flute in that it has a Boehm taper in it’s head. The body is cylindrical and does not have the contours that are necessary on the outside to adapt to the internal taper of the common Irish flute.
Is this true of all his flutes? His website does not say anything about the headjoint being a Boehm taper and the body of the pictured flutes is tapered like a conical, not a cylindrical. Months ago when I contacted Chris Abell (from whom Healy learned his craft, if I'm correct) about cylindrical flutes with simple system keying, he said he didn't know of anyone making such a flute. Only Terry McGee's name turned up in this forum as a maker of cylindrical flutes with traditional keying.

I was talking only about the fife, sorry for the confusion.

bang · Post by **bang** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 12:17 pm

fwiw(aipnm)*: Skip's flutes seem to this intermediate player to be designed for his prefered technique, in which the embouchure hole is rotated away from the lips and kept uncovered as much as possible. see his website for a detailed description. by reports, this works well for "big air" players, and also for those coming to simple system flutes from the classical flute world.

otoh, if your technique tends toward rotating the embouchure hole closer to the lips and using minimal air, i have found my oval embouchure, blackwood Healy not to work as well for this as some other flutes. (mine will be "FS:" as soon as i get a round tuit.)

enjoy! /dan

ps- to confirm, Skip's flutes are conical bore. his fifes are not.

*"for what it's worth (and it's probably not much)"

fyffer · Post by **fyffer** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 1:17 pm

I wasn't gonna chime in, but apparently I've been asked.

Disclaimer: I'm a 5-year fifer, and a very newbie fluter, but here are my observations and clarifications, for what they are worth.

1) The fife body is cylindrical, and the headjoint is parabolic; thus the backpressure is created in the head rather than the body.
I believe you can get an A body for the Bb fife - I've seen one for sale somewhere (here? eBay?).
The flute is the reverse: Cylindrical head and tapered body.
2) The fife (at least my fife) cork (wood?) is not moveable - and that's OK by me. I've never needed to move/remove it. My flute is the same way.
3) I find the embouchure shape (rounded rectangle) is great for the fife, but I'm not skilled enough yet on the flute for it to be great for me yet. It seems to be less forgiving. My low range stinks, but the 6 P's should cure that (eventually)
4) In a pinch, the flute can double as a nightstick, and will successfully ward off most barflys and small animals. This is not recommended for a keyed flute, as you might bend, break or lose a key in the maw of some rabid vermin.

My $0.02 or less.
-Chris