Tipple Flutes

Key_of_D · Post by **Key_of_D** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 12:05 am

I'm new to flute forum so be ware! I guess...

Anyways, I met a person who got the talking about flutes, who then mentiond Tipple flutes... PVC made ones... I know whistle, but I don't know the embouchure on the Irish flute just yet. I was wondering if anyone else has had experience with these Tipple flutes, and if they're alright for someone like me to use, in order to learn and see if the flute is for me... I realise a nice well made blackwood or ebony flute will cost much more then these ones, but I'm not in any position to by such a flute. Here's the website if needed: http://dougsflutes.googlepages.com/

Thanks,

-Eric

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 12:06 am

Tipples are a great place to start, and they don't lose their usefulness once you've bought a high-dollar flute, either.

azw · Post by **azw** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 12:13 am

If you search the forum you'll see that the Tipple flutes get a lot of very positive reviews, especially with the Tipple-Farjado wedge installed.

I've been wondering about the relative merits (for learning to play the flute with Irish tunes) of a good bamboo flute vs the Tipple. Are there any significant differences?

Key_of_D · Post by **Key_of_D** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 12:32 am

Well I did a search and found a thread, and wow... Seems like Tipple has made a name in the PVC flute making industry. I guess I have a few more questions then... Differences/advantages between conical bore vs straight bore? As well as 2 piece vs 3 piece?

-Eric

jtrout · Post by **jtrout** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 12:34 am

I own a VERY expensive keyed blackwood flute. I also own a Tipple flute. I can't say I play the Tipple flute as much as the other, but the Tipple is always there, and frequently picked up at odd times, and if Doug had been making his flutes back when I started, it would have make things a lot easier. Go for it!

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 7:07 am

I'm a fairly new fluter, and have been trying a variety of flutes for the past six months. So far I've been impressed by a few which are "technically" better flutes than the Tipple. But at this point, the Tipple is still the one that has my heart. It plays easy, feels great, sounds fine, and requires no care or special precautions. And it costs about the same as a mid-priced whistle!! You can't go wrong.

(BTW - Mine is the three-part, speckled-bore D, with wedge and lip-plate).

Go for it!

doogieman · Post by **doogieman** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:32 am

I recommend a Tipple for a starter flute and, like others have said, it doesn't stop being useful. I leave mine assembled for one of those "quick play a tune when I just have 3 minutes before I gotta go" times. Also good if you go camping or to the beach or something.

dow · Post by **dow** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:38 am

What they said.

My first flute was a Tipple. I now have a McGee, but still play the Tipple fairly often. Convenience is an important factor at this point, as it can be left out, whereas the Ironwood GLP needs to be put away when not being played.

For someone who is testing the waters, so to speak, a Tipple is a great flute. you get a good, solid instrument without spending a chunk of money and you don't have to deal with the care considerations that you have with a wooden flute. One less thing to worry about when you're getting started.

A caveat: While finger spacing isn't too bad on a D Tipple, hole size can be. The E hole, is especially large on mine (this is a HUGE difference from my GLP, which has really small holes), and while I can cover it fine, it was a challenge at first, along with everything else about playing flute.

Doug_Tipple · Post by **Doug_Tipple** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 10:42 am

dow wrote:
A caveat: While finger spacing isn't too bad on a D Tipple, hole size can be. The E hole, is especially large on mine (this is a HUGE difference from my GLP, which has really small holes), and while I can cover it fine, it was a challenge at first, along with everything else about playing flute.

I agree that the hole for the F# hole (RH middle finger) is quite large (7/16" dia.). I would like to use a smaller hole size, but that would push the hole even closer the the G (RH index finger), making it an even larger stretch to the E hole (RH ring finger). The half-tone between the F# and the G holes really makes finger poisition difficult. This is one of the limitations of large cylindrical-bore flutes. I have tried to maximize the compression of the finger-hole spacing by using three different hole sizes for the right hand (3/8", 7/16". and 5/16"). I don't want to go smaller tha 5/16" because I think that it is possible to successfully half-hole the E hole for a D#, whereas, with a smaller hole, it is not so easy to do with a clear note. As has been said, having a conical-bore allows one to construct a flute with smaller holes positioned more closely together. However, the conical flutes with small holes that I have played have not been easy to half-hole for chromatic notes, so I prefer the larger holes for this reason.

dow · Post by **dow** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 11:19 am

Hey Doug,

Certainly not a criticism on the hole sizes. That is, as you explain, the nature of the beast. It all ends up being about compromises. In order to have workable hole spacing and good tuning, you have to make other sacrifices.

On the half-holing thing, big holes are certainly easier to make speak than small holes. I really wish I could get an Eb out of the GLP, but it's just not happening, at least not at this point in my journey. On the other hand, I'm able to coax a very respectable Eb out of your flute.

Key_of_D · Post by **Key_of_D** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 3:54 pm

And sadly I learned the whistle left handed, while I'm right handed, so it would be my left hand coving those bottom hand holes, with the even skinner fingers vs, the ones on my right hand. I don't know what the demensions were on the Chieftain low D, but I couldn't play it comfortably because of this very problem. Skinny fingers. I couldn't cover the big E hole on the Chieftain without straining my hand, my finger was just too skinny for the hole. And that's with the piper's grip. I could cover all other holes just fine, and reaching the holes was not a problem. I realise that's whistle, not a flute per say, but 7/16" sounds pretty close to the size of the E hole on the Chieftain.

talasiga · Post by **talasiga** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 6:17 pm

Dear Key of D,
I learnt flute myself with bansuri (north indian bamboo flute) many years ago.
I have bansuris, Irish wooden flute, custom made bamboo flutes, Tipple flutes etc.

I think the main issue is embouchure.
Fingerings on all simple system flutes are pretty much transferable except that you musts need develop so called "piper' grip" for the larger flutes (larger being not an absolute but a relative adj.).

MY bansuri embouchure has done me well in playing many other flutes quite, very very easily. I can even play the Boehm (silver) keyed flute when I need to demonstrate something to one of my students. However the particular embouchure on a concert standard Irish flute can be quirte challenging not withstanding unpteen years experience with flutes (unless you get one of those progressive Irish flutes from Terry McGee). The trad. Irish flute embouchure will require q bit of work if you come at it form a Tipple, a bansuri, a silver Boehm.

So get your Tipples they are good practise/beach performance flutes but remember that when you get your more expensive flute that you may have to really work it a bit to get the most out of it.

I have had my elliptical embouchure Irish flute now for over 12 years and have been playing a lot the last 5 years or so. Of couse I can play it easily BUT to obtain that particular tonal quality (which makes the flute so valuable) well let me say that I generally have to be playing it at least an hour before it really starts happening. In contrast, pick a Boehm (which I don't really play) and its there within a second. Pick up a low bansuri and its ther in a few minutes. Pick a Tipple and its ther in a minute.

I hope there is something in here that helps you.

Aodhan · Post by **Aodhan** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 6:31 pm

Eric-

I sent you a PM, I have a Tipple D and I'm in Phoenix as well.

John

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 2:43 am

I got a second-hand Bnat Tipple today. It's gorgeous.

The embouchure is a bit problematic for me as it's round and I'm used to elliptical embouchures, but I'm able to get a very decent and hard lowB out of it, and if the lowD plays like my flute, well...recommended!