Seery Flutes?

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Ben Shaffer
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Tell us something.: Ive played Irish Flute for a number of Years. Have played Sessions as well but not currently. I have also played Colonial American Flute in reenactment Groups. Started playing Clarinet in 1960 in School and later Community Bands. Also have played Bagpipes Solo as well as in Pipe Bands I played Drums in a Garage band in High School, probably my Instrument I played the best!

Seery Flutes?

Post by Ben Shaffer »

We've had several Seery Flutes for sale on Chiff & Fipple recently
Could anyone provide any Info on Them?
I know they have been around for awhile and are made in Ireland but thats about it :-?
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kkrell
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Tell us something.: Mostly producer of the Wooden Flute Obsession 3-volume 6-CD 7-hour set of mostly player's choice of Irish tunes, played mostly solo, on mostly wooden flutes by approximately 120 different mostly highly-rated traditional flute players & are mostly...
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Re: Seery Flutes?

Post by kkrell »

The basic flute preferred by Des Seery was a large-hole Pratten modelled after one made by Hudson, with an elongated oval embrochure. On request he also offered small & medium-holes,split left/right hand sections, & deeper chimneys.

. Per correspondence from him in 2000, his daughter Natasha was making all the flutes for Custys. She had been planning to open a workshop in the Galway area. Both are regrettably R.I.P. I'm not sure what, if any, relationship there is with the current maker at the Seery workshop. I only see him listed as Dave. I don't know if he's a relative, apprentice, successor owner, or?

As a courtesy, I had setup a website for Des back in the day, and corresponded with Natasha regarding marketing. Here's my suggestion from the time:

" PLAY ANYWHERE! Take it to the Pub, the Studio, the Park, the Beach,
Hiking. Your Seery flute is ready to play anywhere, anytime. Use or
put away at a moment's notice. Take advantage of otherwise wasted
time to play while waiting for the bus, when meeting friends, between
classes, before or after appointments. Don't worry about the
weather. Your flute is safe in rain or shine. Toss it in your car,
backpack or travel luggage. I took my polymer flute last summer from
hot, dry Los Angeles California, to hot, humid Miami Florida, and had
opportunity to play throughout the trip."

Image

Some customer reviews from very long ago. So long, it would probably be unfair to attribute them to the writers:

"Here's an email quote I received from a Seery buyer in 2000 "I love my Seery flute, and in the semi-frequent
moments when my lips behave, it sounds terrific. Feels like wood, honks like a Canada goose, and you can batter down a brick wall with it -- just like people promised!"

"I think I got the bargain of the century. The Seery flute is, in my opinion at least, better than some really pricey
wooden flutes I've played."

"I really am enjoying this flute; it is very responsive and it's definitely got some honk to it. I'm sure the neighbors are thrilled about it."

"Desi makes good flutes, ideal for the sort of extreme weather we have here in Boston, and if someone wants a polymer flute, he''s the lad to see. Simple enough."

"I had a chance finally to test the Seery out in a full-speed session environment for the first time at a ceili dance at our local session pub. It played great. It could take really hard blowing without overblowing, and I could hear it over the other
instruments just fine. Very impressive."


Oh heck, just used the WayBack Machine and found a page from the old website, with reviews & prices in 2002.
http://web.archive.org/web/200208230714 ... /seery.htm

As for how they sound, plenty of videos on YouTube. Here are a few of Seerys in the hands of different players.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn717NcTL9c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJmUpvSJ0OI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTPNzoe5oK0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFugr3lD0HM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqKtReHhsAs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbYDbIlhgH0
International Traditional Music Society, Inc.
A non-profit 501c3 charity/educational public benefit corporation
Wooden Flute Obsession CDs (3 volumes, 6 discs, 7 hours, 120 players/tracks)
https://www.worldtrad.org
Ben Shaffer
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Tell us something.: Ive played Irish Flute for a number of Years. Have played Sessions as well but not currently. I have also played Colonial American Flute in reenactment Groups. Started playing Clarinet in 1960 in School and later Community Bands. Also have played Bagpipes Solo as well as in Pipe Bands I played Drums in a Garage band in High School, probably my Instrument I played the best!

Re: Seery Flutes?

Post by Ben Shaffer »

Thanks Kevin, that is certainly a lot of Info!
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eilam
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Re: Seery Flutes?

Post by eilam »

i've had a few Seery flutes and always really liked them (still have one). non were top players for me but they felt great in my hands and made very well and played good. the embouchure cut on all was always on the small size which i really liked.

e
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