Brian Byrne flutes : good? bad ? ugly?!

[timgreenwood]

i was wondering whether any of you fine people know anything (good, bad or indifferent) about Brian Byrne's flutes.

tim

[BrendanB]

Bryan's flutes are fantastic. I can't recommend them highly enough. The first time I played my Byrne, I was immediately hooked.

The tone that Bryan gets out of his flutes is incredible - it is a very smooth, complex, warm tone. Particularly in the 2nd octave, the flute just sings. Bryan's flutes are really responsive as well. Ornaments come out very crisp and clean. Another positive is that the cross fingerings for accidentals are completely in tune on Bryan's flutes, making it pretty easy to play almost anything on a keyless.

Bryan's flutes aren't as loud as some of the other maker's. I don't think that this is really a negative, but it's worth mentioning. Supposedly, Bryan has recently redesigned his flutes a little bit to give them more volume. I haven't gotten a chance to play one of his new ones yet, but hopefully some else here will have tried one.

Bottom line - great flute, you'll be really happy with it.

[mjmtex]

Bryan's flutes are fantastic. I can't recommend them highly enough. .

I echo Brendan's comments.

I have been playing a Byrne for a year now, and I absolutely love it. As far as accoustic qualities the volume dynamics are quite good. The tonal qualities are classic R&R - warm, focused, refined, rich and responsive. I can scale it up volume wise for group playing but easily mellow it down for quiet evening play at home. I have what Brendan described as his "redesigned" model tweaked for greater volume.

Bryan's craftsmanship is first rate. He puts a lot a hand work into the finishing. I play mine 1-2 hours a day, every day, and there are no signs of wear around the tone holes and embouchure. He applies several coats of linseed oil during the finishing process, and that, IMHO, is superior to the wax finishes I have encountered with flutes from some other well known makers.

I have not come across very many Byrnes on the used market, a testimony to satisfied owners and the fact Bryan is one man shop with limited output. The wait for a keyless is 12-16 months.

Brad Hurley just received the 6 keyed twin of mine. He's due back from France shortly, so perhaps a review will be forthcoming.

Cheers,
Matt

[nashradus]

How much do Bryan's keyless flutes cost? Are the heads of the flute lined?

~nash

[mjmtex]

One year ago I paid $1,200 for a blackwood D, silver rings and silver tuning slide. It came with a soft roll case (Cavallaro).

I suggest calling him for current prices and waiting period. Bryan is a really nice guy. He's a good listener with a great memory. I called him out of the blue recently to tell him how much I was enjoying his flute, and within a few minutes he was recalling minute details from our last conversation a year ago. Pretty cool considering my wife and kids can't recall what I said last week!

Matt

[sturob]

Yeah, I have to say his stuff is great too. I have owned a Byrne keyless Eb since 2000, and it's wonderful. In general, I'm an Olwell guy, but this flute is just so different that it's fun to play.

I agree with the sonic impressions . . . his Eb is quite a slender thing. The sound is very full and very responsive to embouchure changes.

If you look for the "Flute lichen" thread (I bet searching for "flute lichen" will find it for you), I posted pics of the flute there a while back.

Bryan's craftsmanship is absolutely meticulous.

Stuart

[David Levine]

Since you're all here and talking about Bryan's flutes I'll make the offer now. I'll be selling some flutes from my collection -- and lots of other things as well -- to pay for land we bought in Ireland.
I am selling my Bryan Byrne keyless D flute in blackwood, in great condition, for $900 + $25 for shipping and insurance = $925. Silver head lining, silver rings. Bryan's work is wonderful, and this flute plays beautifully.
My price on this lovely flute is firm. If you don't like it I'll refund your money less the cost of shipping. I'm in Ireland now and will be home tomorrow.
Thanks. Keep tooting.
David