TRANSVERSE FLUTES PITCH A=440

The keys are each individually hand made by me from brass for superior strength and silver plated with pure silver which gives better tarnish resistance than sterling silver. The touch plates are kept, where possible, on the centre line of the key to avoid the twisting moment of the traditional offset ones, alignment of the key with the players fingers being made by cutting the blocks in the right place to start with. Each block is lined with a solid brass channel to promote freer movement, wear resistance and, most importantly, to make the block much stronger than the old unlined ones which are liable to distort and cause jamming or excessive movement of the keys. Should the unthinkable occur and a key be damaged by, for instance, dropping the instrument, the fabricated brass key can be easily straightened with no risk of breakage and the block with its brass liner can be rebuilt to its original condition.
The secret of good tone and volume in flutes is the reduction of acoustic impedence which is increased whenever the vibrating air has to pass a sharp corner or if it has to bounce off a baffle type surface such as the pad on a key. The tone holes under the keys on my flutes are lined with a machined brass seat which flares out like a tiny bell under the pad. The pads are as small as practical in cups which curve on the underside like the pads on your fingers. This combination gives low impedance at the tone hole exit promoting good tone and volume, proof of this is in the fact that if you remove a key from the instrument the pitch and volume produced from the open hole remain unchanged. On some older flutes I have worked on the change can be as much as a quarter tone- a nightmare to the tuner who must replace the key to check the result after each adjustment, I have much less trouble in this regard. In all cases the volume produced by the keyed holes equals that of the adjacent holes.

The springs are screwed in place making replacement straightforward. Both springs and screws are stainless steel. Each spring bears on a Teflon pad sunken into the body of the instrument to reduce wear and friction.

Pads are made from "pnumatic lamb", which is not an inflatable farm animal but is the skin used on organ pallets. This material is readily available to instrument makers, who will all be familiar with the technique of bedding them into the cups with shellac.

KEYED FLUTE PRICES


ONE KEY:- £539.00
TWO KEYS:-£725.00
THREE KEYS:-£835.00
FOUR KEYS:-£945.00
FIVE KEYS:-£1,055.00
SIX KEYS:- £1,165.00


KEYED FLUTE PRICES INCLUDE A HARD CASE

KEYLESS FLUTE IN D
WITH TUNING SLIDE (pitch A=440)

An Instrument developed from a Rudall & Rose 8 keyed flute dated 1837

With soft case £350.00

With hard leather covered case P.O.A.

Hard case alone P.O.A.

This simple system keyless flute breaks down into three pieces with cork lapped joints. It has a silver plated tuning slide and mounts and is surprisingly powerful for a flute with small tone holes, which are easily reached especially as the left and right hand joints can be rotated in relation to each other. Advantage has been taken of the ease with which this instrument can be played by people with small hands and limited reach, by making it light and really well balanced. The embouchure of this flute facilitates good tone development with minimal air consumptiom.

KEYLESS FLUTE IN G
WITH TUNING SLIDE (pitch A=440)

Bleazey flute in G

£175.00




A two piece instrument of my own design, with a silver plated tuning slide, a range of two octaves, and a rich powerful tone.

KEYLESS FIFE IN Bb
WITH TUNING SLIDE (pitch A=440)

Bleazey fife in Bb

£125.00
A much changed fife from the earlier model I made some years ago. The new model has a siver plated tuning slide, narrower tapered bore, smaller embouchure and a head cap. This all resulting in a more powerful instrument with clearer tone and more accurate intonation

Timber

We use timbers which are not endangered and which come from managed sources, ensuring a sustainable supply for the future. We normally work in the following woods:

African Blackwood, Boxwood, Mopane and Yew.

Irish Flutes

Players of Irish music have long favoured two types of flute from the 19th. century, namely the Rudall Rose & Pratten. Many of these "Irish flutes"had the keys removed and the associated tone holes blocked up to facilitate sliding between notes and other techniques (probably more familiar to players of renaissance flute) which are the soul of Irish flute music. A characteristic of the Irish flute is the foot joint with it's two open holes left by the removal of the C & C# keys. After many years of making these flutes I have yet to find one which is improved by this redundant joint. Consequently my "Irish flutes" carry my own design of foot joint, which, sadly, means that the Morris dancers have no where to tie their ribbons. I'm sure no one else will mourn the loss.



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P.G Bleazey, 62 Chestnut Drive,
New Ollerton,
Nottinghamshire, NG22 9SJ.
Tel (01623) 836814
Or from outside the U.K.
0044 1623 836814

Last Updated March 2005.