I’ve taken up the flute again, after many years of not playing. When I was young I played for a few years and although I enjoyed it I put it down one day and never went back to it. Fast forward another many years and I took up the (Highland) Bagpipes, which I played for about 25 years. I finally have had to realize I no longer have the stamina for the pipes and that the tinnitus that I have is aggravated too much by playing, so I’ve decided to retire from piping and start playing the flute again. I’ve sold most of my piping materials except my pipes, which are next . . .
The difference this time? First of all, I no longer had my old flute so I had to acquire a new flute and find a teacher. The instrument I had when I was young was a very basic student model and not really very good, but at this point in my life I wanted a much more serious instrument. I did find a teacher locally and after discussing my needs and researching several instruments I finally decided on the Pearl Quantz model 665RBE, open hole French model, B foot joint, sterling silver head joint. This instrument is a real beauty!
Pearl Quantz 665RBE Flute
I’ve also need to start acquiring a few books to work with my teacher. I have a small library.
I’ve also gotten rid of most of my low-end whistles and kept just a few. From left to right, Killarney brass D, Susato “S” series D, Dixon D (DX004), Dixon Eb (DXTRAD)
Confessions of an Amateur Luthier 