Home » Testimonials » Comments from the Chiff & Fipple Flute Forum
A compilation of comments from members of the Chiff & Fipple Flute Forum reacting to enquiries about Martin Doyle's flutes. Chiff & Fipple is a website dedicated to the humble tin whistle, the Irish flute and Irish traditional music.
[I have a Martin Doyle] Celtic flute in D, blackwood, with accompanying Eb body. One head joint for the two bodies. “Celtic” model. Gorgeous flutes by a great maker. I love Doyle’s flutes. (June 2024)
[...] a fantastic Martin Doyle Flute, with tuning slide. Probably the best flute I had [...] Its sound is just perfect, Doyle’s flute’s strong and sharp hard D is very easy to get, as are the higher notes. It’s a powerful flute. And of course I "nursed" it according to the rules of Martin Doyles; regularly played and oiled. (September 2018)
I bought a Martin Doyle boxwood flute that was advertised on the board. Gee what a lovely flute. It’s the Celtic model, the only metal in it is the ring around the tenon (this looks beautiful against the boxwood). And it has this great woody loud boxwood sound. I don’t think it barks and growls as much as would a blackwood flute, but oh my does it sing, and one can play it on the edge. The flute looks like a flute that’s been Feng Shuid, it’s very Zen, it seems a kind of perfection. Hat off to the maker, who, like all the best flute smyths, blurs the line between craft and art. (July 2017)
I have a keyless Celtic Doyle and a keyed traditional Doyle. They are both lovely. Martin makes very good flutes, and they are easy players. (July 2016)
For me it is a Doyle. Personal preference. Fits me for everything. [...] Cracker of a flute. Martin makes a fine tooter. [...] (April 2013)
Martin Doyle's flutes are great. My first flute was a Doyle and I still play it now and then. Would never sell it and even have keyes fitted on it as we speak. Grand instruments. (August 2012)
A basic Martin Doyle blackwood keyless will last you all your life.
I see he was already mentioned.
It’s a bit more than your budget but not really much.
For a “beginner” Irish flute player you could do no better really… and it will grow with you.
If you can find one used for a lower price or more "features snap" it up.
Wonderful flute.
I keep one as a regular player along with my vintage Wylde Rudal 8-key.
I’ve played all the others listed and this is the one I’ve kept.
Just get one and play the hell out of it. (May 2012)
I agree that it would be hard to find a better flute than Doyle’s, especially for somebody new to the timber concert flute. Martin is my friend and neighbor. I stop in every so often and play the flutes that he has finished. They are superb. (May 2012)
[...] Further, my whole point is that the Doyle [flute] is an excellent investment for a beginner switching from whistle to flute. I gave my reasons in earlier posts in this thread. By the way, most of M. Doyle’s flutes are not keyed and are often favoured by teachers of beginners. Nor are they terribly expensive.
There is something to be said for starting on something that plays well and easily, something you can succeed on, something you won’t replace, something that, if things don’t work out, you can sell probably for more than you spent for it. IF you have the money to buy it, you don’t lose that money. That’s a good place to start if you can. (August 2011)
Webmaster's note: The comments above are very insightful. A number of times over the years, Martin has told to me that the main reason he decided to become a flute maker was to supply instruments that were easy to play, in tune with themselves and offered good tone. Many flutes that were available when Martin was young, perhaps because they were old and worn cast-offs, were very hard to play and quite discouraging for young/beginner players. It is an unfortunate human trait that we tend to blame ourselves when we can't make a flute, or any instrument for that matter, sound the way we want it to. Martin knew that was happening and wanted to remedy the situation. He had spent a little time repairing old flutes but soon decided to become a flute maker in his own right. That journey began in 1983 and the results of his work soon gave rise to the phrase, "Martin Doyle Flutes – ease of playing and quality of tone." Martin has always tried to keep his prices affordable, especially for the sake of the numerous young players in Ireland.
Martin Doyle makes what is widely thought to be one of the best flutes.
Yes, I’ve played some of them. Easy playing and holding, and beautiful. Among the best flutes for ITM.
If you are seriously interested you will probably treasure the flute for the rest of your life. If you decide to part with it, you can sell it easily. (August 2011)
Let me add my kudos for Martin’s flutes! I play a standard keyless (no tuning slide) in cocus and LOVE it! The tone is amazing! (April 2011)
I play a Doyle flute and I love it. It’s so easy to play and I never have problems with tuning. (April 2011)
I’m a big fan of Martin’s all wood flutes. I played one in blackwood for a couple of years in a session and never had any tuning problems. These flutes also have one of the easiest, strongest low Ds of any flute I’ve owned. I like the simple, minimalist design and the ease of carrying in the snazzy case he provides. (March 2011)
[...] one of the great things in Martin's output is it’s consistently high quality with little variation from flute to flute. I have tried 10 or so now and they were all good. I have a few times with some other makers tried one flute that I found good and another that I didn’t like. (September 2010)
I’ve played a couple of Doyle flutes. These are really good flutes.
No slide. The flute is tunable via the tenon and is, in fact, widely played in sessions. The craftsmanship is very good, the design is very good. The headjoint is all wood, and the flute has a great woody sound, good volume. It’s a bit on the Pratten side of things but easy enough to handle and finger. I would gladly buy one of these if I didn’t have quite enough D flutes already.
A Doyle flute is in evidence on the first part of this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce-5VnetlCM
[The flute player in the video is Ronan Browne and the tune is P Stands For Paddy, I Suppose.](March 2010)
Just a word to say that Martin Doyle flutes are gorgeous! I tried out a keyless D flute there recently: it was very easy to play, perfectly in tune and a lovely piece of work. Soft tone, but powerful too. [...] (October 2008)
I just wanted to send out a little shout to say that I've recently bought a Martin Doyle, unkeyed, blackwood flute, without a tuning slide, and it is simply wonderful. I'm no stranger to good flutes, and this one is just lovely and wonderful and a pleasure to play in every respect. It's such a pleasure to play that it's really gotten me playing every day again and loving it. [...] (August 2008)
Doyle flutes are lovely things, the flute in my avatar is a Doyle in rosewood. They are becoming quite popular (I know at least 5 other people who play one) and that is for a good reason. (August 2008)
I acquired a Martin Doyle flute half a year that I like very much. My teacher and friends give it very good credits. One of them told me he’d instantly buy it in case I decide to sell it one day. (September 2007)
Dollar for dollar (or £ for £) you cannot beat Martin Doyle’s two piece flutes. They are less costly because of the two (rather than 3-5) pieces. Fergus O’Gorman won an All-Ireland on his. Ronan Browne loves his. This is what Martin himself, who is, BTW, a very accomplished player, takes to sessions.
Nothing else in the price range compares. Doyle’s flutes can compare well with anybody’s, even without the price factor. (September 2006)
Martin Doyle — world’s best two-piece flute.
Absolutely. (September 2006)
I had the chance to play a keyless (either rosewood or mopane – not sure which) Doyle that was on consignment in a store in St. Louis just last month, and it was a wonderful flute. (November 2005)
[...] I have owned Doyle flutes both with and without slides—I much prefer a flute with a slide were I to have just one flute. [...] Martin is a lovely, intelligent fellow and a great craftsman. [...] Martin is as yet an undiscovered treasure. (November 2005)
A first time buyer asked for advice on which flute maker to consider. There were many opinions of course, which is healthy, but here are two of the answers.
Martin Doyle.
Dollar for dollar hard to beat.Martin Doyle’s are quite good, and underrated on this board (probably not in Ireland). It would be a great flute.
(August 2005)
[...] Martin Doyle's flutes are lovely. Good value, good volume, play in tune, worth twice as much. (July 2005)
I've been playing the flute for a couple of years now and currently play a Doyle unkeyed. I'm reassured to hear that his flutes are regarded with admiration by such experienced players. (July 2005)
Great flutes... I played one in Salzburg and was very impressed. (May 2005)
I had one for years that I dearly loved. Terrific flute and terrific value (for the slideless celtic model). Mine wasn't the most powerfully projective flute I've played but the tone was outstanding! (May 2005)
[Martin Doyle flutes] are very good instruments, and in the right hands they can become deadly weapons... if you're into that sort of thing. [...] (April 2005)
A gent that comes to the local sometimes (and is also the organiser of the Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp) has a blackwood Doyle with tuning slide. I found it to be a pretty versatile flute: powerful if you push, gentle if you stroke it. (April 2005)
My all-wood slideless Doyle is spot on tune. I play with my family of 13 kids doing a couple of gigs a month and have never had a problem with a tuning issue. We have most of the common instruments in the band, gui9tars, mandos, fiddles, concertina, etc…no worries. Go ahead and get one! (October 2004)
I just happened to try out a Doyle flute in yesterday’s afternoon session. It was very light and had big holes and a very large bore, especially at the end. It was almost like a trumpet! The low D was powerful and very easy to sound, just as any other note. The middle d was extremely loud — even a bit harsh to my ears, but that was probably me not being used to that flute. It was very well in tune and there was no need to adjust my embouchure to play in tune with the others in the session. It is certainly a great flute at a very competitive price. Tone wise, I am more into the Rudall thing now, but still I am pretty amazed by that flute. (October 2004)
Yeah, I kick myself for not buying one in 2001 when I was in Ireland and Martin’s prices were dirt cheap. There was a young guy in my class, Edward Looney, who was playing a Doyle and was getting far and away the best sound of anyone in our class of 30 (Willy Clancy School). I asked him if I could give it a try and it just growled like no other flute I’d tried. The richness of the tone was just amazing and full of texture.
At that point I thought that if I hadn’t heard of the guy before I probably shouldn’t buy one of his flutes. Boy was I wrong. Darn good flutes. (October 2004)
As I’ve said before, Martin Doyle is the most under-rated flute maker today. His flutes play as well as any other maker’s flutes. Mick Hand, Desi Wilkenson, and Fergus McGorman (son of Catherine McEvoy and all-Ireland champion) all play Doyle flutes.
The sound is great — crisp, loud, easy to blow — and the finish is impeccable. The price is lower than other makers’ flutes and the wait-time is short. (October 2004)
I received a Martin Doyle flute yesterday morning. I thought I might post my first impressions. First outwardly, beautifully finished in 2 sections, keyless and in blackwood with silver rings, unlined and no tuning slide as requested. Blowhole 11.5mm by10mm identical to my keyed flute. Bore clean and poliished, all in all a pleasure to the hand and eye.
I was expecting to have difficulty finding the sweet spot to blow, being very used to just one flute, but not a bit of it, a fine strong d2 from the first blow. Up and down the scale very easy to blow, the top end takes a tad more air than my keyed flute but as I get my focus right this evens out. Deep breath and off on a tune, great, I get all the way through without a hitch! (Not a guaranteed result by any means!) The flute is capable of a great range of tones from sweet to oboelike up to an agressive bark. Low d is as you would expect from a short flute good and hard. So as you might gather I am well pleased. Martin is great to deal with and filled my order within a couple of weeks. (October 2004)
Martin Doyle blows nearly everybody away. His flutes are beautifully finished. The bore is like glass. The intonation is perfect. The sound is bright and loud. The bottom D is clear and hard and a joy to play, with or without the optional rasp.
This is the flute Catherine McEvoy recommends to her students and the flute that she and Tom bought for their marvelous young prodigy, Fergus. Mick Hand plays one now, as does Ronan Browne. (August 2004)
I have played several Doyle flutes. They all spoke beautifully with great volume and good intonation. I have never played a bad Martin Doyle flute. Doyle himself is a marvellous player. Catherine McEvoy’s youngest son, Fergus, won the All-Ireland last year on a Martin Doyle flute with no tuning slide. (August 2004)
Doyle Flute’s a Dandy!
Well I just received a Doyle flute which I purchased from a member of this board.
Understand that I am a rank amateur as a transverse tooter but I must say this is a beautiful instrument!
I have no trouble at all filling it and the tone is really very nice.
I think it’s going to be a great first flute (October 2002)