In late December of 2025, we featured a six key boxwood flute that Martin Doyle had made for a client in America. Ten days ago Martin received a lovely testimonial message from the owner of that flute, Thomas Jones, who very eloquently expressed how he felt about his investment.

Hi Martin,

Add me to your list of satisfied and happy customers!

When I decided to order a flute from you, I’d been playing my Blackwood Flute for over twenty years. I liked and enjoyed the flute, but the weight of the flute was starting to bother me, as I have mentioned, and I was feeling that I wasn’t getting enough from the flute.

I’m glad you suggested the Boxwood for the new flute. It weighs quite literally, half of what my Blackwood flute weighs. Your Boxwood flute feels vibrant when I pick it up, and almost alive in my hands. Playing it gives me such great pleasure. The tone is open and big, it’s louder and can be pushed harder without sacrificing any sound quality.

I spent over fifty years as a fine custom jeweler, 41 with my own business, and I feel the quality of your workmanship is superior. I like how you’ve done the keys and how close they are to the body; elegant and functional.

The Boxwood, itself is very distinctive and is growing more so, as you had said it would. And I love the fact that you had cut the wood branch yourself, so many years ago.

I hope this coming year is generous to you, I feel you’ve enabled me to have a true treasure that I’ll value and play the rest of my life!

Wishing you all the best!!!

Thomas Jones

Referring to the image above, Thomas wrote, “The instruments behind me are ones that I’ve made. The guitar is a Terz guitar, tuned a minor 3rd higher than a regular guitar. I finished it right after I got your flute. The other is a cross between a dulcimer and a da gamba, tuned an octave lower than a fiddle and it’s bowed.
This prompted our webmaster to ask Thomas for some background on his own work. Thomas very kindly replied with some wonderful information about himself and his endeavours over the years. It turns out that Thomas is well placed to assess Martin Doyle’s craftsmanship, as he himself is a master jeweller and a luthier.

I’ve spent my career as a custom design jeweler. I started making jewelry in 1970 at the University with a couple of classes, which sparked my interest. In 1973 I started an apprenticeship under the guidance of a third generation French jeweler. Then in 1977 I open my own business specializing in custom jewelry. I’ve had serval locations over my 41years in business, all in Portland Oregon. The last location came to an end when the building was sold to a developer who wanted to redo the building. It was time for me to retire.I set up a studio in my home to make jewelry, but after making a couple of rings, I decided I was I ready to try something else.

My interest in musical instruments started in 1990 when I inherited a silver flute, a number of recorders and a wooden fife. I took a few lessons on the flute, but it wasn’t until early 2000’s, that my interest in Irish music had me ordering my first Irish flute in Blackwood. In the late 1990’s, I had a friend who along with his wife, taught English in Turkey, they brought back several instruments, and when they decided to return to Turkey for another go, they sold them to me for $100.

So, my collection and interest in musical instruments started to grow. From my view point, musical instruments are also works of art. The idea of making them was in the back of my mind, even though I don’t consider myself a very good musician. But with my business, the idea of taking the time to actually make them was out of the question, I had to focus on jewelry design, making inventory and doing the custom gold smithing. Although, back in 2005 I made a bouzouki from a kit, (feeling guilty the whole time). After I completed the bouzouki, I felt I could make an instrument from scratch, from the beginning to end and not rely on a kit. So after retiring, I now had the time. Rather than begin with a guitar or an ordinary dulcimer, I began with a “bowed dulcimer” after the work of Ken Bloom and Wilfried Ulrich.

Long story short, I’m better at making them than playing them.

Although I also play the Pastoral Pipes, the flute is my main instrument and the one I feel I have the most confidence playing and participating in Irish sessions. I try to play my flute everyday, especially now with the “Irish Boxwood, Irish Flute” it’s even more of an obsession. With the pipes and bowed dulcimer, I shoot for 3 days a week for each. When time allows, I enjoy noodling around on the other instruments.

Many people have asked me why I don’t make myself a flute. What they don’t understand is how difficult and complex making a flute is and what it takes to produce a great quality flute. It’s more than turning wood on a lath and drilling a few holes, and only a few masters can achieve the magic, as you well know.

I don’t have a web presence or social media, but there is a photo album of some of my work over the years. If you scroll down past the jewelry, there are pictures of the instruments that I have made, clicking on the image will enlarge the image and some will have a description.

We are most grateful to Thomas for his kind testimonial message, his words about his own journey and the link to the photographs of his stunning craftsmanship. Each life-story is precious and inspiring and we greatly appreciate being able to share Thomas’ words on this platform.

For more information, kindly