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.
Whilst nothing at all can be taken from the effort that musicians put into performing in Fleadh Cheoil competitions, from a instrument maker’s point of view, there are sometimes moments of pride when they hear that their instruments are in the hands of the musicians that win or place. Kudos to the instrument players and kudos to the instrument makers!
