{"id":3343,"date":"2025-11-05T05:03:03","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T05:03:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.martindoyleflutes.com\/news\/?p=3343"},"modified":"2025-11-05T06:21:57","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T06:21:57","slug":"astute-comments-from-a-chiff-and-fipple-thread","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.martindoyleflutes.com\/news\/2025\/11\/05\/astute-comments-from-a-chiff-and-fipple-thread\/","title":{"rendered":"Astute Comments from a Chiff and Fipple Thread"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Occasionally Martin Doyle’s webmaster browses the Chiff and Fipple<\/a> forum boards to read what the folks out there have been chatting about, especially with regards to Martin Doyle flutes<\/a>. One can learn a lot and also see the progress that we have made over the years as a community. Recently he came across an interesting post from March in 2010 by Jim Stone – a flute player from St. Louis, USA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The context was that someone had spotted a Martin Doyle flute on Ebay<\/a> and was casting around at the time to see what people knew about Martin’s flutes. Jim was first to comment with these kind words…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I\u2019ve played a couple of Doyle flutes. These are really good flutes.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

“To tuning slide or not to tuning slide – that is the question.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation then turned to the fact that the particular flute in question did not have a tuning slide. Martin Doyle’s basic flutes, whether celtic<\/a> or traditional<\/a> models, do not come with tuning slides but they can be ordered with tuning slides or even retro fitted after purchasing. Jim Stone had the following to say about the ‘no tuning slide’ issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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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\u2019s 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\u2019t have quite enough D flutes already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Doyle flute is in evidence on the first part of this video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ce-5VnetlCM<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

jim_stone March, 2010<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Jim was on the money with his comments regarding tuning slides. Many flute players do not use them and they get along just fine. A prime example is in the YouTube video that Jim posted a link to. The flute player in the video is Ronan Browne<\/a>, who is playing a Martin Doyle flute in the first instrumental break and a set of Uilleann pipes in the second. It is a lovely example of the reedy sound of an Irish flute without a tuning slide – ie: no metal lining the head joint. Here are some words from a testimonial that Ronan sent for Martin Doyle’s website some years back…<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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The unlined timber head-joint (of Martin Doyle’s flutes) with no metal tuning slide gives the flute a dynamic range which I have only ever experienced on all-timber Rudall & Rose flutes. I find that this flute allows huge possibilities for expression when playing both rhythmic dance music and slow airs.<\/em> More here: <\/strong>Ronan Browne’s Testimonial \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

However, having a tuning slide is very far from being a crime and for those who do want them in their flutes, Martin Doyle makes excellent thin-walled tuning slides that are made of sterling silver but do not line the entire length of the head joint. This allows the flute to retain, as much as possible, the tone of the timber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So thanks to Jim for his astute observations of fifteen years ago that are still applicable today, and for the link to the lovely Irish traditional music video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related Pages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n