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Wooden Flutes with Wooden Boehm System.

Tralen

Tralen

Senior Member
Hello, everyone,

I was looking online for some simple wooden flutes and found an artisan here in Brazil that seems to produce Boehm-style flutes completely out of wood, including the keywork.

I've never seen anything like it, as all wooden flutes I've played are traditional "ethnic" style, with open holes and no mechanisms, and it is also very different from professional concert wooden flutes (like the expensive Yamahas) that have conventional metal keywork.

Here is his profile on Instagram and a video of him (I suppose) playing a flute:


I would like to know if anyone has experience with flutes like this and if is there something for me to be concerned about (instrument wise, as I obviously need to find out if the business is legitimate). I asked him this morning for the price of a regular C flute with a B foot, all in wood, but still haven't heard back (but this is expected considering the date).

Thanks for any information and Merry Christmas!
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He has a few more videos on YT, and if you google him, a few of his clients turn up. It's not "proof", but it does point to him being real


I'm not sure I'd trust a Boehm mechanism made of wood - there would be too many potential points of failure if you combine the thinness of some of the parts and the fragility of thin wooden sticks. I'd be happier if it was a wooden body but the fingerwork was metal.
 
robcs said:
He has a few more videos on YT, and if you google him, a few of his clients turn up. It's not "proof", but it does point to him being real


I'm not sure I'd trust a Boehm mechanism made of wood - there would be too many potential points of failure if you combine the thinness of some of the parts and the fragility of thin wooden sticks. I'd be happier if it was a wooden body but the fingerwork was metal.
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Thanks for finding it out!

I'm worried about his behavior of not telling the prices, though. He seems to make a mystery of it both on Instagram and on Youtube. Let's see if he replies to my inquiry.

And yes, it really seems rather fragile (even though the fingerwork appears to be mahogany), so I'm banking my interest on the price. If it is not very expensive and if he seems like an accessible person to do repairs and such, I might get one to see how it plays.
 
Just to conclude, he did reply with the prices (I'm already converting from Reais to Dollars).

The C flutes range between $250-$320 ($350 for the Alto), but you have to pay additional for the type of wood ($50-$100) and for the case ($90). The wood selected is used in the whole flute, body and keywork and you have to pick one, so it is not an optional cost. The delivery time is between 5 and 6 months (!!).

It is a bit expensive for me to risk it, so I'm going to try getting a simpler flute from him first (like a recorder) and see how everything goes.
 
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That's relatively cheap though consider how much classical metal flutes cost. I have an intermediate flute that I got on clearance because that specific model was being discontinued and it still cost well over $1,000. I do Colonial American music, and my wooden fife cost me around $400.
 
HeliaVox said:
That's relatively cheap though consider how much classical metal flutes cost. I have an intermediate flute that I got on clearance because that specific model was being discontinued and it still cost well over $1,000. I do Colonial American music, and my wooden fife cost me around $400.
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I agree.

An entry level Yamaha (YFL-222) costs $850 dollars here in Brazil (already converting from Reais). But $300~$350 dollars is still a lot of money around here*.

I'm convinced that I will eventually get one of those Boehm flutes from him, I simply can't pass on the idea of playing one of these. However, I would like to check his craftsmanship and technical assistance with something simpler first.

He is from the city of Belém, 2000km from where I live, but I have family there. If I travel there this year, I will be sure to visit his shop.


*minimum wage in Brazil is $200 dollars compared to $1200 in the US.
 
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