Casey Burns Flutes are professional performance instruments for Irish and other traditional music, based upon the acoustical models of 19th century makers such as Rudall & Rose, Boosey (Pratten), and Prowse. Each instrument is meticulously crafted from carefully selected, air-dried tonewoods. Keywork and bands are made from Sterling silver.

Casey's flutes are an intelligent balance of tradition and innovation, comprising careful improvements of the traditional acoustical models, and a deceptively modern aesthetic that preserves the best features of their historical forbearers. The experience of over twenty five years and three thousand instruments has resulted in an instrument gratifying for beginner and professional alike. We invite you to learn more about these remarkable flutes, and look forward to discussing with you the appropriate instrument for your needs.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AND NEWS

The New Boxwood Folk Flute: I am pleased to announce the new version of my popular Folk Flute in D. The new model is 3 piece in European Boxwood and now costs $375. For more information please visit www.folkflutes.com If you get the old page featuring the Mopane version, refresh your browser to see the new page.

Grey Larsen and Cindy Kallet's new CD "Cross the Water" is now released! You may order the CD, and downloads of the individual tracks, at their website where you may also listen, for free, to all of the music. A few of the tracks feature Grey playing the low A flute that I made him. Details of this forthcoming shortly, along with a few music samples here. From the little bit I have listened to already, its lovely! (December 9, 2007)

John Skelton on YouTube: John just informed me of some videos of him that were posted on YouTube recently. These were taken at a concert sponsored by Shepherdstown Music and Dance and Upper Potomac Music Weekends. Click this link to see him playing one of my Bb flutes in Mopane. (February 10, 2008)

Kara Lochridge - Expert Flute Repair and Restoration: I frequently get asked if I am available to repair or restore antique flutes and some not so antique flutes by living makers. My limited experience with such tasks has been frustrating and at times horrifying and I've simply turned such work down.

Kara Lochridge repairs and restores wooden flutes of all kinds, including the modern Irish flute and those from the Baroque Era and the 19th Century. She spent a number of years in Patrick Olwell's workshop and does great work. If you have an old flute in need of repairs you can reach her through her website.(December 9, 2007)

Inflation and Parquet Flooring: We live in inflationary times unfortunately. The US Dollar has been really hammered compared to other currencies such as the Euro and Pound. This has made my flutes cheaper for those outside the US, while making my overseas competitors' flutes more expensive. Since most of the woods I use are imported, these costs have gone up as well.

25 Years of Flute Making! Sometime in the summer of 2006 I passed the 25 year point of making flutes. A quarter century of flute making! Here are some statistics: although I don't have an exact number, I estimate I have produced about 3000 instruments, based on recent averages of 120 flutes a year, or about 1 flute every 3 days with 5 days off extra yearly (6 for leap years). At an average length of about 26", the total length of flutes bored out runs around 1.25 miles - if these were all layed end to end. At approximately one pound per flute this represents about 1.5 tons of flutes. (April 7, 2007)

Extended Foot Joint for Low Flutes: Although I do not offer an extended foot for my flutes in D, I have considered designing one for my low flutes so that on my low A one can play down to the low G. This idea has now passed the prototyping stage and is now tentatively offered as an option for low flutes. These extended keys take about two to three times as long to make and use about twice as much silver as simple keys. Thus these cost $1800 for the two which must be ordered together (G and G# for the low A flute, Ab and A for the low Bb flute), not to mention the cost of the Eb key (another $450). These will work for a single pitch, not in a combo configuration. Price subject to change as these take more time and energy than I frankly would like to put towards them! (August 23, 2007)

Larger Holed Standard Version: This flute is as powerful as a Pratten, but has much better tonal balance and hand ergonomics. It resembles my Standard model and uses the same bore. However, the fingerloles are slightly farther down on the instrument, and slightly larger in size. With this instrument there is no longer any need to offer a copy of the Pratten, so the Pratten has been discontinued. (August 25, 2006)

Combo low flutes: My low flutes are now available in these pitches: A, Bb, B and C, or in 2, 3 or 4 way combinations. Choose your pitch! Each additional pitch costs 1/2 the cost of a standalone, with the exception of the B which uses the Bb lower middle joint. Illustrated below is a recently completed 4 way combo in blackwood with silver bands and tuning slide, with bodies arranged below the headjoint from the top-down: A, Bb, B and C. (August 25, 2006)