News and Items of Interest

Older News Items, some updated...

Engraving!!! I've been too busy making flutes to keep my website updated. However, everything here including prices is still current, with the exception that I will no longer be offering Folk Flutes in Mopane. What is new is for my flutes with Sterling Silver Bands and Tuning Slides. Guilloche! This s a type of engraving also called "Engine Turning" that has existed since the 1500s and is more associated with antique watch cases and Faberge eggs. It is usually done on a Rose Engine, a type of lathe where the headstock is mounted on pivots. Go onto YouTube and search for "Rose Engine Guilloche" and you will see how this is done. I do not have a Rose Engine as these are very expensive. I am building one. In the meantime I have constructed some clever attachments for my Myford Lathe that operates on similar principles of oscillation - the tool oscillates instead of the piece that is rotating to be engraved. I will have a page devoted to this up sometime later this summer or early fall. In the meantime these are now a regular feauture on all of my new flutes with rings and slides at no extra cost. Also, if you search on Vimeo for "Casey Burns Flute Rings" you will see how I make these on a Lindow Lathe during a two day intensive workshop that I attended in March. (July 1, 2017)

[photo of engine turned rings and prototypes]

The New 2015 Irish Flute Combo! This new flute model has at its core, one of my Standard flutes in D with rings and tuning slides. Additional joints can be swapped out and the flute can be configured to play in C/F, Eb/Ab and E/A besides the original D/G, using the normal diatonic fingering instead of keys. (April 7, 2015)

Grey Larsen and Cindy Kallet's new CD "Cross the Water". 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)

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: These are nice - but these are no longer available. They are simply too much work!

[photo of the low flute extended foot joint for low A with G, G# and A# keys]

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)

[photo of my 4 way combo low flute in blackwood with rings and slide]

News Archive


Low Bb/A Flute Combination Package

[Photo of Casey Burns Low Bb Ergonomic Rudall in Mopane with African Blackwood Session Head] December 2004 - In response to the popularity of both Casey's low Bb and A designs, he is now offering a low flute combination package. Please see the low flute catalog page for details.

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New Detail Photos of Curly Boxwood Flutes

[Photo of curly boxwood flutes with boxwood half log] July 2004 - A nice combination of recent orders and shop timing allowed us to take photos of several curly boxwood flutes together, along with an example of a cant or half-log from which the flutes are made. Please see the photos and read more about this beautiful wood on our Wood selection page.


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Grey Larsen's The Essential Guide to Irish Flute and Tin Whistle

[Front cover graphic of 'The Essential Guide to Irish Flute and Tin Whistle']

[ go directly to the book catalog page ]

November 2003 - We are delighted to offer for sale the comprehensive and authoritative new book by our friend Grey Larsen, The Essential Guide to Irish Flute and Tin Whistle. In addition to being recognized as an American master of the Irish flute, Grey is an excellent teacher and proponent of the instrument. We recommend The Essential Guide (known affectionately by some here as "Grey's Anatomy") without reservation to flute and whistle players of all abilities.

Casey had this to say about Grey's Guide:

"Grey writes with great clarity, saying the most in the fewest words possible. This is the most important work on the traditional flute to appear in over 150 years."

In fact we believe so strongly in the importance of this book that we are promoting it through direct sales on this site as a convenience to our flute customers. Please visit the book page for more details on the book, and to view its Table of Contents.

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New Flute Model: Low Bb Ergonomic Rudall

November 2003 - Casey is offering a new flute model, the Low Bb Ergonomic Rudall. Combining judicious ergonomic adaptations with impeccable voicing, this new low flute speaks with no more effort (though just a little bit more wind) than a D Rudall. An economical configuration is offered which puts this unique flute voice in the reach of most players. For detail photos and more information, please visit the catalog page.

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New Flute Model: The Folk Flute - A Minimalist Flute for Beginners

"It plays beautifully: intonation is excellent, response is really good, the tone is wonderful, and it is very comfortable to play. I give it two thumbs up."

- Grey Larsen, noted Irish flute player and author of
The Essential Guide to Irish Flute and Tin Whistle

November 2003 - Casey Burns Flutes produces a 3 piece wooden flute with great tone and intonation, designed for beginners: nothing more, but nothing less. A solid and correct traditional instrument, one need not suffer frustration practicing at home or embarrassment playing at sessions. This instrument is made with the same reamers, the same wood and the same care in tuning and voicing as his more expensive models. It is offered as his "loss leader" in order to get an excellent flute into the hands of as many players as possible. Please visit the catalog page dedicated to the Folk Flute.

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Page last modified:
January 06 2021

     © Casey Burns 1981-2007