Second Voice Flutes - Available flutes

Available flutes
The flutes below are currently available unless otherwise stated. Note: flutes marked UNDER OFFER have been sent out but I am still waiting the approval from the customer that the flute suits them; if the flute is returned, it will be put back on this page again. Please make sure you refresh this page after it has re-loaded so you get the up-to-date situation and not an old page loaded from a cache.

Each flute is made to the same exacting standards and quality as all the custom ones I have made over the past 21 years. Each is unique and handcrafted on my guiding principles that the quality of the sound of the flute is paramount, as is the voicing, how responsive and expressive the flute is, how easy it is to play, and how it's energies work with player and listeners. I am for the moment only making blocks from my basic list of standard blocks (see the Artwork and Blocks page), simply because much of the lung and throat health-related problems came in part from hours spent carving intricate custom blocks, which, enjoyable as it is, no amount of industrial mask and dust extraction systems can ever wholly mitigate. However, I will hopefully come back to full custom flutes very soon.

I have given a basic description of each instrument below, and a main image which, when clicked, will open a gallery of images in a separate viewer. I have also included a brief three-section sound clip of each flute: the first section is'dry' (as it might sound in a carpeted room), the second is 'wet' (with added reverberation), and the third has a simple orchestral backing so anyone thinking of recording with it will have an idea of how it might sound. For flutes with two blocks, the opening part of each of the first two sections demonstrates the clear-sounding block and the latter the breathier block. I am no great flute player and the recordings here are quite basic; however, several of the orchestral pieces will be full length on my forthcoming second CD, Swans (the first CD is available here.) If you are undecided on choosing a key and wish to hear the full range of keys and voices, just go to the Hear the Flutes page.

All SVF flutes respond to the slightest breath so playing is completely relaxed. Almost all the flutes use the unique SVF dual-flue system, where the normal flue channel in the flute body is supplemented with a slipper-ramp or cut-through flue in the block. This system is crafted precisely and individually for each flute to better focus and manipulate the airflow; this is used to enhance the flute's responsiveness, add tonal depth, develop the flute's range of voices, and also help reduce the wetting out that can occur in all NA flutes when played for a long time. All flutes below are tuned at 440Hz (A) unless otherwise stated.

Each instrument comes with a serial numbered authentication card that details the flute's wood origins and energies, it's sound and playing characteristics, and a full set of playing hole tuning charts. A fleece flute sleeve and a Starter Pack of tutorial and information sheets are included. Flutes are sent by Royal Mail Special Delivery; packing and shipping usually works out at around £10-15 for UK mainland postal areas. Overseas shipments are priced according to customer location, but please be aware all flutes are sent out with insurance and tracking, and for some overseas countries this can be a significant addition to the cost. In the event of a flute proving unsuitable, it should be returned within 10 days in its original condition (customer pays return postage, flute must be tracked and insured).

If you are interested in one of the flutes below, please email me on dc@secondvoiceflutes.co.uk and we can take it from there. I will gladly supply more information and answer queries if necessary. If you want to send me your handprints (for details on doing this see the Contact and Ordering page), I can advise you on whether the hole spacing on your chosen flute should be comfortable for you to play.

March 2024: As you can see, all the flutes are now with their new owners but I have kept them here so you can get an idea of the sort of flutes I am making these days. As I outlined on the front page, I have lost my son to cancer and also very recently my father. In light of this, it is going to take me a while to get back into the right mind, body and spiritual space to make flutes that have the correct energies and intention in them. I have therefore had to delay going back into the workshop for the foreseeable future. When I do start making again I will post here; I will be making singles, drones and some flutes with alternative tunings, such as Middle Eastern, Aeolian, NA Indigenous and others. As before, proceeds will be going to the Isabel Hospice for the reasons outlined on the front page. In the meantime, I have to thank all of those who bought from the previous and current series of flutes; I have been able to donate over £3,500 to the Isabel Hospice and over £500 to CRUK.

Before we start though, for those unfamiliar with it, a word about Black Limba (aka Afara or Korina) which is used in some of the flutes below. This is an African 'hard' wood, although it is lighter in weight than most. It has been used in quality musical instruments, particularly guitars, for many years and is revered for its tonal qualities. It is wonderfully resonant, being somewhere between Honduras Mahogany and English Walnut, although the sapwood of some trees is so open grained and pitted that it can come close to Western Red Cedar in feel and tone. Most importantly, it is not on any CITES appendices or the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

AVAILABLE FLUTES

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F in English Cherry TAKEN

A very straightforward flute, ideal for a novice or experienced player. It has a one and a third octave range and a beautiful clear, well rounded voice. The English Walnut chimney-fronted block uses the unique SVF dual flue design, with airflow channels in both block and nest floor (see above) so the flute can therefore be very expressive in the hands of an experienced player. There is a slight back pressure in this flute which will help novice players when learning to control their breathing. The playing holes are straight-lined so the flute is suitable for either right or left hand-as-bottom-hand players. Priced at £190 plus p+p.

F# in Black Limba and Hornbeam TAKEN

A beautifully grain-patterned, simple flute with a Hornbeam mouthcap which gives a much smoother feel while playing and is more durable than Limba alone would be. The main Hornbeam arch-fronted block uses the SVF dual flue system (see above) and is designed here to accentuate the higher frequencies in the voice. The Ash chimney-fronted block gives a breathier and tonally richer voice. Both blocks give a very traditional authentic sound to the voice, and when 'pushed' (i.e. when the breath pressure is increased) the flute produces a more reedy sound similar to that of old original NA flutes. Straight-lined playing holes make this suitable for either right or left hand-as-bottom handed players. Priced at £190 plus p+p.

F# in Spalted English Beech and Hornbeam TAKEN

Where to start?.... This amazingly figured Spalted Beech flute is a beautiful addition to the SVF Signature flute series. The wood came from a dead Beech tree so the spalting is all natural and very rare in that it is literally on the edge of how far Beech will spalt and still remain useable. With this degree of spalting the tone of the wood is exceptional; normal Beech is relatively poor when it comes to resonance, but the fungal growth through the wood opens up air spaces and changes the wood's structure such that it becomes beautifully resonant as an NA flute. To say it is visually stunning and characterful is an understatement; it feels different along its length right down to the old insect galleries within the wood, which have been treated, hardened and painstakingly filled. The soundclips will attest to its beautiful sounds. It will play with very little breath but also respond without overblowing to being pushed. Since a spalt line ran through the voice box, the flue floor has been inlayed with an unspalted piece from the same branch. The overall design carries almost all the elements of the SVF Pro-Player airflow system, including a precision, double bevelled fipple edge, bowed throat ramp and a relatively short languid between upper chamber and bore. The Hornbeam arch-fronted block is flat-based and gives a crystal clear, windless voice full of high and mid frequencies. The second block is the unique SVF chimney cut-through-and-ramp double-flue design which allows an increased but controlled air flow across the top bevel of the soundhole edge, giving a breathier (but not windier) tone to the flute and enhanced lower frequencies. All of these features make for a highly expressive flute with a wide range of tones, colours and voices, from gentle and mellow through to the authentic sounds of old NA flutes. It is therefore perfectly suited to an experienced player with a mastery of flute playing techniques. The flute is perfect for meditation playing and recording. The playing holes are straight-lined, making the flute suitable for both right and left handed players, and are slightly larger than normal to give exceptional tonal quality. This is a complete one-off. Priced at £320 plus p+p.

F# (432Hz) in Spalted English Silver Birch and Hornbeam TAKEN

This is one of the SVF Healing Flute series, being tuned at A=432Hz (which many believe is more in harmony with the natural rhythms of the Earth) and containing ethically sourced, carefully balanced and energy-aligned natural crystals in the upper chamber. The flute has a beautiful, clear voice full of high frequencies and is highly responsive. Silver Birch (known as The Lady of the Woods) symbolises new beginnings, purification and protection, so its energies are ideal for a Healing flute as is the key of F# which is associated with the Heart Chakra. The slipper-ramped Lime block represents a mythological white bird called Caladrius, which in Roman mythology could take the illness from someone into itself, then fly away, dispersing the sickness and healing itself, again very apt for this sort of flute. In the upper chamber the player's breath first goes over Black Tourmaline (converts negative to positive energy), Citrine (energizing, fresh beginnings), Smoky Quartz (healing and grounding) and Clear Quartz (to focus and amplify the energies) in that order. It is important to recognise that the beneficial properties of these flutes are very dependent on the relationship between player, space and flute. Priced at £280 plus p+p.

G in English Poplar TAKEN

A very simple, straightforward flute, ideal for a novice or experienced player. It uses the dual flue system with a plain, half chimney-fronted Walnut block, and has a very sweet, clear, well rounded voice. Straight-lined playing holes make this suitable for either right or left hand-as-bottom handed players. Priced at £165 plus p+p.

G in Cedar of Lebanon TAKEN

Again, a very simple, straightforward flute, ideal for a novice or experienced player. It uses the dual flue system with a plain, arch-fronted Lime block, and has a very clear, well rounded voice. Straight-lined playing holes make this suitable for either right or left hand-as-bottom handed players. Priced at £160 plus p+p.

G in English Lacewood and Hornbeam TAKEN

A beautiful looking and sounding flute. The heartwood of Lacewood (London Plane), when oiled and waxed looks like snakeskin. More importantly, being relatively hard and dense, it has a very particular resonance. Using the slipper-ramped arch-fronted Hornbeam block, the voice of this flute is rich in high frequencies and crystal clear, with a slight back pressure, so the flute is good for quiet, meditative playing and recording. With the Lime cut-through chimney block however, the voice opens out and the high frequencies are joined by mid and lower frequencies and a slight breathiness that enhances the tones, rather than obscures them. The orchestral piece on the soundclip demonstrates this difference in voices with the first part using the Hornbeam block and the second using the Lime block which audibly boosts the mid tones and gives a very full colour to the lower notes. Priced at £220 plus p+p.

A in American Port Orford Cedar and Walnut TAKEN

A very traditional sounding cedar flute, but made from the increasingly rare (in this country) Port Orford Cedar. The 'opening up' and slight breathiness of the voice is deliberate, since high A flutes can sound a little 'thin' if voiced normally. This also gives a lovely tonal 'bite' to the bottom note which many professional players love. Straight-lined playing holes make this suitable for either right or left hand-as-bottom handed players. This is an ideal first flute for anyone looking for an NA flute made entirely from North American woods. It is also a lovely recording flute. Priced at £165 plus p+p.

A in English Spalted Beech and Hornbeam TAKEN

One of the best tonewoods for NA flutes is spalted Beech. Yes, this one looks stunning, but it is in the precision voicing that the flute excels. This is a wonderfully versatile SVF Signature flute, in that by voicing it to be clear and windless using the arch-fronted slipper-ramp Hornbeam block it becomes a beautiful, sweet sounding recording and/or meditative flute, but using the Hornbeam cut-through flue block it gains a wealth of additional tonal colour (particularly the mid tones on the botton three notes), a slight breathiness and extra volume that renders it perfect for outdoor playing (the chimney wings also lessen the chance of wind disturbance across the soundhole. The soundclips demonstrate this well; the extended, third (orchestral) section is played using the arch front block. Priced at £220 plus p+p.

A in English Lime and Lacewood TAKEN

Another very straightforward flute, ideal for a novice, lifted by the addition of Lacewood blocks and mouth endcap. It uses the dual flue system with an arch-fronted block that gives a simple clear voice, and a cut-through flue chimney block that gives a breathier and tonal more varied voice. Straight-lined playing holes make this suitable for either right or left hand-as-bottom handed players. Priced at £160 plus p+p.

Low C# (432Hz) in Black Limba, Walnut and Hornbeam TAKEN

And now for something slightly different.... This is an "Om or Aum flute" by virtue of it being C# and tuned at A=432Hz. This tone is first and foremost a sacred symbol, mantra and spiritual incantation in Hinduism. It is also considered by some to be "the sound of creation/consciousness/the Divine/the cosmic world". This flute is offered here as a purely meditative instrument, although it records beautifully. Its voice is clear, simple and well rounded, and the resonance of the Limba will mature with time and playing. This flute is designed to cross the boundaries of Hindu and Native American culture and to this end its tuning is complemented by four direction holes at the foot of the barrel which traditionally represent the Four Directions. An Om/Aum symbol has not been applied to the flute as there are many variations of the symbol in Brahmic scripts and further afield. Finally, to enhance the movement of energies within and from the flute it has been deliberately made with what is an over-sized bore for this key, and is meant to be played with a gentle breath. The playing holes are offset for a right-hand-as-bottom-hand player, and the spacing between them would suit someone with a decent hand span and good-sized finger pads. I will gladly advise on this if required. Priced at £300 plus p+p.

Low C (432Hz) in Black Limba and Hornbeam TAKEN

And finally, another meditative flute, this in low C tuned at A=432Hz, which many believe to be more in tune with the Earth's natural rhythmns than 440 Hz. This is actually a very simple flute in looks but the voicebox construction is specific to SVF low B and C flutes in that the airflow is designed so that the flute uses a very low-fronted block with no chimney. Low key flutes often sound tonally unbalanced and use chimney blocks to prevent overblowing on the fundamental (bottom) note; this usually results in a windy voice that can sound harsh. The voice on this flute is determined primarily by block position in that it is designed to give the clearest voice if it slightly overhangs (yes!) the back of the soundhole. Moving the block back slightly increases the breathiness of the voice but also reduces the higher frequencies, 'blunting' the voice but making it very mellow. So experiment! Designed purely for meditation and relaxation, this flute is meant to be played with a gentle breath. The playing holes are offset for a right-hand-as-bottom-hand player, and the spacing between them would suit someone with a decent hand span and good-sized finger pads. I will gladly advise on this if required. Priced at £320 plus p+p.

The Owlhouse • Milford • Surrey • UK • dc@secondvoiceflutes.co.uk