Guo Brothers Flutemakers new creation;"New Voice Piccol

MissyHPhoenix · Post by **MissyHPhoenix** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 9:35 pm

Has anybody tried this picc out? It looks really neat!

pied_piper · Post by **pied_piper** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 5:30 pm

Hmm. Those colors must be a girl thing...

MissyHPhoenix · Post by **MissyHPhoenix** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:23 pm

Ahh. Maybe.

I do think the colors are cool, but I also like just simply the makeup of the picc -- the keys look like they would be very comfortable.

My favorite color is the orange!

Phineas · Post by **Phineas** » Sat Sep 25, 2010 8:21 am

Since this is a family forum, I will not even go into what they remind me of.

I would like to get one and see how it plays. It looks interesting. I have met a player that owned one of their flutes and she had rave reviews about it.

The only thing that bothers me a little is the price tag. If it plays like a really high end piccolo, the price is reasonable. If it plays like a student piccolo, it costs too much.

Here is a video clip of a guy playing a "New Voice" flute. I would be curious if they are going to come out with a video for the piccolo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuEGpwJ6 ... re=related

Phineas

MissyHPhoenix · Post by **MissyHPhoenix** » Sat Sep 25, 2010 9:30 am

I agree, Phineas! That is why I am so interested in hearing from someone who has played one. The keywork looks, to me, like it would be very easy on the fingers and joints, but you can't tell the truth by just looking at it. I wish there was a nearby store that carried them so I could have fun trying it out. I've been interested in the Guo flutes since I first saw them a few years ago, but never had the opportunity to try one. I was actually hoping that somebody on the forum would have tried one of the Guo instruments at the convention last month. If you get to try one, Phineas, please let me know!! I still want one of the treble flutes, but can't afford anything new right now. Sometime in the future I'm going to get one, tho! I'd like one of the piccs, too, if they play well.

Please, somebody HAS to have played one at the convention!!!!!

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Sat Sep 25, 2010 4:48 pm

Okay, I confess. I've played several of them. They had a booth at NFA and I tried them all out. The original models, the new voice models, the C flute, G treble flute, and the piccolos. I even tried their new bass flute (which is not yet available). I also got the scoop on their newest work in progress (which I will spill about here in a minute).

As a piccolo for regular use, I would never get it. But, it does fill it's own little niche. It seems really appropriate for baroque music or maybe just a piccolo for unique studio uses. It is definitely a distinctive piccolo that I would like to have in my tool kit, but I simply have no use for it now. (Although all of my 'ethnic' flute work paid off the other day when given the part book for the Principal Flute part for a production of Sweeney Todd that I'm in. I was able to reach into my ethnic flute bag and pull out the recorders needed.). I think this piccolo would be nice for dubbing, and gigging, and just for kicks, but not as a concert instrument in the slightest.

I tried their bass flute. It has a very unique sound (like the rest of them.... woody, but not as mellow or sweet), but a very weak bottom. Then again, this was their first prototype and isn't near entering production. So, I'm reserving judgement. I still think that even after a lot of development I would prefer any of the Pearl low flutes any day.

The scoop about their newest experiment is actually on headjoint design. I was at the booth on the last day of the convention and the owner of the company was at the booth. He had been watching me go from booth to booth and took a liking to me for some reason. He said that I 'respect the natural qualities of each instrument instead of forcing them to play the way I want them to.' I don't quite see that, but... whatever. So he told me about his newest headjoint experiment. He thought that I would appreciate it and he hadn't showed it to anyone at the convention yet and wanted to see what I thought of it. So then I found out that he has a real passion for authentic traverso flutes.

His whole reason for all of these flutes is to get a concert flute on the market that plays like a traverso. He started with the synthetic material and a traditional design. He has now spent time researching the headjoints of the old flutes and has gotten close to a design. He pulled out his new headjoint (out of HIS flute case) and handed it to me to play. It fit a standard flute (440/442) but when put in, it played at A=415. It was also in tune with itself. That boggled my mind. Furthermore it had a COMPLETELY different response (a lot like the traverso flutes that were at the convention). You would just sigh into it, and this soft, breathy, sweet sound came out that was quite similar to a flutey version of a recorder. I was rather impressed by that headjoint. He wanted to achieve the playing style and sound of a traverso on a standard concert flute. I think he's really close. I asked him about how he did that and he said it was a combination of the cut and doing something to the bore (that was really strange as far as I remember). I don't know how it worked, but it did.

So that's all. I tried them. Thought they were cool if you have the extra cash laying around.

MissyHPhoenix · Post by **MissyHPhoenix** » Sat Sep 25, 2010 5:44 pm

Thanks FG! That is what I was looking for. Can you describe the sound of the picc? Does it come across as woody? Or is it more along the plastic sound? What about the feeling of the keys -- are they are comfortable as they look? Did you like the treble?

MissyHPhoenix · Post by **MissyHPhoenix** » Sat Sep 25, 2010 5:48 pm

Oh yeah, and did he say when the new headjoints will be in production? That sounds SO cool! I would love to have one of those, too.

MissyHPhoenix · Post by **MissyHPhoenix** » Sun Sep 26, 2010 9:07 am

Phineas, have you listened to this one of the New Voice flute:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EHH34B6YiM

I think that one shows the woody-sound even better than the first one. Nice flute!

Phineas · Post by **Phineas** » Sun Sep 26, 2010 9:32 am

MissyHPhoenix wrote:Phineas, have you listened to this one of the New Voice flute:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EHH34B6YiM

I think that one shows the woody-sound even better than the first one. Nice flute!

You know, I finally got use to that Orpheus Flute, but I still cannot get that "woody" sound I want out of it, although I like the sound of it. This flute sounds exactly like something out of ancient times!!! WOW! Just imagine some Latin or some Bebop on that thing!

Now, I have to burn another hole in my pocket and get one.....Curse you Missy!....See you at the flute shop...LMAO!!!!

MissyHPhoenix · Post by **MissyHPhoenix** » Sun Sep 26, 2010 9:47 am

Yea, know what you mean. I want the treble one SOOOOO bad! Then next on my list is the piccolo and then the New Voice C. So I guess we'll both be saving our pennies for a while!

We do seem to have the same taste in flutes, Phineas! Let me know if you get one before I do!

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:36 pm

I like this video of the original flute. And I generally prefer the original to the New Voice anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obWTaS7An_Y

Sound of the picc: Kind of woody, but with a reedy edge to it. It's not a very mellow or 'sweet' instrument. The keys are fairly comfortable, but I personally found them to be cramped. I don't know why. The mechanism is smooth, but heavier than I like. I think part of that has to do with the pads. They use some kind of foam I think. They definitely aren't traditional pads. The same is true of the flutes. But, I could get through Nielsen on it, so they work.

I really like the treble flute. It's a truly unique instrument, and I want one.

The headjoint. At the moment it's under wraps. He wouldn't tell me anything about it other than his intent for it, how he researched the design of the old flutes, and then that he replicated the cut and created a unique bore. That's all I know. He only has one successful prototype and it's his personal headjoint. I could clearly see on it the marks from where he cut it all by hand. It was by no means a finished product. I don't know if it will ever go into production. My guess is that it will at some point in the future.

Random tangent. Anyone ever bought any of the flutes made by Erik the Flutemaker?

http://www.eriktheflutemaker.com

I have the tuned low D bamboo flute and it's really excellent. I was wondering if anyone here had any experiences with him?

Phineas · Post by **Phineas** » Mon Sep 27, 2010 6:18 am

fluteguy18 wrote:Random tangent. Anyone ever bought any of the flutes made by Erik the Flutemaker?

http://www.eriktheflutemaker.com

I have the tuned low D bamboo flute and it's really excellent. I was wondering if anyone here had any experiences with him?

I have gotten many different flutes from him over the years! The craftsmanship, and intonation are excellent. I especially like all of the different designs, and scales that he produces. He is also a great person to take to on the phone! Unfortunately, after some one sees me play on one, especially the ones with the weird scales, they wind up offering me money for it. So I wind up selling or giving them away. Most musicians are still broke, or do not have the internet I guess...LMAO!

MissyHPhoenix · Post by **MissyHPhoenix** » Mon Sep 27, 2010 9:20 am

I havent' gotten one from him yet, but plan to. I like the Ice Age and Stone Age flutes, but then I am an ancient history fan. I also like the Egyptian one.

I listened to both the original flute and the New Voice one and I prefer the sound of the New Voice. It sounds more woody, to me. I really want the treble tho -- that will be the next thing I invest in. From what you describe of the piccolo, that might be something I'd like to try in the future. Thanks!

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Mon Sep 27, 2010 1:11 pm

Phineas: That's good to know. I suspected that if the one flute was good then they are all probably good. But... I did realize very quickly that an exacto knife can make them a LOT better (and they're great to start out with). Usually the under sides of the embouchure and tone holes are rough from where he tunes them. If you use an exacto knife or a small file to smooth them out, the playability goes through the roof!

And another thing is that his website is so neat! His videos are really fun to watch.