Hand Carved Native American Plains Style Deluxe Starter Flute

  To See my Flutes demonstrated please go to U-Tube and type: Randy Bryhn, in the search bar there.  

      My flutes are made with as little electricity as possible. They are hand carved to present a historically minded woodwind instrument that is made to last a lifetime, or make the perfect gift.

    I am currently celebrating the sale of 1,500 flutes. I want to thank all my customers here, and in the past, for helping me along the way.

  The Flute Fundamental Note is: Sharp “F” I am the manufacturer, and I test the flute right before I ship it to insure the quality of the flute.

Comes complete with: Flute-Complete, Papers (not shown) Shipping Bag (shown)

  Made from Cedar wood this is a well constructed historically accurate representation. As a beginning flute this would be a great way to start playing the NAF or English style flute music. The profile of this flute shows a curve to it that is called a dogleg. The curvature of the dogleg style is accomplished only by a hand carving method.

 The Byrd is Cherry and has a really nice-looking design. It also has an extended wing type design for use outside in a breeze. The Byrd is tied so that it can be moved to find the "sweet spot". This flute is a full-size man’s flute, and measures approximately 21-1/2 inches in length. This is a flute with an excellent voice that would be good for both inside and outside playing. This offering plays with exceptional clarity, with a slight breath, or by blowing and gives only the purest of notes. There is no wind of the flute playing in the flutes I offer, it’s made with a “plains” tuner designed to allow for extended playing, and not steal your breath. The wood grain of this flute is excellent, but it also shows its quality in pure performance. 

I have been asked if I use stock photos-   No, I take pictures of every flute for posting, I believe people should really see the flute they are buying.

 

  I have been asked, “What is the difference between my Starter flutes, and the other flutes I make?”

  I first response is in truth about four to twelve hours. I stop sanding the flute when it is close, but is still showing some tool marks. On deluxe models I make sure that the sound quality is comparable with the higher dollar flutes. Deluxe flutes also have a “Wing” type design, so they can be used in a slight breeze.

 However, cedar wood is of softer texture, somewhat like pine. Although pine for a flute is acceptable and others use it in their flutes, but since it is a soft wood I hesitate to say that this flute will last long enough to become a family heirloom. I try to keep in mind though that even though I try to keep my prices down, I should still make an effort to offer an even less expensive style, so even more folks can enjoy these offerings. So, if you’re just starting out, I feel this type of flute may be for you. It will give you the ability to play a fine instrument and also come to know that no matter what the price, I offer only the best I make in this store.

 

This is what some of my customers have written to me about the flutes they have purchased:

Love, love, love that "Natural Tuning"! This flute brings out the creative free-style expression. Yes, this flute is different, in the best traditional way. Trust me, you will feel like you are playing at an Indian ceremonial gathering and courting the love of your life. NO other flute that I have played does this. Google/Siri search "Randall Bryhn Native American flute sound demo wonderful" for some interesting info that Randall provides with all of his flutes and a demo

Hand Carved Native American Plains Style Extended Council Flute (#F)

 

chevellelwell  (Reprinted with permission)

 

Another absolutely beautiful flute - my 5th from Randy. I have a small collection of flutes, some from other master makers. But Randy’s are always my go-to instrument. Such a wonderful, clean tone and of course the incomparably rustic, unique look. Definitely no two the same, each with it’s own voice and spirit. Can’t say enough. Well packed for shipping. Fast & smooth transaction. No worries!!!

 

 

 wayfarer359   (Reprinted with permission)

 

 

While I already left feedback on Ebay regarding my purchase, I wanted to take advantage of the email address you provided to send you a personal thank you for this beautiful instrument. As promised, it both looks and sounds beautiful; I'm so glad I took your recommendation and bought the poplar flute. With its historical background and unique (among my other flutes) design it has already become one of my favorites and has a place of honor in my collection. I also really like the wall display you generously included with the flute. It serves both as storage and display of this beautiful instrument and keeps it accessible for playing whenever I pass by.

 

I was also surprised by how quickly the flute arrived, as Ebay estimated I would have it by early August, but it arrived in just two days! In my small town here in North Dakota, I almost never get mail to arrive so quickly.

 

Thank you again for all your hard work and attention to detail. I look forward to sharing the songs of this flute with many others over the years.

 

sincerely,

Brandon Woodruff    (Reprinted with permission)

 

I have had my flute for a month and a half now and I wish to relate my experience with it. To say that this flute is nothing more than another musical instrument would be robbing Randy of the credit to which he is due. What Randy is practically giving away to the world is an opportunity to bring the spirit of Native American culture into our lives. His flute is not just a replica of a Native American flute, it is as authentic a flute as one could acquire if they stepped into a time machine and went take back to the days of Columbus to pluck a flute out of the hands of a native. The very heart and soul of the indigenous tradition lives on in every note that is respectfully played from these priceless vessels of art.

 

Thank you again for your services,

Brian    (Reprinted with permission)

 

“I’m so glad I took a chance and bought one of your flutes. I have many flutes and this is easily one of the best I have. A beautifully crafted flute tuned perfectly and such a lovely voice”

       Woodgate2931, (Reprinted with permission)

When I started looking at flutes, I knew nothing about them other than I wanted to learn how to play.  I have now learned about the making of flutes in the modern sense of the word. Randy makes his flutes the old-fashioned way. He tunes his flutes the old-fashioned way. He actually carves his flutes and you should see the primitive tools he uses to burn his breathtakingly gorgeous  designs in  the body of the flute. The process he goes through from beginning to end  is unbelievable. You have no idea how many hours it takes him to craft just one flute.

I could go on and on and on.  Just know this, if you are looking for a flute, made with love, dedication and devotion to tradition, look no further.  These are more than flutes. These are honorable works of art. They sound great, look great and they are crafted by a great man. That's about as good as it gets and the great energy that is housed within the flutes is something I have no trouble tapping into.

Barbara -
MNOTW, (Reprinted with permission)

  Over the years I have acquired many different Native American flutes, from several different sellers. However Randy Bryhn is the seller from whom I bought the MOST flutes. In fact these days I buy exclusively from him. This is because his flutes are THE most authentic Native Flutes I have come across. I can see that each one of his flutes are made with a lot of love and care, in the true style of the olden days. Each flute is made to the highest performance quality and are also very durable. And to top it all off, he is an extremely nice guy and a generous teacher to boot!!

     Dr. A Akram  Queensland Australia, (Reprinted with permission)

 

I purchased a love flute and really love it. The design already shows that it was crafted with much care and love for detail.  The branding design and the handcrafted details make it truly unique. It came in a very secure packaging so nothing could happen to it. It took me a while to learn to play but the reason for this is that this is actually the first instrument I ever attempted to learn. The Seller gave excellent instructions on how to learn to play the native American flute which was a great help. If even I can learn to play it, anybody can. Now that I can play the flute better, I can really enjoy its beautiful sound. It has a very spiritual sound, not too loud as if the sound is created in harmony with the wood of the flute.

   I hope this review helps anybody to make a decision. I absolutely love my flute and play it regularly. It has a very calming influence on me.

    dmuenchmeyerarcroyal.ie

                                     (Reprinted with permission)

 

Hi Randy,

 The flute is more amazing than I could have expected. I have a large PA type bluetooth speaker and was playing into the mic last night. with a little reverb, that beautiful haunting sound these flutes are known for becomes so clear and mesmerizing.

Thank you SO much for sharing your creative gift this way. This is the first ebay purchase this old biker ever made where I genuinely feel honored to have been a part of. Peace my new friend. I'll make sure to leave positive feedback back on ebay later today.

Lost Dog

 (aka Stan)

ps. Feel free to use my heart felt thanks in any way you wish, all or part. I'm sincerely blown away to finally have a quality flute like this that I can enjoy.

          (Reprinted with permission)

 

 

 

Hand Carved and Hand Sanded.

Holes and Tuner are made by Hand with a Wood Evaporation Technique.

Clear-Coat on the Flutes are FDA approved Salad Bowl Finish.

Tuners are the rare type “plains” design in the body of the flute style.

All Flutes are made with kiln dried wood.

All etching is done by non-electric wood evaporation technique

 

Other Stuff

 

The design of my flutes comes from the Blackfoot tribe, and my mentor Dan Bell, who I am very honored to have called my friend.  In making the flutes I use a table saw, and a router to form the kits. In cases of extreme cross graining I may resort to mechanical sanding. However, my goal is to always use as little electricity as possible. All holes, etchings, and the tuners are created using wood evaporation techniques, a method that is as old as the tribes that originated it. 

 

NOTE:

International Buyers – Please Note:

Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility.

Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding or buying.

 

A Special Note from Randy:

 

    I was asked why I started making flutes. Why do I make them by hand, instead of lathe like most other flute makers do? Why do I use the historic “Plains” style tuner, instead of putting it in the Byrd, or using a spacer? Why bother using an FDA approved clear-coat, and non-toxic paint? Why make it in the historic style using hand measurements from the true-hole instead of using the Flute-O-Matic on-line like most others do? Why don’t I tune my flutes like most everyone else? Finally, and above all else, since these flutes are hand whittled, and sanded, why don’t’ I charge hundreds of dollars for my finished work, as most others do?

 

   These are good questions, and they deserve an answer. I would suggest to anyone, before you buy a flute from me that research into others flutes may prove to be enlightening. There are many ways to make flutes, and each flute-maker believes that the way he does it is the proper way. It is not my way to try to change anyone else’s mind, only to make the flutes as I have been taught the proper way, and to not change the way I do it because to me this is a historical, spiritual item, that provides a link for us to glimpse into a distant past, and connect with those who have gone before.

 

Why I Started Making Flutes

   I started making flutes because one day the flute I had purchased from a good friend of mine quit working. I was already hooked, and felt a need to play every few days. Instead of looking up my friend, who was a flute-maker, I decided to look on-line for a flute like I had. I found many flutes, but I couldn’t find one in the style I was used to, and the type that my friend and mentor made. Flutes that I did find were literally priced so high, that I couldn’t afford them on what I make, so I decided to try and make one on my own. Using my original flute I tried over and over to get a working flute, but a squeak now and then was the best of my efforts. Since my friend and I talk periodically he found out what I was trying to do, and since his children were not interested in learning the ancient craft he offered to teach me the way he and his family had been making flutes for generations. Under his guidance it didn’t take very long for me to understand how to craft a flute, but using techniques that were very time consuming by today’s standards. Soon after, my friend bought a wood lathe, and began making them as most other flute-makers do because of the beginnings of carpel. Years of flute making had taken its toll, but he had trained someone to carry on in his stead. My goal now is to provide a quality made flute, at a down to earth price so everyone can enjoy the sound of their own flute. Also to make it in my own style with as many historic attributes as possible.

 

Making Them By Hand Instead of on a Lathe.

  Making the flutes by hand allows me to make a connection with each flute. I am not in a hurry to make these flutes, and I am always searching for the perfect flute. By making the flutes the way I do, I am able to skip an interesting part. Many flute-makers use a tool on-line called the Flute-O-Matic, (do a word search, its there). I had been making flutes for about two years before I knew it was possible to tune them. Why was this so? As my mentor explained, if I make a flute the right way it doesn’t need to be tuned, just the length of the flute conditioned to create the fundamental note. Because of this I save a lot of time in making my flutes.

 

Why do I use the “Plains” style Tuner?

  The “Plains style tuner is one of the hardest tuners to install, and is one of the leading causes of “scrap”. The tuner is what some would refer to as the sound trough under the Byrd. Although the way I make it causes a lot of scrap, (if I do it wrong there’s no going back, and about two out of ten never make it past the tuner stage), but I think the plains tuner sounds better than other tuners of later design. Did you catch that?

The “plains” tuner was taught to me as the original tuner that was first introduced. I am historically minded on some points, I don’t install the finger-holes with a drill, I use wood evaporation. That way the wood is cauterized, and sealed from splitting. That is the way I was first taught to make them, and so it is with the tuner. If I change the way I make them, then to me it just wouldn’t be honoring the gift that was given to me long ago.

 

 

Why don’t I use Shellac, Varnish, Polyurethane, or some of the other clear-coats on    
      the market?

  I use Salad Bowl Finish on all my flutes, made by the folks at General Finishes. Its FDA approved, which means it’s non-carcinogenic. That means a lot to me, many of the people I sell these flutes to are my friends. With the technology we have at hand today I feel a responsibility to use only the best product for a finish coat. Some flute makers do use other types of non-carcinogenic mediums, such as some types of wax, and mineral oil. However, this type of finish needs to be reapplied after a time, and not many customers are told that. Shellac, Varnish, and Polyurethane have been argued to me that once they are dried they become inert. I have been in contact with the companies that make these products, although they believe they are inert when exposed to the weather, they have never done animal testing to determine if they are safe. Each one of my flutes has five coats of non-toxic FDA approved clear-coat to provide a very nice looking sheen. The clear-coat applied that way should last for the life of the flute, and each one is crafted in the hope of becoming a family heirloom.  

 

A word about the sound intensity of flutes.

  It is thought that the first Native American Style Flutes were used as courting flutes. As such they were intended for the use of a brave courting his intended. These flutes were made to have special sound qualities and notes that were very special. These flutes were called “One Fire Flutes” and were intended to be heard within the range of one fire, though with harder pressure they could be made to play louder. There were also other flutes created for ceremonies and special purposes, such as medicinal, that were specially made to be louder and heard further. These flutes were called three fire flutes as they would be played near the central fire and could be heard throughout the camp. These flutes by necessity process a lot more air, and I personally think that the sound quality falls off the harder you need to blow on a flute.

  I wanted to let my customers know that unless I specify otherwise all the flutes I create are considered one fire flutes, and they play with as little as an exhale.

 

A Special Note to Other Flute-Makers....

Let Us Not Forget:    While speaking with another flute maker I've felt that it would be a good thing to put this forth so that all could share….

 

            When I learned to make my flutes, I learned from a Blackfoot elder. This is a leader of his clan. This is what he, and his ancestors considered to be a proper type of flute making. This only is representative of that particular clan, and should not be taken as a lone representation of the whole tribe. Just because one clan of the Blackfoot made a flute in this way it's entirely possible that a flute made not to many miles away would look very different.

            I once saw a collection of flutes from different tribes, one of the Cheyenne, one of the Cherokee, one of the Shawnee and so on. The announcement placard said these were typical examples of the different style produced by the tribes. I felt this was not good, as each Brave who created his flute, whether it was for courting, council business or just to play around the fire would above all else try to individualize his flute.  There are some, who put the sound channel in the Bird, (or as I was told to call it, “the wood block”). There are some who add a piece of shim stock to the roost or add a sounding edge to the tuner. I've even heard that a blade is not required, to make the pitch that the maker looks for.

            Though the recipe I've been taught matches none of these, who am I to say that these are not proper. We must each of us find our own way and cherish what we have been taught and learned. For each of us this has been a life changing event that has caused us to change our lives and shape something that we, each of us hold precious. 

             At one time any Brave who was thinking of taking a bride was by tradition, to make his courting flute (or trade or for one). Sometimes the brave would work diligently on this for quite a while and produce a squeaky stick, but the thought was there. This person would then use his knowledge and pass it on to his son so that it may be passed from generation to generation.

            The way that I was taught to tune a flute involves no math to figure out where the finger holes go. Is this proper or period style? Using European style equations to figure where the finger holes go: is this right or wrong? I really feel it doesn't matter; we are not in a competition, or trying to outdo the others. I feel if we are, we have lost sight of what we're really searching for, a connection with the past, a feeling of being one with what has gone before.

            I create, and sell some flutes but I don't do this primarily for the money, it is a necessary byproduct to keep me making the flutes that I love. In the long run it does not matter as long as the way that I do it is sacred to me.

 Let us come together as keepers of a sacred knowledge that we have been honored with.

   Let us never forget it is the knowledge passed on from those before us, that we are to

    honor the ancestors with our creations, and always to give an offering in remembrance.

 

                                                                                    Randy Bryhn