The post delivered me a new baby today: My custom ordered Hopi style flute from Michael Allen. He wanted to embellish it a little and so I agreed and here is the result.

Before I get to pics though, a bit about the sound and playability. This flute is 25" long, has a low note of B and a bore of 3/4",thereby making it a bit tougher to play than my Mojave or Anasazi. As you can see,there are 5 holes as opposed to the 4 for the Mojave and the 6 for the Anasazi. The notes sound very nice though and once attained are straight on for pitch and clarity.

I especially love the artwork and colour Michael has imbued this flute with!! Here are some of the photos I shot this evening.

Just out of the box.



Coyote Oldman artwork:



The flute in all it's glory:



Onward we go....

Here is a photo of the upper end artwork in blue:





The bell end is stunning with some real detail and sharpness:





and finally....

The flute all alone:





A final parting shot with his brothers on the wall rack:



I appreciate the subtlety of the leather wrap at the bottom. My other rims have dangling leather ties that make them look rather nice but this is best for the Hopi IMHO.
I have been recording some short songs as of late with the Mojave and Anasazi. I hope to add a few with this flute soon.

We all know how fine a craftsman Michael is and this proves it again in his quest for diversity and colour.
I hope to acquire the Southern California replica next year. For now, this will take my time up as I try to discover it's nuances and have fun playing.

BTW...the price was sooo right for this at $140!!! I don't see it any longer on his site but he will make them if requested.


Thanks for letting me share my friends!!!

Jim
Vancouver,Washington USA

Nice!

Lucky you
congratulation !

He dos a beautifully job, I love his flute art I will have to buy some naf from him in the future

I always say I need to win the lottery

Congrats on your aquisition. No collection is complete without at least 1 MGA endblown flute. The only problem is the wrapping paper! Ya just hate to throw it away !

Art

Congrats!!! That is a beautiful collection you have there. I've never seen any MGA Hopi flutes with that type of design. Thanks for sharing.

That is so nice, he does great work. Playable Art.
bill

MGA makes some amazing flutes!!!!

That is a beautiful instrument! I know you will enjoy making music with it.

Wow! That beautiful flute with the enamel paint accents for 140.00? Amazing. I'm curious what the scale is like in comparison with the Anasazi and Mohave(Desert). Congratulations.

Dave

Jim,that flute looks AMAZING!!!!! The bell end is exceptionally gorgeous! Yes I too am wondering how is the scale compared to its brethren? Hmmm,I am thinking that Hopi might be a nice Birthday gift to myself!!!

I left my notes at home but the low note is B followed by(if memory serves me right) C#,D,E,G and A. It is truly more difficult to play than my larger bore rims. I will need some time to get used to this. Over blowing it is indeed difficult right now. But give me time LOL

So the scale is very similar to the Mojave.In fact,other than microtones off of pitch,it is the same.
We all know that no flute is exactly on pitch every note. This flute is no exception. But that's a minor issue.
I love this new one and have some practicing to do this week!!

I watched my "Toubat" DVD,curious to view some of the Hopi samples he shows. I was not disappointed as the photos they show are perfectly in line with what Michael has created as far as look and hole placement. I see that the Hopi seems to be one of the lesser known flutes though.

What we need is a volume on just rim blown flutes,their histories and as many photos as can be gathered. What a fun book that would be!!

Jim

Stunning! The smaller bore will require you to further develop your embouchure. In doing so, you will be rewarded by a marked improvement in your Mojave and Anasazi playing skills. You will also find that the Hopi soars into the upper octave easier than your other rim-blowns.

Enjoy.

You are right about that Judd. I find that after playing the Hopi and it's smaller bore I have an easier time with the Anasazi and Mojave.

Jim

This looks like a wonderful flute and of course the maker guarantees great quality. Congratulations!

Ok, I'm am justifiably envious now. Looks like a great flute. I've been wanting one of MGA's flutes for awhile now. Maybe I'll order one when I get a few more pennies in my pocket. Thanks for the pics. Looks like a really sweet flute!