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 “G” I am the manufacturer, and I test the flute right before I
ship it to insure it's quality.
Comes complete with:
Flute-Complete (shown), Papers (not shown) Shipping Bag (not shown), Wall
Hanger (shown), Wrap (shown).
Becky has the wonderful gift of having the patience to sit and do
bead work for hours and hours...not so with me. I know how to weave wampum and
seed beads, but my patience forbids me to spend my time on it. Besides the
flutes are very time consuming and I always have some in the making. Becky saw
some flute wraps for sale one day for thirty dollars apiece and was amazed. She
wondered if any actually sold at that price. I didn't know, but commented that
they look nice on the flute. She immediately went to work and started making
them. When I asked her how much more I should charge for them she just smiled
and said, "It's just frosting on the cake, so not much." After
talking about it we just decided to offer them at no extra charge, just a way
to say thank you to anyone that buys the flute that has the wrap offered on
it.
Made from unstained Black Walnut wood, this
is one of my finest flutes. The wood-grain of Black Walnut, and the dark color
has made this type of wood sacred, to most Native American clans that knew of
it. Its dark color seemed to hint of mystery, and as a result was a favorite
wood to be used by the medicine man of the clan.
The finger-hole area is etched and
darkened, while the Byrd has a wing type design for use outside in a breeze.
This flute is shortened as much as possible, yet still is able to retain the
lower tone of the F range while still being small, and measures approximately 18
inches in length. It is made this way to allow the hand to be approximately
three inches closer to the face and allow the hand to rotate closer. As the
hand moves closer to the face the outer fingers rotate inward bringing them
more in-line with the finger-holes. This is an excellent size flute if you are
thinking that a regular full-size flute may be too big or heavy for you.
This is a flute with an excellent voice
that would be good for both inside and outside playing. 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. Black Walnut is a very close-grained
wood that has performed for me well in the past, and seems to play well even on
very humid days.
Currently
I am making these different types of medicine flutes.
The Captured Light Medicine Flute –
Representing the binding force that makes everything related.
A Shortened Medicine Flute (The Traveler) –
Not representing any one certain spirit, but used as an offering to all.
The FernFire Medicine Flute – Representing
all animals and plants of the Earth.
The WindFire Medicine Flute – Representing
everything that lives and flies in the air.
The TribalFire Medicine Flute – Representing
the Heart, and Soul.
A Free Style Medicine Flute – Not
representing any one certain spirit, but used as an offering to all.
A Free Style Resonance Medicine Flute – Not
representing any one certain spirit, but used as an offering to all.
This is what some of my customers have
written to me about the flutes they have purchased:
What an amazing flute! Gave it for a Christmas gift. Person
absolutely loved it! Great craftsmanship! Maker/seller of this flute included
such incredible information about the flute including the making of it, the
caring of it and the history of Native American flutes. Seller is very
passionate about his craft and it shows in his work. You will not be
disappointed buying a flute from him! Shipped quick and good packaging! Can't
say enough great things about this seller! A+++
queenv0327 (Reprinted with permission)
This is my 3rd purchase from Randy & could not be more
pleased. The Maxim Cherry Love Flute arrived on time. As always, he wraps his
flutes in bubble wrap, places them in the included free bag, wrapped in more
bubble wrap & packed in a box surrounded by newspaper, making them safe
during shipping. The flute is a work of beauty. Hand-carved with various
paintings in them. It produces a rich sound that is pleasing to listen to. It
is a pleasure to buy from Randy & he has become a favorite.
drugless (Reprinted with permission)
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
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
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
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
are made by Wood Evaporation Technique.
Clear-Coat
on the Flutes are Five Coats of an 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, who I am very honored to call 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 is 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 offered to teach me the way he and his family had been making flutes
for generations, since his children were not interested in learning the ancient
craft. Under his guidance it didn’t take very long for me to understand how to
craft a flute, 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 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 “woodland” style Tuner?
The “woodland 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 “woodland” 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. I know that when these chemicals are exposed to the amylase in
saliva there is a digestive juice that will break down these chemicals over
time, exposing the player to an un-needed amount of toxic chemicals.
How do I know this? I am a fully trained
Bio-science Research Lab. Assistant
Technician with a degree. 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.
Why haven’t I raised my prices as high as some of the other
flute-makers?
Even though I have been making flutes for years, I am not very good at
price politics. While many flutemakers communicate prices to set up a standard,
I instead, think about how much the materials cost, and what an honest markup
should be.
At the time of this writing my flutes are
priced less than the prices of flutes listed on private sites. The flutes I’m
comparing the recipe I use which are hand whittled flutes against lathe
produced flutes, are made in a fraction of the time it takes to make mine. Yet
I consistently price mine lower.
I’m doing this because I charge what I need
to keep making the flutes I love at an acceptable markup, not to make a living
off of charging as much as I can for them.
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.
Please see the rest of my flutes
offered at: http://www.ebay.com/usr/rbryhn01
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
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