New Flutes, Old Flutes
The type of flute used in Irish music is not the modern orchestral  instrument, but rather its historical predecessor, the simple system  wooden flute. This type of flute has been played in Ireland for at least the last 150  years, and until recently players relied on old English and  continental instruments. There are of course many of these instruments still surviving, and  in fact a lot of our work is concerned in their repair and restoration.

 Although old flutes can be very attractive, and at their best are  magnificent instruments, many players are now realising that they  have many inherent problems attending their use in modern  traditional music. One of the main problems is that of pitch.  Modern concert pitch is described as being A=440, meaning that the  note A in the lower octave vibrates 440 times per second. In  England, around the middle of the last century concert pitch could  be as high as 455, or almost a semitone higher. In practical terms  what this means is that many of old flutes are difficult to play in  modern concert pitch. The tuning slide must be pulled out a long  way to make the instrument play at A440, causing the flute to go out  of tune with itself. Another disadvantage of playing a flute with the slide well extended is that it tends to diminish the tone and response of the instrument.
 Other problems are caused by the fact that such  flutes were designed to play classical music over a range of three  octaves and the fingering was different to that used by traditional  players. More tuning problems are caused by trying to use  traditional fingering on an instrument that wasn't designed for it.  Finally, the age of the flutes tells against them. Every instrument  has a useful life, and flutes will last a very long time if properly  maintained. Many old flutes will have been repaired many times  and cannot be expected to have the overall "life expectancy" of a  new instrument. Finally, the real value of many old flutes as  playing instruments has been eclipsed in recent years by their  increase in value as antiques. An expensive old flute will not  necessarily be an instrument suitable for traditional music.