lovebird
(1 point)
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I used to own a silver McCanless flute. The seller is probably not lying about the purchase price of their instrument (new), as mine was around $7,500 in the early 2000's. It was a "Speak ez" model though, with a C# trill and some other added perks.
There are definite advantages and disadvantages to owning a McCanless flute.
Advantages- You get a quality, handmade instrument with soldered toneholes at a fraction of the cost of what a major professional manufacturer would charge for instrument with identical specs.
McCanless cut all of his headjoints by hand, and they are really quite nice.
These instruments are played by professionals, and have a small but loyal following. He is definitely well-known in the flute making community.
In terms of bang for your buck, you really can't beat a McCanless. They are also relatively rare- which is both a plus and a minus.
Disadvantages-
As much as I enjoyed playing my flute, I did not like the mechanism. I found it to be rather clunky. I now play on an absolutely stunning Miyazawa, and I don't think I could ever go back to playing on that mechanism.
When I owned my McCanless, I just assumed it was sterling silver. Now I wonder if it was actually coin silver, which has a 90% silver, 10% copper content. It always appeared to have a duller appearance than other sterling flutes, so to me, coin silver, which was apparently Tip Lamberson's staple, would make sense. This means absolutely nothing to an individual if they like the sound produced by the instrument, which I did, or if they like the sound of that particular alloy. It might cause problems later, however, when it comes to resale value, as different metal contents have varying desirability (particularly when dealing with silver, as 95% + silver content is really popular with flautists right now). Different alloys definitely do possess different tonal qualities, but when you are dealing with flutes in particular, you have to factor in a degree of snob-appeal (sad but true).
When I bought my McCanless it came with Straubinger pads, which I loved. When I sent it to Alton (McCanless), he replaced some of the pads with plastic-coated Schmidt pads (without asking) and they were a complete disaster. They stuck like crazy (even after I was sent some crazy NASA space graphite powder, or whatever- don't ask- I'm still peeved about it!), and did not do any favors for the mechanism or tone quality. I don't think these particular plastic pads are still being used/made (and I believe the gold ones he is making now are quite popular), but it is worth checking to see if any of the plastic ones are on the instrument you are looking at, because you should ask to have them replaced before you purchase it if they are present, or have the replacement cost deducted from the price of the flute. It will save you a major headache later, trust me. They are white and firm to the touch- they feel and look like plastic-coated pads.
The McCanless does have french-style keys, but they are really different looking. They lack the delicate curvature that most professional flutes have. They have a kind of masculine look, which isn't bad by any means, just different- just keep in mind that "different" makes things more difficult to sell. I personally find the traditional key style offered by most flute makers more aesthetically pleasing.
Finally, McCanless has a small, devoted following. Keyword- small. Like I said earlier, beautiful horn for the price, but buy it because you Love it, not because it will hold its value. I sold mine for I think around $4,000 when the economy was a lot stronger. If you play it and decide that you adore it and you know it is going to be in your possession for the next 25+ years, great! If money is not an issue for you, great! If you think there is a chance you might need to sell it again at some point, particularly in the foreseeable future, really think about it. I lucked out. Someone walked into the consignment shop I had mine at and just had to have it. I think I had it for sale for about a year. I was really fortunate to get what I did out of it, despite the instrument having soldered holes, gold riser, C#, etcetera, because McCanless flutes have a minimal amount of name recognition (one major flute consignment gallery even refused to sell the instrument because they had never heard of him). That being said, even though the seller probably did spend a pretty penny, $5,000 seems really high. There are two Lamberson flutes on FluteWorld that have been sitting for awhile (look at the Tip Lamberson Wiki link to learn Lamberson/McCanless history), one of them even has an extra McCanless headjoint for under $4,000. http://www.fluteworld.com/index.php?action=pk&wart=uflt
I really wish that I had known all of this before I decided on my McCanless, and so I hope this is helpful. I initially selected this flute based on a teacher's recommendation, and it was a great instrument, it just wasn't The instrument. I have been playing on Miyazawa for years now, and I couldn't be happier. It really is the perfect fit for me, just as the McCanless might just be the perfect fit for you! Anyways, happy fluting!
McCanless Website- http://mccanlessflutes.com/flutes.html
Tip Lamberson Info- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip_Lamberson
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He did take a gamble, since I had never played it before, but I love it. The last flute I had was a Gemeinhardt, so my standards aren't that high, anyway. The pads are JS gold plated pads, which I don't know much about, but they seem to work fine. The mechanism is slightly clunky, but I've played worse. All in all, it is probably the best flute I will ever own, so I am extremely happy with it.