Hmmm. It is possible that words like `dark`, `light` and `bright` fail utterly in their ability to communicate tone. They may mean totally different things to each of us.

Tone can really only be fully and accurately be defined in terms of the relative volumes (and intonation) of the various overtones (and `noise`) associated with the fundamental of any particular note.

And vibrato is overlayed upon that, vaying in pitch, volume, and wave form.

And what PLAYER wants to talk in those terms!!

You are like a broken record. I think we all got it the first 100 times when you made your point about what you thought about dark and bright.

I dislike a lot of Galways solo recordings, but I think he sounds wonderful when recorded with full orchestra. Maybe microphones and aural environment are making a larger impact than the material of the flute in such cases.

Personally though I always thought Gold flutes had a dark unnatural tone to them. Subjective, yes, but a lot people hear the same thing. You never hear people complaining that Gold ever sounds brighter than Silver.

I am not too much of a Gold fan myself. I also feel like they sound a little too unatural. The silver Murmatsu flutes that I have ever tried or heard have that sort of sound to them. Very dark. Dark seems to be the most popular sound right now though.

Can any sound made on a mass-produced piece of metal whose design has been modified over a number of centuries EVER sound natural? I don`t quite see where the use of this word is coming from.

The silver flute has been around since the mid-1800`s and has been the standard since. It is the flute material that has been the norm in the lifetimes of those alive today and hence the model of what is natural in a flute.

The Gold flute is well known for its dark tone color. The cause being the material or the influence of the manufacturers to make it distinct in that way does not have the sufficient scientific backing (notably duplicate testing by multiple scientists). Even though Gold`s dark tone color is subjective, a great deal of people hear a darker color from a Gold flute than a Silver flute some people like it, some people don`t.

Subjectivity... the arguement that something is wrong because it is subjective is quite silly. The notion that things are hard, soft, certain colors, scents, etc etc are all subject to subjectivity.

Natural:
Conforming to the usual or ordinary course of nature: a natural death.
Having a particular character by nature
Not produced or changed artificially; not conditioned
Not altered, treated, or disguised: natural coloring; natural produce.
Faithfully representing nature or life.
Expected and accepted

Good answer Piko!

Subjectivity... the arguement that something is wrong because it is subjective is quite silly. The notion that things are hard, soft, certain colors, scents, etc etc are all subject to subjectivity.

I entirely agree, and said as much in another thread; but we should be wary about allowing subjective perceptions influence us too much, which I personally feel is a big part of this silver/gold debate.

My head is spinning from all these "I hate this, I love that" thing. Sorry. I am not in a good mood as my grandmother just died and I`m hungry, nothing is in the house to eat and I have no money.

Personally, I love my Muramatsu. I have the DS model and love it to pieces. If you think a bright-sounding flute is the standard for today, do you hear anyone playing on a flute that sounds like its coming from a tin can? I`m not saying dark is perfect because as of right now, my head hurts so much I cant even tell what my flute sounds like. But it doesnt sound like something from Dracula... It sound awesome. And I love it. And apparently so does Galway. And so do many other professional flutists. Or flautists. Whatever.

The Muramatsu EX is a very nice flute, ok? The comparable Powell Signature I didnt like at all. I thought it to be waste, but many people love it. One of my teachers has an aurumite model (excuse the misspelling if i did spell it wrong) Powell and it sounds great. So Its all in the matter of what your preferences are. If you want to sound bright, then kudos to you. If you want to sound dark, more poewr to ya. One persons opinion is not greater than anothers. Its like Rock vs. Hip Hop, in a sense. One is not better than another, but its based on the listeners personal taste.

I hope this helped, although I doubt it. Just ignore me for a while so I can clear my head and cry some more before I have to go speak at my grandmas funeral and play her favorite song on my flute.... oh, yay. I`m crying.

good luck!

I`m very sorry to hear about your grandmother.

It did help. A lot.. It definitely is a matter of personal taste. That I`ve known all along. I didn`t ask for help with or a continuation of the gold/silver debate, I simply asked whether any had any experience with the EX and whether they liked it or not.

"He [Galway] also plays on a gold and platinum flute. And yes, I think his sound is muddy like all the rest of the Muramatsu flutes. And YES! WAY TOO DARK!!! " - Kara.

I`m wondering, do you mean his recorded sound, in which case the sound has far more to do with the whims of the recording engineers, who can manipulate sound incredibly, or do you mean live performance, where the sound depends hugely on the acoustics of the venue.

To make valid comparisons of FLUTE BRAND, you would have to get Galway blindfolded, and get him to play the same music on different flutes, in the same venue, with no sound manipulation, to a blindfold audience.

This is what double-blind testing is all about.

Miranda;
Bless your heart for having the strength to play your flute at your Grandma`s funeral. It`s a loving tribute that I`m sure your family will really appreciate.