As new and essentially unplayed, this is Jay Ham's large-hole Rudall model, very suitable in volume and power for playing in a session, yet capable of the kind of nuanced, dynamic playing that makes it equally at home in a quieter setting or on a recording. This Rudall model features a reedy tone, a strong bottom D, and excellent intonation and responsiveness. It is large enough for a session, but the tone stays warm and expressive when the music calls for it. Irish Flute Store's owner Blayne Chastain's main flute is this exact model from Jay.
The six-key configuration includes a right-hand Bb touch, an arrangement that suits both players who prefer the ergonomics of a right-hand key and those who play with Piper's grip, where the left thumb sits too far from a traditionally placed Bb key. The rings and crown are Rose engine turned, a technique with deep roots in historical flute making. Rudall & Rose themselves used engine-turned mounts on some instruments, and examples of the technique appear across many surviving flutes from the period; a rose engine imparts beautiful patterning upon the sides and ends of cylinders through a single cutting tool, and a good deal of skill and patience is required to produce good work. The crown features a screw cap mechanism. Ham's keys are forged by hand rather than cast, which makes the keywork stronger and gives greater flexibility in customizing it to individual players' needs.
The flute is in as-new condition, having been played very little since delivery in early 2026. It is being offered for sale because a health condition has made it no longer possible for the original owner to play. It will visit Jay Ham's workshop for a final review before shipping to its next owner. It comes in Jay Ham's custom-fitted, hand-made hardwood case with decorative inlay and solid brass hardware, designed to prevent movement within the case.
About the Maker
Jay Ham makes two models in the key of D: his "Rudall," a large-holed Rudall design, and his "Wylde," a smaller-holed Rudall named after the 19th-century maker Henry Wylde. Ham works out of Asheville, North Carolina, and his reputation has grown steadily through the Irish traditional music community on the strength of the instruments themselves. His waiting list now extends to five or six years, and his flutes rarely surface on the secondary market. Ham has continued and extended a tradition of rose engine ornamentation in Irish flute making that was closely associated with British maker Chris Wilkes, whose instruments are now much sought after. Wilkes is no longer taking orders; Ham has carried this decorative approach forward, making rose engine turned rings and crown a signature element of his instruments.
Condition: Used - Excellent
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