If a player does not find what they are looking for in the online store, a custom order can be placed.
To clarify, I don’t make “custom” flutes in the sense of doing unusual tunings, specialty art or decoration or anything else similarly “off menu”. That’s not the type of custom work being referred to.
By a custom order I mean that a player can contact me and request that I make them one of my standard flutes in a key/tuning that I currently offer and from a material that I stock or (upon occasion and with certain caveats) that the player provides. Periodically I will customize a flute with ergonomic adjustments to make it playable (such as left-handed flutes), but such flutes are not covered by my usual return policy. Contact me for details.
The advantage of a custom order is that the player can get specifically what they want on an approximate timeline without having to keep checking the store to find out if I happen to make exactly what they are after.
There is no deposit required for a custom flute, and no pre-payment is accepted. I provide an estimated time to completion that is just an estimate! I work alone and there are many unforeseen variables that can impact my work schedule, so I can’t guarantee a delivery time on custom orders.
Also please take note that I work on stock flutes for my store concurrently with custom orders. I’ve had some customers wonder why their custom flute was not yet complete when new stock was still being added to the online store. I divide my time between these tasks, and being on the custom order waiting list does not mean that I exclusively work with such orders until they are complete. About half of my time goes to custom orders, and half to stock flutes. And again, it’s just me, so anything that comes up (I catch a cold, a piece of equipment breaks, my cat has to go to the vet, etc.) can pull me off task and cause everything I’m working on to be delayed. This happens routinely, hence the “estimate”.
So to place a custom order, simply e-mail me to discuss the details.
FAQ
Ordering a flute:
-Can you declare a lower value on the customs forms so that I don’t have to pay such high import duties?
While I understand why a buyer would want to reduce their costs, this is basically asking me to break the law. I know that many makers are willing to declare a value lower than the invoiced price of the instrument, but to falsify the value of a flute on customs forms is postal fraud for the shipper, and for you (the customer) it is tax evasion. I don’t break the law so please don’t ask.
Can you give me a discount if a buy more than one flute?
The only substantial discount I offer is if you are a merchant (with either a physical or online store) who wishes to make a wholesale purchase, or if you are a teacher who provides flutes for your students. But a wholesale purchase requires a substantial minimum order and a demonstration by the buyer that they do in fact operate a resale outlet of some kind. For a customer buying several flutes at a time, I will often try to minimize the shipping cost to some extent, but otherwise I don’t discount my instruments.
Can I visit your shop and try out some flutes?
I don’t have the facilities for hosting visitors, nor do I keep a stock of flutes for auditioning. I work from home (which is in a very rural area) and it is not practical for me to have customers at my home.
Can we talk on the phone?
I only communicate via e-mail these days. For many years I did have a phone number on my website so that customers could call and place an order. But as time went on, I was getting more calls and answering more questions (which often lead to other questions) and it got to the point where I was spending many hours per week on the phone. This began to interfere with my work schedule and I had to stop. With e-mail, I can answer questions at times that are convenient for me, and in many cases I can provide “canned” answers to frequently asked questions.
When will you be restocking the online store?
Because I have to divide my time between various tasks, including fulfilling custom orders, my ability to stock the store is very inconsistent. In some cases many months can go by before I restock a particular flute. In cases where a visitor is interested in obtaining a particular flute, I encourage placing a custom order, simply because it is the fastest way to get it. The wait time for a custom flute varies, but usually it is less than four weeks, whereas waiting for the store to be restocked could go on indefinitely.