Currently my only flute is a three-piece, tunable eight-hole low D PVC flute made by Doug Tipple, which I received as a gift. I was skeptical at first about just how good an inexpensive cylindrical flute made from a PVC pipe could be, but the rave reviews on the Chiff & Fipple forums convinced me to give it a chance. I’m definitely glad I did. With the added lip plate and the Tipple-Fajardo wedge, this flute has a rich and complex tone that I really like, even when I’m being frustrated by my beginner’s inability to get the best out of it. It does seem to be pretty resistant to playing up into the third octave, but that may in part be a matter of my technique, and it’s a rare tune that calls for me playing up that high anyway. I’d highly recommend a Tipple to anyone thinking about trying out the Irish flute, or a flute player who’s looking for something to bring to places where they wouldn’t feel comfortable taking their wooden flute.