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Fife
will be an heirloom some day.""The Model F Fife
will be an heirloom some day."
Pitched
in the key of Bb, the famed Model Ffife
has since 1991 become the world standard for quality in performance, appearance,
and ease of playing. It is my principal instrument as it is for many entire corps
of musicians. Be A Fifer! is now the only Internet source for this wonderful
instrument.
This
instrument is the perfect choice for the student who is graduating to wood or
for the seasoned fifer who wishes to improve his speed and tonal quality. At the
Deep River Muster this year, I let a few people play one of mine. Comments? "Very
easy to play," "Smooth as silk," and "The entire range is
easy to play without a struggle." At the Westbrook Muster, "I had no
idea I could play this well!" From a gentleman in South Carolina: "Sir,
I hold your creation to the standards set by Klemm, Hall, Crosby, and Cloos! The
Model F has to be the finest reproduction
I've ever seen or played in twenty-five years of loving this instrument we call
a fife!" Someone from Pennsylvania wrote, "I only wish I knew about
this fife 3-fifes ago!"
In purchasing such
an instrument it is important to realize that these woods are very difficult and
expensive to procure. The blanks are then air-dried for many years until the moisture
content is just right as measured by a precision instrument. If the wood isn't
ready, it is necessary to wait until it is. Metal parts are brought to a fine
finish. Boring, turning, burnishing and finish of the internal surface of the
bore must be done to perfection. This also takes time. The burnishing process
is a secret method of over 50 years duration and not available on any instruments
other than the Model FFife. This is
the principal reason why it is so very easy to play.
External
examinination of the wood blanks provides no information as to what problems may
exist internally. They must be bored and turned before faults become visible.
If a flaw is present, it goes into the woodstove. Such waste is often significant,
especially when one considers how costly the wood is. A Model F
is never repaired and sold. These wonderful instruments are individually
hand-made from start to finish. They have to be free of even the most minor imperfection
before they are made available for sale and shipment.
I try to maintain sufficient quantities in stock of the four most popular instruments, all in the key of Bb. The production of this instrument is a labor of love...done to perfection every time.
To learn a bit more about Grenadilla (Blackwood) or Cocobolo, go to:
or 
FYI: This is what Grenadilla or Blackwood looks like when it is first cut.
If some models are periodically out of stock, you have my word that they will be shipped in the same sequence in which the orders were received. As the old saying goes, "Good things are worth waiting for."
1. Bb. Cocobolo wood with long, brass ferrules - rich and lustrous with a beautiful color and grain. Cocobolo fifes were played during the Civil War and ever since.
In stock - available for immediate shipment.
2. Bb. Grenadilla wood with long, chrome plated ferrules. Black in color
with a lovely patina, for years this was the most popular Model F.
Revered among drum corps fifers.
In stock - available for immediate shipment.
3.
Bb. Grenadilla wood with long, brass ferrules. Most popular among Civil War reenactors.
This fife is now the most popular Model F .
In stock - available for immediate shipment.
4. Bb. Grenadilla
wood with short, brass ferrules. Short-ferruled fifes were common during both
the American Revolution and the War Between the States. It may appear a bit different,
but it is a Model F in every way.
Out of stock - more mid-January
5.
Model F
fifes pitched in "C" are also available in both Grenadilla and Cocobolo
on special order (30 days) with either long or short ferrules. Same price.
Out of stock - More available late December
All
models cost the same: US$110.95, plus shipping, which includes confirmed delivery
and insurance for the full value of the instrument. To maintain your Model F
and any others you may own in the best of condition, see Taking
Care of Your Fife.
To order your
very own Model F, click on the fife
or use PayPal Shopping Cart. 
(C) 2001, E.W. Boyle
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