Testimonials From Ancient Territories Flute Customers

Aloha John!

I adore the mango flute! It is a joy just to hold, and the workmanship is stellar. Thank you so much for not just a wonderful instrument, but a total work of art.

Mahalo
Louise

Today as I quiet and center, I am holding your great gift of beauty and craftsmanship, the Craftsman Flute made of Curley Maple and Lace wood. I call it my "call to worship" flute and I have often begun my time of quieting and journaling with its beautiful tones. 

I pray that this finds you well, that your heart is knowing peace.  Elizabeth and I extend our love and thanksgiving for you and what you bring into our lives.

Dear John,

I wanted to let you know that after 15 days of practicing, your flute is definitely the most generous in sound and precise in sound of the flutes I own.

Your words of wisdom you sent me also open my spirit about the impact of my thinkings on confronting a good or bad circumstance, besides also the fact that we create our own suffering depending on how we welcome what we face.

Now I thank the "wet out" material to let me play so easily with your flute.

Thank you so much for your creations and your words.

Blessings.
Daniel

The flute arrived, and it exceeds expectations. Beyond the striking combination of the woods, it is a beautiful playing instrument. I look forward to seeing the wood age and, I believe, darken. 

I’m most impressed by the substantial back pressure; even as I am currently reeling with a recent case of covid, I’m able to get quite a few phrases in before I’m out of breath. 

The tone: It’s possesses a beautiful, unique tone that is capable of somber voicing, while, at the same time, it is capable of playful, bright tones. 

Before playing it, I spent considerable time looking at the obvious craftsmanship that it contained. It’s in the small details: the obvious skill in how the body was rejoined, the 5 layers within the chevron—done with an artist’s eye, and rather than the round body shape that I'm more familiar with, the body’s, almost, battleship profile is perfectly ergonomic in the hand. 

You will be hearing from me again. 
Thanks.

Kathryn

Hello John,
I've been playing a High Spirits flute for a few months now but it's difficult to make a comparison between your flute and the High Spirits flute. Everything about your flute is better. The craftsmanship that's gone into making the flute is immediately evident and is aptly named "The Craftsman". However, the biggest difference between the two flutes, is the sound that they produce. Without sounding disrespectful towards High Spirits, I now feel, I'm playing a Native American flute the way a Native American flute should sound. 

It's that sound that you’re able to evoke from your flute that was missing from the High Spirits flute. And, as someone relatively new to flute playing, I feel very fortunate to have discovered your flutes whilst searching the internet.

Good morning John,

I received the Backpaker flute in key of F this morning in France. It's a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. The flute sounds wonderful!
I'm very happy!

Thank you and see you soon. :)

I received my Turtle Island  F# Sat and managed to wait 24 hrs  until I could spend the whole day at home enjoying it. I hoped for something like the photo and it is even more beautiful than I imagined. The wood selections and patterns are perfect together. Very nice turquoise band and  angled inlays. I love the rich, mellow tone. Gentle and calming. I think the birds are drawn to it near my patio. Thank you AT (great logo) for all the care and artistry that went into this magical creation!

Hi John, 

Thank you so much for the speedy delivery of the A flute. It only took a few minutes to accommodate to the differences from my G flute. It looks and sounds beautiful. I love it. Thanks so much!

Sharon

Hi John,
I received your flutes yesterday, no hold up or charge with customs - thanks for that!  The flutes are absolutely great I am so pleased with them. I am 81 and have played many fine instruments over the years and these are up there with the best - a new challenge for me. I thank you so much! Also really enjoyed your YouTube sessions. Trust all is well with you, very best wishes.

Ron

Hello John,

I received my flute yesterday. What amazing workmanship and a beautiful voice. I hope to learn to play well enough to do it justice.  Thank you so much!

Rob

Sir this is an elegant piece of craftsmanship! I can only imagine what your fancier flutes look like. As far as sound, I am floored. Thank you for this beauty. I feel already utterly connected to the sound and feel, we are going to be great friends. Thank you!!!

Kellie

John

I received my flute on Friday as promised. As with many of the flutes I purchase, my expectations exceed what I receive in the mail. This is the first time that what I received in the mail far exceeded my expectations. This is a beautiful, well crafted flute that has the best voice of all of my flutes. If this is the type of craftsmanship you dedicate to all your flutes, I will be ordering more of them in different keys. 

Thank you for the time and effort you put into these useable works of art. I know I will be enjoying it for many years to cone.

Lance Brooks

John, I wanted to thank you for making such a beautiful instrument. I'm learning a lot more about how to play it and it is great to explore with it. Well done.

Hi John,

I received my new flute from you last Friday, just as promised, and have played it every day since; sometimes twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. I'm absolutely in love with it; your workmanship is incredible, and everything I was seeking in a flute. Thank you, from my heart to yours. Already I've grown in mysterious and bountiful ways. Thanks so much, wishing you and yours the very best. Namaste.

- Jason

John,

Thank you! Just got the most beautiful flute I have ever seen in the mail. You have gorgeous work. I will definitely be buying from you again. Take care.

Blessings,
Kailey

Oh my goodness, and there is a lot of that, if you let it be, and go there.  I am honored and grateful.  Thank you for this incredible new friend that I now share my home with.  Flute had a much needed rest, after the journey.  I just got to really meet flute, and oh what a song.  You were so write.  I have never heard a flute quite like this, and that’s with just me playing flute!   I believe flute accepts me and my home, and is singing most beautifully.  You truly are a master Jim.  I am so fortunate to have crossed musical (and spiritual) paths with you.

With so much gratitude,
Kate St. Onge.

Hi John.
I have received the flute. It is majestically crafted.
Many thanks,
John

Dear John

Is this your first flute that you send to Iceland? Maybe the only one here? I will put it to good use and I will pray with it for Peace, Kindness and Compassion.

I´m so happy and grateful that I decided to purges this flute from you.

Something tells me that you are a lovely soul and your energy, heart and soul is in the flute. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart I will take great care of this flute.

With love
Ívar Gudmundsson

Hi John,

My flute arrived this afternoon, and after playing just a few notes I already know that I absolutely love it. The sound is haunting and beautiful. I look forward to taking my new flute when I go birding or am sitting by a river while my husband fly fishes. I also plan to play it when I have a serious migraine and need to feel relaxed and peaceful.

Thank you very much for making such a lovely instrument.

Blessings,
Holly Goodale

Good afternoon, John-

I wanted to let you know that I received my new flute yesterday, and I finally got a chance to try it out today.

First of all, it is gorgeous to look at!  I have always loved the simple beauty of wood, and your flutes really allow that to shine through.

In addition, her voice is beautiful and strong.  I feel like she sings with hardly any effort on my part, as if she was just waiting for a gust of air to let out her song.

I have a starter flute that I’ve been working on for a few weeks, but I knew I wanted something that I could connect with on a deeper level.  I followed your advice to get the flute that spoke to me, and I’m so glad I did.  Thank you so much for your hard work.  The love and care you put into these flutes really shows in the end result.

Thanks again!
Hillary

Dear John

Today I received your wonderful love flute. She has an incredible beautiful sound. It seems that the flute makes the vibrato herself. Immediately I felt in love with her. I wellcomed her with the other flutes and the bluesharps. Thank you very much. You are a great flute maker and can feel your spirituality in the flute. Big big THANK YOU WITH MY HEART  

Hanspeter

Hi John,

I received your flutes and tried them out today. They are amazing - great workmanship and a really nice feel. I love their wonderful clear sound!

Thank you!

If I make progress in my flutemanship, I may buy other flutes from you in the future.

Best regards and happy holidays,
Helge

Greetings,

My flute arrived midday. I patiently brought her into the room I play in, and let the temperature normalize. I'm sure as solidly as this flute is built it wouldn't have hurt anything, but I wanted to wait till I had the time to actually focus on it. I have been patience challenged much of my life, so it's good practice for me to give things a minute.

Long story short, I love it. The holes are bigger, and a bit farther apart than my other flute, but it was all of ten minutes before we got pure. It is all I expected and more. It will certainly take some of this patience practice to not order another key tomorrow.  When I get ready to order I'll contact you so I can pick your brain a bit about what key would suit my needs.

I would recommend you to anyone looking for a NSF. 

Thank you,
Warmly Gusty

John;
I just received the flute!!! Beautiful workmanship all over. A beautiful tone that really ministers to the soul in a special way. Thank you very much. Very easy to play. I will in the future order another key. Again thank you for your professionalism in your response to my emails and your professional quality flute in every aspect. I pray your business grows.

This is my first Native American flute. It’s not my first instrument. I had played classical guitar for a few years in my teens. As soon as the exams were done, I didn’t touch it for months. When I picked it up, my skills had gone downhill so quickly that I didn’t even want to look at one. I’m 35 tomorrow, and I’ve held a guitar about 5 times in the last 15 years.

The flute was something that spoke out to me when I heard it talked about and played on a comedy podcast of all things.

I’ve met a bunch of people who had played instruments to a high level in their youth, like I had with classical guitar, let it go, then felt shame about their separation from it, and that guilt kicked in. I think it’s a really common story.

For me, it’s a way to get back into expressing myself. Zero pressure, I just love how it sounds, and I can enjoy it when I feel like it.  

I’ve always been fascinated with wind instruments. They seem to come from a special place.

Hello John!

The flute arrived here in Williamsburg, Virginia, the end of last week. It is beautiful, sounds lovely! My husband (Bob Kohl, copied here) was gifted this flute today, and he’s VERY pleased. Your energy (and craftsmanship and artistry) are very much present.

Gratitude to you.

Deborah

John,

I got the flute in this week and I am very happy with it. Your wood working craftsmanship is impeccable. I lived in Vermont for decades where a lot of the American woods you use come from and I am familiar with them through the wood crafts sold there. You certainly should be proud of your work. Oh and the flute sounds great too. Haha

Thanks again,
David

John, just want to send an image of your flute in my hands. It has received praise from some distinguished curators. Your flute has made a great impact on my wellbeing, thank you for being the source of such revelation. Feel free to use this image if you wish.
Best regards,
Alex Hernandez

Hi John!

I can't believe my flute made it here this week. She is beyond stunning!!! Such a gorgeous combination of woods. And you are definitely a very skilled wood worker and artist. Her sound is so warm and calming. She is the biggest flute I have had my hands on as I only started playing 6 months ago. But I did pretty good with the reach today. I will be practicing everyday, I love this flute. Soooo happy! She will keep me busy until the next one.
Thank you,
Annie

Hi John,

Just wanted to let you know that I have quickly acquired flutes from 4 other makers besides you and your flute sounds the best of them all. You are definitely doing some fine work.
Thanks,
Clay

Hi John. 
Received my stunning flute - ON MY BIRTHDAY!!!  How perfect was that timing?  It is absolutely beautiful, and the feel of the wood .....hard to describe how perfectly it seems to fit in my hands.  You are a true artist.  As you know, I have a High Spirits flute in A - my beginner flute.  I have enjoyed learning to play on it, but the difference between that flute and the handmade one your artistry has created is amazing.  I love it so much.  Thank goodness there are people on this planet that make it possible for others to honor Mother Earth and Father Sky by coming back to the power of breath - for "Presencing", in reverence. Thank you! 
Blessings.
Lexi Roberts

Hello John,

I'd like to express my heartfelt gratitude for the extraordinary handcrafted Native American flutes. The flutes have left us enchanted with craftsmanship, artistry and sound. Each delicate curve, every finely etched detail, speaks volumes of your skill and dedication to the craft.  It is a testament to your talent that these instruments have the power to stir the soul and evoke emotions that words alone could never capture.
-Bjorn and Stina

So, as far as the care for the flute is concerned, I should remove the bird block, every time I finish playing?

Ivan

Hi John!
Great news: my new flute arrived yesterday and I have to say that it looks unbelievable!

The two types of wood that we chose go very well together and it looks miles better and much more splendid than it does on the photograph. Yellow is my favorite color and I can't stop looking at it! It's a bit heavier than the other two flutes that we have and I already tried to play a couple of melodies. The sound is simply sublime! It's very soothing and calm.
Thank you once again for your wonderful work and I'm sure that it'll only keep getting better over the years!

Thanks once again!

Hi John,

Hey John,

Hi John,

Hello John,

Dear John,

Dear John,
I wanted to let you know that the flutes safely arrived today and are on my desk right now. Thank you also for a nice letter - I wish you that the content of it will come true. I hope you will have a chance to visit Lithuania one day and in such occasion please let me know about it.

Having first look at the flutes - I see that they are very beautifully made. I look forward to play with it in the evening. I tried to understand where is a correct position of the bird. I think, I worked it out, but will experience in the evening. My daughter already waits for me to come home very much.

Best regards,

Zymantas

Received my new flute in perfect order and on time. It or should I say she is a beauty. John has crafted a flute that reminds me of the work of a master violin maker. I play about 6 of my flutes twice a day and It only took one day to have the hole locations down. She is a great flute, I checked most of the makers around and finally, glad I called John. When I told him what I do he had the one suggestion that did the trick. Thanks John, a loyal customer, larry

Dear John,

John, just wanted you to know my flute arrived safely in Australia today. It is exactly as I pictured it and you should be proud that you can craft such a thing of beauty. The sound quality is perfect and I know I am going to enjoy learning to play, I feel like I am making music already and all I have done is practice scales! Thank you so much.

Hey John, I got your flute on Thursday and there is only one problem. I may not play my other flutes much at all. love your flute.

Hello again!

I want you to know how much I appreciate your skill and spirit that you put into your flutes.  You've probably heard this many times over. I'm amazed at the craftmanship and beautiful tone of this flute.  You were right with your advice about the key of F. This key resonates peace when I play.  I'm not that good yet but I still love every note from this flute.  Thank you so much!

Warmest Regards,

John thx for the Flute - you cant imagine how joyously happy I was to receive it. I am not often so nowadays :) This was a Cherry and Santos Mahogany flute. I loved that it was delivered so unexpectedly quickly and that it was in a hand written addressed box.
Its beautiful and it sounds soooo good.
I am fairly new to flutes - someone gave me an Odel flute about a year ago and I like - but I have never loved it.
I am going to make a flute and before I even thought of buying a flute from you, I bought a beautiful block of red juniper wood with the bore and sound hole and slow chamber already machined. I dont have the skills or the time yet to do the whole thing but seeing your work I am truly inspired. I know what I make will be unique and not a copy in any sense. Its funny I came across your website while I was studying flute keys and hole patterns etc. I immediately resonated with your designs and your presentation. With a little encouragment from my wife it became clear that I was destined to connect myself to you.
Thanks so much !!

I just received the flute on Friday! I gave it to my boyfriend as a birthday gift and he LOVES it! This flute does not even compare to his old one from Arizona. The sound is amazing and so is the craftsmanship. It was a pleasure doing business with you!

Hello John, today I went to get the flute to my mailbox, I am very pleased and grateful for such a fabulous flute, since I have it in my hands I'm playing with it is fabulous in every way, I'm very happy of this beautiful flute of Love to fill my home and my family. Thank you very much again for this wonderful work of art that I have in my hands.
Eternally Grateful

Infinite Blessings! .

I just wanted to let you know the flute arrived safe and sound. It is everything I hoped for and more. After months of visiting your site every day pondering, wishing, and drooling, I’m glad I finally took the plunge. I hope to dramatically improve my playing skills in order to do it justice. I am honored to own it.
Hoping you and yours have a happy and blessed holiday season.
Many Thanks!