My passion for traditional woodwind instruments began in the summer of 1987, when I bought a six-holed bamboo flute at an arts and crafts festival. Since that time I have been playing, collecting and performing on folkwinds of every kind.

The simple yet ingenious design of my bamboo flute had always fascinated me, so in 1993 I started making my own simple-system transverse flutes. My first creations were Bb military fifes made of brass and acrylic tubing, modeled after the instruments I was currently playing in a fife and drum corps. In 2002, after nine years of intermittent experimentation with various pitches and material, I began crafting and selling D piccolos and G flutes made of PVC and CPVC plumbing pipe.

Then I discovered Puny Tunes. In 2004 I contacted Bryan Mumford to purchase one, but was told he no longer made them and the business was up for sale. I was initially disappointed, but then I realized my opportunity to carry on the crafting of these unique and wonderful little instruments. After business transactions and a weekend session of very detailed training with Bryan, I became the exclusive authorized crafter of Puny Tunes "the wee whistle".

Click here to read what Bryan Mumford has to say about my Puny Tunes.

I make Puny Tunes "the wee whistle" during my free time in my garage workshop located in Green Bank, West Virginia. If you ever happen to be in my neck of the woods, I always welcome visitors with an interesting flute crafting demo, or a lively tune on one of my many folkwind instruments.


Rob Taggart
Puny Tunes "the wee whistle"