John on LIK's hook. Someday I'm going to get that other email so I can do it myself.

Best place to get started is certainly with people who play and make instruments, as suggested by others above. If you get into making instruments like the P-squeeks, you may eventually want to look at some other kinds of similar projects.

"The Amateur Wind Instrument Maker" by Trevor Robinson, University of Massachusetts Press, 1973 & 1980, ISBN 0-87023-312-2 (1980 edition), about $18.00 & probably available from Barnes or Borders .coms: has some detailed plans for a variety of fipple flutes, recorders, etc. You might find a variety of instruments here that would be fun to build. This book has been cited frequently by a number of sources, and may be available in a local public or university library for you to look at. It's only about 100 pages, but has some good stuff – including a short list of other useful references.

Almost any published "work" on instrument design eventually mentions "Acoustical Aspects of Woodwind Instruments" by C. J. Nederveen. I spent about 2 yrs looking for this one, because so many people recommended it, and it has been re-published (1998) by Northern Illinois University Press, ISBN 0-87580-577-9. I got my copy about a year ago, by special ordering it (for $28). Unless you are mathematically inclined, I'd say don't bother – at least until you have tried out what you can find elsewhere – or hit the libraries again. It's a good book, but you probably don't need it for what I infer as your interest.

Dover books (reprints) also have a number of historicly interesting technical stuff that you might want to look at (Helmholtz, Jeans, etc.) later if you get obsessed. Best bet is to make a hole in a long hunk of wood, bust through some side holes, and play with it -- after you get the fipple angle and spacing about right.

And have fun!!!
John in Kansas.