Identifying a flute

Aodhan · Post by **Aodhan** » Mon Jan 13, 2003 2:45 pm

Hey all-

I need some help identifying a flute. I'm being offered a wooden flute (Just repadded and recorked) for $470. I can post photos on my website, but I need to know what parts you all would like pics of.

Any and all help appreciated.

Aodhan

BillG · Post by **BillG** » Mon Jan 13, 2003 3:58 pm

I would recommend a full flute shot then one shot of each piece: head joint, center, foot joint and whatever else. Close ups on a few keys would be great.

BillG

sturob · Post by **sturob** » Mon Jan 13, 2003 7:08 pm

And we absolutely MUST have an MPEG of a fiber-optic scope passing from footjoint to cork through the bore of the assembled flute.

Stuart

Just kidding.

Gordon · Post by **Gordon** » Mon Jan 13, 2003 7:14 pm

On 2003-01-13 16:58, BillG wrote:
I would recommend a full flute shot then one shot of each piece: head joint, center, foot joint and whatever else. Close ups on a few keys would be great.

BillG

I had a full flute shot, but my insurance argued against covering it.
Hey, if Stuart can joke...

Gordon

Aodhan · Post by **Aodhan** » Tue Jan 14, 2003 1:59 pm

Hey all-

http://www.gaeliccrossings.com/flute/flute.htm

Pics are up of the flute. No markings of any kind that I can find, silver is all in good shape, no cracks anywhere. Slight ding above the embouchure. Keys all in good shape and work, recently repadded and recorked.

Some kind of a blackwood (As far as I can tell), age is reputed to be late 1800's early 1900's.

Anything anyone can tell me about this would be great!

Aodhan

P.S. Sorry for the resolution, but the camera I have available to me isn't of the highest caliber...

[ This Message was edited by: Aodhan on 2003-01-14 15:01 ]

bradhurley · Post by **bradhurley** » Tue Jan 14, 2003 3:20 pm

Looks like a standard German model, the only unusual thing being that it has a heart joint (aka lower middle joint); many of the German flutes I've seen have the foot joint and the heart joint all in one piece. But the pin-mounted keys, the nickel silver end cap and foot cap, the shape of the keys, and the fact that there's no maker's name stamped on the flute, all of those features to me say "German flute."

Is it worth $470? Hard to tell..I bought one similar to this in the mid 1980s for $250, but prices have gone up since then and if this is a good-sounding flute it would obviously be worth more. Some German flutes are quite nice, others are pretty lackluster.

[ This Message was edited by: bradhurley on 2003-01-14 16:21 ]

[ This Message was edited by: bradhurley on 2003-01-14 16:24 ]

shoner · Post by **shoner** » Tue Jan 14, 2003 4:52 pm

Check the tuning. The low D and F# tend to be pretty flat on these anonymous german/austrian/czech models. I'm betting austrian. On the plus side there's no cracks to repair or pads to replace. Do the pads properly seal? Do you love the sound of the thing, is it worth the money to you? Typically you'll find these flutes on ebay on any given week. Needing pads, new thread on the tenons and possibly superglue in a cracked barrel they average around $200. A music shop will charge about 10 bucks for a pad replacement so there's probably a $100 worth of recent shop work done to the flute.

drdagmar · Post by **drdagmar** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 3:57 am

Hi, this looks pretty much like the german flute I have bought some time ago. I paid 50 Euro (app. 50 Dollars) for it, but it was in a sad condition, I had it restored very good for another 50 Euro and now it is a nice flute...mainly for airs but it does not have the irish thing...so would I pay 470 plus restoration? I don´t think so...although mine is in tune and plays well I would go for something more modern for that money as these flutes don´t play at A=440 and so there are some difficulties to use them when playing with others.
On the other hand I would not part with mine as it has a somewhat romantic feel for me

I like the thought of having a really old wooden flute.
All the best, Dagmar