it actually looks nice to me; i’d almost consider bidding on it and paying Jon C to restore it, except that if that’s an antique flute, that’s certainly not an antique embouchure cut. looks to me like someone’s been monkeying with it… am i wrong?
also curious where people might think it’s from… it look german to me, especially the end cap, and being blackwood, but all the german flutes i’ve seen dont’ have the separate footjoint…
If that flute looks nice to you, you should certainly consider seeing an eye doctor. Almost certainly a German flute. Pure Teutonic nastiness: huge cracks in the HJ, cracks in the tuning barrel, tuning barrel frozen to the HJ tube, dried out pads, no wrapping on the tenons. Even in good shape nearly all these flutes are junk.
What about it looks good to you? What do you mean by “modern cut?”
If you want a nice German flute, I have an original Meyers, made from Madagascar rosewood .
I don’t think this one would be the best flute for you, might make a good lamp though…
Yes, definitely had a cheater fitted at some point. In quality terms this appears one of the more solidly made ones, and if one confirmed what pitch it played at it might be worth restoring if one bought it cheaply enough. Its condition looks decent bar the cracks, and they’re routine fixes. No telling what the intonation or voicing might be like beforehand, though. A gamble.
As for the embouchure cut, rounded rectangle cuts go back at least to the 1830s when Bohm favoured them, but they weren’t his innovation. These flutes are late C19th or early C20th, so no anachronism there or need to suspect modification. I’ve seen such before. Separate foot joints. Especially on short foot ones like this one are also not uncommon: a minority variation, sure, but not rare or cause for suspicion.
thanks Ben, Jem. i wondered what the discoloration of the wood was; a cheater makes sense. i thought the square embouchure cut was a modern invention; people are always talking about it that way on this board (saying that the older cuts make for better flute players).
Jon fixed the cracks on mine no problem, so i don’t worry about cracks or missing pads when looking at a flute like this. if you buy it for less than $100, you can afford the repairs. intonation though, is another problem… Jon told me after fixing my nach Meyer that i got lucky on that one.
@Jon: no, i don’t seem to like rosewood flutes. this was just pure speculation anyway, you already restored one for me that is quite nice.
The original Meyers had the TV tube cut also, that is why I mentioned it. He might have been the first to come up with it, as Meyers was a trend setter.
Hey Jon C. - Heinrich Friedrich Meyer was in the later half of the 19th. century. Funny, so many of his original flutes had the “improved” embouchure, yet most every “Nach Meyer” has an oval.
Eric, check out Rick Wilson’s website (a constant reference lately!!!) - I’m sure you’ll find some there, especially on the pages about German and nach Meyer flutes!
Also, as already implied by an example, the Dayton C Miller Collection is viewable online - follow the link given above, go to the home page and work out your own search to browse…
I wouldn’t quite agree with sillydill that “most every “Nach Meyer” has an oval”, though for sure the majority do so.
Here’s another one in the US - full 8-key this time, but with bushed tone-holes, a lip-plate and another straight, not oblique G# key. Elliptical embouchure and integral lower body/foot this time, as per stereotype. Usual cracks to metal-lined parts… again, if it were this side of the pond and I were buying at the moment, I’d check out its sounding length to be sure it isn’t LP (A=430-2) and, if the answer was right, stick a snipe on it for about £70. Worth a gamble and the adventure of learning to fix it up - but probably not to pay someone else to do it. This is one of the “pretty” ones - would make a good lamp-stand or pub wall trophy if it turns out duff!
anyway, i found this one…
