Hey guys and gals,
a few years ago I was given this flute as a gift from an acquaintance and would like to know more about it (ie. who made it, when, and its worth). It has 10 keys and looks like Blackwood to me. That’s the original case it came with. Can anyone help me out??
A German flute, without shadow of doubt. Can’t help you with valuations. They vary in quality. Some attention to the tuning is often very beneficial - both in terms of tuning and performance. The worst features they sometimes show are an extremely flat F# (due to the uniform sized holes and location) and an impossibly flat bottom D - if yours doesn’t show that you are well ahead! The ones (like yours) that go down to B usually seem better in that regard.
If you find it hard to play, seek out a known good flute to find out if the problem is you or it. If it, get someone to work it over - it should be capable of good performance if not great.
Terry
I aquired two old German flutes on ebay some years back, an 8 key that goes down to C and an 11 key that goes down to B and fixed up the 8 key right away.
I wish I had not put off refurbishing the 11 key as long as I did since it is, as Terry says, far the better of the two for tuning. I can even get a decent low B most times.
Good luck with your ‘old German’!
well I’ve never really played per se, I’m an advanced highland piper looking to get into uilleann piping and more of the irish tradition so I’d like to give this a go. I do find it tough to get a consistent sound of the flute though, but that’s more to do with me learning how to breathe properly.