What utter drivel I have been reading !
Jean-Michel Veillon and Brian Finnegan have both played many of my flutes of late and they don’t think of them as curiosities or crocks !
I should like to bet that most of them, even though antiques will match almost anything modern you can come up with, having cost me a fraction of the price.
The point though is there are plenty more good bargains out there.I don’t have to buy them all.
Was I to ignore the boxwood Rudall and Rose I bought some weeks ago, a wonderful player, because it could be considered a collector’s item ?
The works of the best makers of the nineteenth century can often be seen in good condition for much less than the new stuff which Mr Malcomb is so fond of.
I know which I would rather have.
Do the few of my flutes I illustrated a while back look like wrecks or curiosities to you, Mr Malcomb ? Perhaps I should put up another dozen or two to convince you that old is not the same as useless.
Do you ever come to England Henke ?Come and try out a few dozen of the sort of classic flutes it seems are to be disregarded by Americans, to their loss! Give me a ring.
Hi RH,
I know that it’s more probable that I find a french style flute out of Cuba (and in more playable conditions) but as I have relatives who are going to travel there, I thought I could take advantage of it.
I knew that flutes used for charanga music had their cork moved to let the third octave sound but what I dind’nt know was that the embouchoure were altered too, thanks.
I’ll try it in earlyflute list.
Victor.
I saw a lot of flutes being played around the area of the Cathedral in La Habana Vieja; they might want to ask around there – it’s very tourist-y there but that’s what brings in the musicians.
rh
It has only just occurred to me, Henke, that as you play left handed you won’t be able to use most of my flutes ! Shame !
If I may make a suggestion, Andrew,
might you simply select a flute you wish to sell
and list it on this board, along with a description
of the flute and its price? ‘OT: Siccama for sale’
sort of thing.
I daresay a good number of readers are by
now interested by your tantalizing posts.
Also, are you willing to ship to the USA?
Considering I subscribe to the “player” perspective in the “player v. instrument” dichotomy I’m not a all surprised by Messrs Veillon & Finnegan’s response to well made, well cared for flutes.
And if you really want to shock me, tell me that you bought that Boxwood Rudall for as much as an anonymous, 19th C. French flute.
Cheers,
Aaron
Woof! Woof! Growl!
Andrew, I can still play right handed flutes as if they were keyless and even use some of the keys, but I don’t know if I would be willing to buy a right hand keyed flute.
I’ll give you a call one of these days.
Take care
I wasn’t trying to sell you anything. Henke !!
Ring anyway.
I, too, have played many of Andrew’s flutes - and I only tell you this in order that I can be mentioned in the same sentence as Messrs Veillon & Finnegan! 
(As an aside, I got to chat to Jean-Michel and rave about the group “Den”, which he was in with Patrick & Jacky Mollard & Soig Siberil. I picked up this years ago on tape, and have only recently found it on CD and I heartily recomend it to you all - the playing is stunning!)
Anyway, the condition of the majority of Andrew’s flutes is amazing. He has two mint condition Siccama’s (spelling, anyone?), a delightful Rudall Rose & Carte which I attempted to hide under my jacket when leaving, a beautifully playing Prowse (not as good as my own, thankfully) and far too many others to mention. So in order to facilitate Pavlovian responses from those of you so inclined, here is a picture taken during my visit.
I have to agree that there are some great old keyed flutes out there for not very much money. As long as you don’t pay over the odds then if the flute is not what you expected you can re-sell it at around the same price and move on in your quest. Sure, there are risks, but what else would you be doing in the years while you wait for a new keyed flute.
PS, Aaron, I know you play the pipes, but are you actually Scottish? I’ve never heard anyone other than a Scot talk about “taking the pish” - a delightful colloquialism from round our way
Cheers,
Graham
Thanks for the swell photo.
The question is: How do we get our mitts on 'em?
I mean, like permanently, without violating
any legal or moral norms?
You mustn’t go violating gnomes at Christmas !
I guess one way would be to get Andrew to adopt you and bequest his collection to you. Another way would be to marry him.
You are such a tease!
P. S. the prohibition is against violating moral or legal ones;
the rest are fair game.
P.S.S. christmas don’t mean beans to a
Buddhist.
I thought you guys were into rice, not beans.
Gnomes. I’m into gnomes.
You should be thinking of the gnomeless at Christmas.
oh dear
I confess the idea of gnomeless gnomes
fills me with desire. They would be so
vulnerable, so…exposed.
Now we know that it is beans on the menu for " the lust supper ".
My body is gnomes, my blood is gnomes.
Andrew, will you please sell us some flutes?