I have for sale an old flute made in early 20th century marked “J. G. DUNGER ERLBACH / VGTL” (listed in the Langwill index as Johann Gottfried Dunger, Erlbach, 1873 - post 1930).
It’s a Schwedler type, 1895 model (http://www.oldflutes.com/articles/schwedler.htm), with 10 nickel silver keys plus the so called “brille” on the top two tone holes, whose function is to bring in tune the high C# without flattening the cross fingered C . This “brille” works automatically when you play, no change of fingering from the normal simple system is required.
The lady I bought it from said it was her father’s, who played it in an orchestra, I would imagine about 60 years ago.
The body is in nice cocuswood, the metal headjoint has an ebonite lip plate with what today is called “wing embouchure” that was introduced in 1904 by Otto Mönnig (he called it “reform embouchure”), it became quite popular with Böhm flutes at the time. You can easily understand the advantages of using these materials: no cracks whatsoever, edges of embouchure still sharp like new.
The tone of this flute is most interesting, it’s unlike anything I’ve tried. Think of a Pratten type, but with a brighter, less wide but more penetrating clear sound. I would imagine this is about as loud as a flute with medium-small hole can be. It’s very responsive with very solid low notes, great foot notes and banging low D, which is a feature of Schwedler’s bore design. I don’t use the third octave much but the few notes I can finger up there are particularly clear and easy to sound compared to pretty much all other simple system flutes I’ve played. The “brille” is not so noticeable when you play, it’s very easy to get used to it.
No case unfortunately, but a modified Böhm one should work.
I’m asking 800 euros for this flute which includes standard tracked international shipping. It’s a good opportunity to get a flute with great tone qualities and performance.
Great sound you’re getting off of both flutes you have for sale.
Time people stop being feart of the good antiques
and forget the Pratten/Rudall be all end all of Irish flute playing.
There are so many nice sounds out there and Irish music was played
on all kinds of flutes.
In my family there was a family flute that eventually went away to relatives in America
(Not mine) that was boxwood, small holes and one brass key.
And from what I can gather many played ‘Meyer’ type flutes and the great McKenna
May have played an American made flute (years before everyone started looking for them due to Grey and Terry)…
So many times I pick up a nice modern flute and think oh nice but where’s the character gone.
Thanks dunnp, indeed. There are so many models of conical flutes, all with their own sound. And finding his own sound is what any traditional player should aspire to.
People think that a flute with small holes will not be loud, but this is not true, there are many factors that determine a loudness of a flute and the main one is the player.
Jim, I don’t know what’s the metal used for the headjoint. Looks shiny but the keys are nickel silver, so my guess would be that it’s silver plated nickel but I’m not sure.
The brille doesn’t interfere, you can make cuts and rolls no problem.
One of the extra keys is a useful right hand double touch for the Bb. The other one is that long key that goes beyond the high C key, it’s supposed to be used for the third octave e’‘’ trill over d’‘’, not very useful for Irish music unless you’re very creative
I would bet there’s a tuning slide somewhere–it’s an orchestral flute, after all–but I don’t see it, either.
Here’s some more info. http://www.oldflutes.com/articles/reform.htm
Yes there is a tuning slide, it’s on the metal part.
From the pictures, look down from the lip plate, there is like a ring, under the ring there is a metal part of about 1cm that is less shiny than the rest, it’s part of the tuning slide.
