Hi
disaster struck my faviourite flute today, i had plans to go to a (musicians) friends house to play a few tunes for his wifes birthday party, on going downstaiors to the basement, flute in hand, to get my carrying bag, the case slipped from my hand and i tried to retrieve the flute as the case snapped open, but the headjoint and barrel- joint which were attached, went through the stair rail and wound up in pieces on the concrete floor below,
the flute is an 8 keyed Clair godfroy aine cocuswood with silver keys and mounts,
If anyone has any idea where i could purchase a head and barrell joint by this maker, i would greatly appreciate it, otherwise i will get a head and barrell made.
Ouch…That’s awful.
On the way to perform no less. Talk about a nightmare. Did you have a back-up ready?
Is it truly beyond repair? Modern adhesives are a wonder in the right hands. Maybe you could have it repaired or replicated.
Rotten luck, sorry.
Byron
man ! I’m so sorry.
is it really in pieces, or cracked?
Do you have Andrew’s email address, he may have or know where there is one, or he could keep an eye for you, he has done it a few times for me.
take care, eilam.
yes the head is shattered and splintered in bits through the embouchure,
the barrell joint is also splintered and in pieces, it would be almost impossible to repair, and even if it could be glued back together, it would never be the same, if it had straight hairline cracks going with the grain, it could be repaired, but thats not the case, i imagine if the floor had been made of wood or a carpet over the concrete, it may have helped in a big way,
I did go to my friends house and played another flute that i have, but i was used to the tone and easiness of playing the godfroy and missed it very much, but i suppose things could be a lot worse .
not good, john!
There are a few people who I can think of as good choices to replicate what once was there, very much Godfrey enthusiasts (or the least familiarists), quite specifically Patrick Olwell. He’s studied the French flutes quite a lot and has a very very good understanding of their workings. You may be looking at a bit of a wait, but not terrible I think.
Too, consider Rod Cameron if he’s not in Scotland this time of year. Another who has a command for the “language.”
Lastly, I would almost think Robert Bigio, although a Boehm and Rudall/Carte expert, I can’t imagine that work came without a very very intense study of the French-made flutes. Too, Rod often makes only headpieces in the style that would fit your flute.
I hope any of these work out for you. Thankfully, I know you have other flutes that are “worthy” substitutes, but none can replace a favorite.
Chin up.
dm
If you’ve got all the pieces, I’ve got to think the adhesive route might be practical, even as a last resort. The badly bashed barrel I did last year is still looking perfect. (I need to get back to work on the ivory head)
Jack
As you mentioned David i will most likely have to get a new head and barrell for this flute, I wonder about matching the wood, colour and grain etc,
if i get a new headjoint im pretty sure i will loose the godfrey tone and wind-up with the tone of the makers flutes, or something close,
i guess i dont have much choice at the moment.
I might be able to get all the pieces glued back together on the barrell even though it would take a long time to do it right, but the head is beyond
repair as its splintered across the embouchure hole, if it were a clean break or hairline it would be repairable.
It definitley takes a long time. You work backwards from splinters to chunks to…you get the idea.
(For that matter, I’m still daydreaming about finding a couple of German silver or Nickel replacement long keys for the D’Almaine…or…they do have various “liquid” metals these days…anybody tried them ?)
Jack