Hello friends,
A few years ago I found this old flute. I guess it was on my great-grandfather.
The brand is “ADLER & Co. MARKNEUKIRCHEN”, I have tried to
find information about it, but I didn’t find anything substantial.
Can someone give some information and history of the brand, information about
the material from which the flute is made and approximate year of manufacture ?
Thanks in advance. Best Regards.
I seem to recall previously finding out quite a bit about Adler - a very long-running firm, including right through the E Germany period - just by googling their name, so try that. Their reputation has varied at different times, from pretty good to rather poor. You’ll find plenty of mid C20th cheap and nasty wooden recorders under their brand. I daresay Langwill holders will be along in due cours
What you have there is a simple system piccolo in the nach Meyer style, but with a “Reform” head. Check out the pages on Rick Wilson’s site for info on the later German flutes. Odds are it will be Low Pitch, about A=435, and it is probably late C19th or 1st 1/3 C20th.
The case is lovely by the way
Found this (scroll down to Adler) (and other stuff…) by googling “Adler musical instrument maker”. I know I found more previously. No time now. Just be a bit more inventive with your search keywords! Oh, and use some of the specific names and info in the item I linked as new search terms… The material is out there - you have to use logic and common sense research skills to find it.
You can also find a little bit of info on my website http://users.skynet.be/fluiten/historical/r_oswald_adler.html.
I have got a flute by Robert Oswald Adler which shares much of the features of your piccolo : same head design and similar end ring, so it might be made by R.Oswald Adler or, as others already mentioned, a generic model made by one of the many instrumentmakers at Markneukirchen at the time.
I just restored mine and it’s not a bad player at all if you like low pitched flutes ( A=435 or about). Any takers?
Lucas
Many thanks to all who helped me.
With people like you, our world is a better !
I have one last question - if you know what is the actual
real value ( price ) of this piccolo for which it can be sold ?
All the best ! Best Regards.
Hi Fester. That is not a straightforward Q. And we don’t yet have enough info about the piccolo from you to make a sensible estimate. Although it looks from your photos to be in good order, you have not said if it is currently playing well with no leaks - whether it needs an overhaul is obviously material to its actual value. Also, the pitch it was built for makes a big difference to its potential worth. If it will play at modern Concert Pitch (A=440Hz), with good internal tuning/intonation and with the tuning slide about 5-10mm open, then it will be worth more as it will be usable. If, as I suspect is more likely, it is built for Low Pitch (as the majority of these were) A=432-5, then it is of little use or value save as a curiosity or ornament, no matter how nicely it may play when in full playing condition. There is an outside chance that it could be a “D#” instrument rather than a D one at whatever pitch standard, and that too affects utility/desirability/value.
Do you play yourself or can you have it tested by a player, including against a tuner to establish its playing pitch? (Ask again for advice on the last point if you can test it.) Regardless of that, please measure and tell us the overall length and the “sounding length” (centre of embouchure to level with open, foot end, fully assembled, all parts fully pushed together) in mm - that may give us a better idea, though it is less definitive with piccolos than it is with flutes. Ultimately only play testing by a competent player can reliably determine a piccolo’s pitch.
All the above said, unless (unlikely, but I’m guessing) the head tube is solid silver (it probably isn’t even plate, just a white GS alloy), even if it is a CP instrument in D, a good player and in optimum working condition, no-one much wants simple system piccolos; the metal head and Reform lip-plate are even less popular. Plus this type of thing is very common/readily available on eBay, though most are probably lower quality than this appears to be. I’d think the very most you could hope to sell it for would be c£100 - on a good day! If it needs an overhaul, then £50 might be achievable. If it is an Eb/D# instrument, or not at CP, then even in playing condition I’d say a max of £40, less if needing work. You can probably verify these sorts of values for German simple system piccolos by making suitable searches of eBay sold items.