Gorgeous! Aaron says he´s been playing this one for a year, and both tweaking the embouchure and refining the bore. I note the tenon joints have metal caps, but can´t tell if the joint sockets have metal cups.
Sure, but if you don’t live in the US it’s not that simple Even if you only ship back the headjoint, dealing with export/re-import to avoid having to pay custom duties twice can be a real pain, and I talk from first-hand experience.
Hence my initial comment If you know you’re allergic to cocus, I’d expect the Olwell’s would be happy to add a lip plate for you, but it would be wise to make sure of that before you get the flute.
I wasn’t trying to discourage anyone from bidding, it’s just that I got an antique flute from the US last year and discovered on that occasion that I was allergic to cocus, so I can’t imagine what my reaction would have been if it had been a flute worth $7-8k.
Understood. But making sure is hard to do when you don’t have any priors; very often sensitization is a matter of exposure over time, as in my case. If I bought this flute decades ago (there’s a space-time thought experiment for those of you brave enough to twist your minds around) I wouldn’t have any issues until about ten years had passed. What I’m suggesting is a preemptive measure just in case. Besides, a lip plate looks snappy - kind of like a bow tie on a tux.
"I’ve been out of the loop for too long, but is it what these birthday Olwell’s usually go for? > > This one only has 6 keys " gwuilleann.
Some previous Olwell “birthday flutes”:
2013: A six key cocus wood flute, a Nicholson model, went for $9200.
2014: 00#1221 - A six key blackwood & silver Pratten Olwell sold for $9353.10 on the 18th of June, 2014. The bidding went from $6309 to $9353.10 on the last day, the 18th June, 2014
2015: OO#1268 - A six key cocus wood Olwell (Nicholson model) sold for $11100 on the 17th of July 2015. The bidding went from $6200 to $11,100 on the last day, the 17th of June, 2015.
2016: OO#1300 Pratte - A six key cocus wood Olwell (Nicholson model) sold for $7457 on the 17th of July 2016. The bidding went from $6557 to $7457 on the last day, the 17th of June, 2016.
2017: A six key cocus wood Olwell (Pratten model) sold for $8500 on the 18th of June, 2017. The bidding went from $6425 to $8500 on the last day, the 18th of June, 2017
2018: A six key cocus wood flute sold for a good price $7855= £6000 = €6790. The last four minutes saw the bidding go from $6000 to $7855.
2019: A birthday flute, cocus wood, with two middle sections, went for for $8,850.00 wrote Jim Stone.
2020: An eight key, coccus wood flute with a Boehm foot, went for $13,600.
David Levine wrote “The Olwell is a lot of money for most people. But it’s a one-of-a-kind flute by one of the greatest-ever makers. And half of it is going to a progressive cause. After eBay takes its cut the Olwells will receive about $12,200. A Birthday Flute generally sells for from about $8,000 to $11,000. The $6,100 they will net for this flute is considerably less than the birthday flute normally sells for.”
Thanks Steampacket, much appreciated Based on that it appears that the average price for a 6-key Olwell Birthday flute is $8,977. Wow! Those who “only” paid $7500 got a bargain of some sort…
Edit: Added “Birthday”, since apparently it wasn’t clear from the context.
No, the prices mentioned were for the once a year special edition “Birthday” flutes, not the standard order 6 key Olwell flutes. The Birthday flutes are often made of more expensive cocus, and always have additional features of various sorts (changes from year to year) not found on a “standard” Olwell 6 key.
6years for a keyed blackwood.
A keyed cocus flute…considerably more time, I’m sure. (not even sure he’d make a one-piece middle section cocus Pratten anymore)
I waited nearly 10 years for mine…8 years for my boxwood one.
Levine is not wrong. I’ve seen the b-day flutes go for plenty…and they’re worth every dime.