After a good few years of playing the flute, I had to make a tough decision to cease this enjoyable activity. At the same time, as much as I’m attached to my wooden friend, I realise there’s no use for it lying around, when it could enjoy some better fortune with another player.
As I have never sold a flute before, I was wondering if some of you sagacious forum users could give me a short course on do’s and don’t’s, especially that I’m in no easy position to sell:
This flute is a custom-made left-handed 6 key blackwood Rudall in D (Glenn Watson), and from what I gather lefties are a tad more difficult to sell than your standard right-handed flutes;
Being located in Poland with limited access to other players, I do not have a natural market near;
As the flute needs a bit of TLC (harsh winters and central heating were unkind to it, despite my efforts), mainly repadding and recorking, I wonder whether it’s better to restore it with the maker before selling, or call a lower price and leave it to the buyer?
I will be most grateful for any hints.
As it is my first posting on this board (I’ve been a lurker for some time now), if I breach any of the rules, please let me know and I’ll duly repent.
Not intrusive at all, benhall. The conditions have been unfavourable, or maybe it wasn’t the right moment in life to pick up a new instrument (flute is my second instrument) - family and work obligations made me stop playing for prolonged periods of time, so I had to “false begin” playing over a dozen times, which is no fun; my wife and kids, being strongly supportive of my music-making, openly don’t like the sound of flute (my wife tries to be nice to me, but my kids, young as they are, are painfully frank in their opinions ; to avoid facetious comments I haste to add that they don’t like not only my playing, but also the guy’s who performs on the video so helpfully provided by Othannen), so I must separate my fluting time from my family time, which is barely feasible; I’ve noticed that two years ago I could play about 50 tunes up to session speed, now I can barely remember about 15, even though I used every opportunity to play. The flute was made in Ireland and goes nuts in no-humidity extreme-temperature of my home city, no matter how I protect it. After spending a few years on struggling to improve, with rather, ahem, restrained enthusiasm from my consort and offspring, I sort of grew weary of not advancing, and I also devote more time to trying to protect the flute from elements than actually playing it, which makes me more of a pitiful single-item collector than player.
It is a pity, as I enjoyed immensely those brief moments when my playing was of decent quality, but I think it’s better to make a concrete decision and not let the instrument go to waste, which would be an even bigger shame. I will keep on playing, but on a different medium
I still plan to pick up the flute again in maybe 50 years, when my wife goes deaf and my kids retire to Canaries.
Thanks for that explanation, Waterfall. I had feared that it might be something much worse. Having said which, if it were me, I’d be investing in a shed (with heater and sound-proofed) and setting my alarm a bit earlier.
Yes, it does seem a great pity, especially with your affection for the instrument. But people here are likely to be biased about that.
Suggesting practice places away from home is easier said than done, but sometimes where there’s a will there’s a way. Churches, community organizations, even shop owners may sometimes be happy to offer a room to play. (My first folk band rehearsed in a real estate office after hours.) If you own a car, that can provide a somewhat soundproof space during the warmer months. I wonder how many home players end up practicing in a bathroom or laundry room, for both family isolation and acoustics.
Of course, a whistle or low whistle can allow you to maintain your technique and tunes when not playing flute. There are easy ways to mute a whistle to be nearly as quiet as you want. A metal whistle is maintenance-free and impervious to climate concerns. Left-handedness is not an issue with whistles. If you can maintain your flute embouchure through at least occasional practice, you may find you don’t have to give up your “friend” after all.
As for the flute itself and TLC … humidification can be as easy as a sealed container and sponge. Or, with a change of instrument, an Ebonite or Delrin flute.
If you do decide to sell, posting it here on the Chiffboard is as good a place as any, if you are willing to ship internationally.
I think MT Guru, as usual, is offering really good suggestions…maybe switch wood for delrin or ebonite, and look for other ways to get some time in… as it sounds like you really enjoy it. I’m speaking as someone who really tries the patience of my beloved; she has to put up with mandolin, guitar, whistle, low whistle, and flute…then I got the young one into fiddle and silver flute…and we are sharing a new (to us) and not very good concertina. My beloved doesn’t play anything (much as we make ‘suggestions’ of things she might like to play), and sometimes the patience runs thin, but generally she is tolerant. On the other hand you say flute is your second instrument, and spreading yourself thin is not good either. Good luck either way.
Crooked, I thought about it - but then I’ll be suffering too. And my wife’s really patient and encouraging - she just doesn’t like the sound of the flute.
Mutepointe, I already have a plan for my kids’ teenage time - when my kids start dating and bringing friends home, I’m immediately joining these guys: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkNCm_YT2kc&NR=1
MTGuru, thank you for the heads-up - I’ve been thinking about a viable solution for a few months now, did the SWAT analysis, tried humidifiers and wet sponges etc. etc. and it seems like the only sensible one would be for me to get a delrin/ebonite flute, although my problems are mianly related to very little undisturbed time I could call my own; the only time I can devote to flute playing currently is mainly in between life chores, and this time falls predominantly on my sitting in the car or airport terminals. This, combined with my horrible achiever attitude, results in more frustration than pleasure.
I’ve no problem with playing “whenever, wherever”; however, getting a proper leftie delrin 6-key flute again is quite an expense (Watson certainly spoiled me), and knowing that I would struggle again to find bits and pieces of time to practice, which I would prefer to do for 1-2 undistracted hours a day to be fully satisfied with results, makes me hesitate about the idea. Much as I enjoy playing the flute, I’m strongly a “do it well, or don’t do it at all” person, can’t help it. Maybe when kids grow up a bit and life’s less chaotic…
And I still should sell the good old Watson’s flute. Such a gem should not waste away in some Central European cupboard.
Once I get down to make some pictures and some sound description, I’ll post it here then. Thanks for the tip, MTGuru.
You have read my parent’s notes on child rearing. My Slovak grandparents immigrated in the 1880’s. Grandpap was buried on the day before his 104th birthday in either 1989 of 1990. Grandpap played a mean harmonica. My Mom always wanted to drag us to this kind of @#$% when we were kids. We refused. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb_Vl7QHDeA
; to avoid facetious comments I haste to add that they don’t like not only my playing, but also the guy’s who performs on the video so helpfully provided by Othannen), so I must separate my fluting time from my family time, which is barely feasible; I’ve noticed that two years ago I could play about 50 tunes up to session speed, now I can barely remember about 15, even though I used every opportunity to play. The flute was made in Ireland and goes nuts in no-humidity extreme-temperature of my home city, no matter how I protect it. After spending a few years on struggling to improve, with rather, ahem, restrained enthusiasm from my consort and offspring, I sort of grew weary of not advancing, and I also devote more time to trying to protect the flute from elements than actually playing it, which makes me more of a pitiful single-item collector than player.
