yes, kevin
if you were a bank…
the exchange rate is bank-to-bank
currently, my bank charges/exchanges the GBP at $1.91
the book rate is $1.75 today…but the rate we pay is far different
so…at OUR rate (us minions compared to the wealthy bankers)…
we pay $5,730…
and add about $150 to ship it to the USA
not to mention international wire fees…
etc, etc
suddenly it is indeed ~$6000 as noted. 
Two RR flutes were sold in London last week, my cousin who lives in London
checked them out for me and both were basket–cases or even worse,
I should have known anyway as both were part of the same lot, that lot had 11 flutes, all junk, I think that auction is sending us a message that good RR flutes in A1 condition are a thing of the past in the big auction houses,
this i believe has a lot to do with the internet and also the high commisssion
charged on the hammer price by these houses.
Take a look at my uilleann pipes on the uilleann pipes forum, under Photos of Taylor pipes.
A collectible is just something that somebody wants to own,
David,
Indeed. Sad as that may be, I have a hard time accepting ones desire to collect such flutes and not play them. My comment should have read: flutes AS collectibles. Sorry about that. I had a carbon fiber band put on the 4th section of my R&R. I went back and forth about it, and finally decided that it was a more prudent approach for the repair. 4 of the 5 sections of my flute have reapairs. It’s not particularly noticable (save the band), but the flute plays wonderfully. And for me, that’s the key issue. I’d rather take it to the grave, or preferably have some one continue playing it than see it end up in the hands of a collector.
Arbo[/b]
I agree that flutes were meant by their makers to be played. But I don’t criticize collectors. Sooner or later the instruments they have collected will be released into the playing population. One way of looking at collectors is as conservators of the tradition. They are preserving instruments necessary to carry the tradition along.
I think that auction is sending us a message that good RR flutes in A1 condition are a thing of the past in the big auction houses
There have been an astonishing number of Rudall and Rose’s up for sale this autumn - most of them in need of repair. I found mine completely by accident, amongst a dealer’s sale of about 30 flutes, including a really covetable Wylde that everyone was talking about. It just spoke to me - but in the end, it did need a lot of work (bless Chris Wilkes) - although it is now a joy and a gem.
I don’t think you can expect, hope or even fantasize about finding a Rudall and Rose in pristine condition for cheap. If you look about at the cost of fully keyed modern wooden flutes from the top makers, they are all moving towards the $4000 - $5000 price. I think that it’s entirely reasonable to expect to pay a premium for what was considered to be the best fully-keyed wooden flute, now at least 150 years old.
I think in wooden flutes the old adage still holds - you get what you pay for.
“I don’t think you can expect, hope or even fantasize about finding a Rudall and Rose in pristine condition for cheap.” pandscarr.
They are out there though, hard but certainly not impossible. I know of one lying dormant, in it’s box, in Ireland, and last year met an English lady who had purchased a lovely Rudall in London for 1500 sterling. She couldn’t believe her luck, although it was a lot of money for her. She wasn’t using it in the sessions though and had another, modern flute with her.
Just thinking though, on the spur of the moment, I can’t think of any “name” Irish flute players that actually use a Rudall & Rose flute when performing or recording except Catherine McEnvoy, and I think maybe Cathal McConnell?. Prehaps Seamus Tansey plays a R&R? Marcas Ó Murchú plays a Simpson with a Murray head joint if I remember rightly on his CD. I don’t think Molloy, Crawford, Seamus Egan, Bradley, Doorley, Davey Maguire, Deirdre Havlin, O’Grada, Tara Diamond, John Skelton, Gary Shannon, Paul McGrattan etc. use R&R’s as regular working flutes.
Are there any/many playing Irish traditional music that actually use an R&R flute as a regular working flute as opposed to maybe owning one as a collectible/nice to have instrument?
Not necessarily “name” players as you put it, but I know of four players, off the top of my head, who use their R&R’s as regular session instruments.
In addition to the McEvoy Express, Cathal, Seamus Tansey, and other players of note, please include Jimmy Noonan, Michael Flatley, Brid O’Donoghue, Christy Barry, Frank Claudy and our own Dr. Migoya, who also play Rudalls.
Although Tara Bingham Diamond usually plays an Olwell, Terry Bingham told me that his sister often prefers to play her old Rudall. Although a modern head joint often provides more volume, because of the deeper chimney, volume isn’t always free. Some modern loud flutes seem to lack clarity and focus. Last night when I played my Rudall #2506 in the kitchen my wife commented that it was a very powerful flute. The old Rudalls often have an edge that makes them seem louder than the measured decibel level would indicate.
Here’s something I bought… an impulse bid I had decided not to buy any more flutes… I had to remove the thread it appeared to be ordinary wool from a red jumper! the Patent head works perfectly thank goodness.
