Hi
I’m writing from Milan, Italy. I found this great site because I’m thinking about to play Wooden Flute for Irish Music. I’m an English Concertina Player and I play I.T.M. and other North European folk music.
I received an old Wooden Ebony Flute with 8 keys a lot of years ago, as a gift from a friend that had it in his country house. I putted it in my musical instruments collection (after that I brought it for a first and “light” restoration) but I didn’t think to use it for music. Now I decide to get it and to study in deep this beautiful old instrument. The first think that I discovered was that the lute maker, Albert Schoenstain, worked in Milan and his activity was in the 1880 (so the flute should be 130 years old!). I thought that it was a typical German/French pre Bohm system flute with small holes. I red a very interesting article wrote by Terry McGee about the different old flute models ( http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Firth&c.htm ) and for curiosity, I measured the 5th hole. I aspected to find a 6mm or less diameter but… It was a little more than 7mm. So I ask to the members of this forum if It’d be similar to the Firth Pond model.
I report some measures that I got (with a little approximation):
Overall length: 68,5 cm
Holes diameter/mm (from the head): 1) 7; 2) 7; 3) 6.5; 4) 7; 5) 7; 6) 5
Internal Tenon diameter: 1,9 cm
Internal End Hole diameter: 1,1
I play with a 1,5 cm outdistanced tenon to obtain A 440 (but the other note aren’t in pitch).
It’s in very good shape and, for my little musical skill with it, it play very “warm”, vibrant and it’s easy to obtain the three octaves.
So, if it’s a suitable model for Irish Music, I’m thinking to bring it to a Flute Maker for an overhaul (the destiny is very funny, I discovered that I have really close to my home Di Natale’s laboratory; http://www.fabiodinatale.com) and perhaps to order a new head (If I understand correctly, this avail to bring the od flute near a proper “modern pitch”).
Thanks in advanced for your opinions
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/96359344/8KeysFlute.jpg
regards
Edgard