I have an old eight key cocuswood flute (Rudall Carte) arriving on Saturday (daughter is bringing it as carry on luggage). I’m assuming it has lain dormant for a number of years in it’s box. It’s from the estate of Alan Ginsburg. I haven’t received word yet from him about the flute, but guess it’s a flute he bought, or prehaps traded in the 1970’s or 80’s, for a chanter or parts of pipes then put it away into his collection. I don’t think he was/is a flute player. I’m hoping to get a reply from him.
Anyway, I’ve read Casey Burns and Terry McGee’s advice on waking up old flutes, oiling, and playing in just a few minutes, up to an hour a day at first. Just wondered it anyone at home with old English flutes has any experienced advice to add? The flute is complete, although I have no idea of the state of the pads or cork yet. My daughter said one of the latches or catches on the box is missing, but that the flute itself looks just fine. I suppose the first thing to do would be to oil the flute inside and out.
First thing to do is see if it needs cleaning, especially the bore and tone-holes and whether everything seals (suck tests). If it does need cleaning, methylated spirits and cotton rags do for the wood, Brasso and/or metal wadding for the GS fittings. (Silver versions of those for sterling.) It won’t be lacquered/varnished, so no worries about the meths affecting the surface - that will readily buff up just with a cloth, or more so if you do oil the exterior- which isn’t really necessary. Don’t be too worried/paranoid about oiling it or playing it; just don’t overdo either. (I’ve now done quite a few antique flutes up, as you know, including R&Rs, and I haven’t had any disasters yet!) Until real winter dry/cold sets in in Sweden, you won’t be subjecting it to too drastic climatic change. Renewal of pads and lappings is quite likely to be desirable, if not essential.
Thanks Jem for that advice. I think I can handle the lack of humidy over here which will come with a vengeance in a couple of months. Thanks Othannen for that fine grade steel wool tip.
Excellent point, Mark, as glue won’t stick to oil. Also, it may be a good idea to humidify the flute slowly, up to normal levels before playing much at all, if it passes the crack checks.
Question: If you humidify and then oil, if there are no cracks-doesn’t that seem the logical way to proceed? Then introducing moisture through playing will be less of a stressor for the flute, I would imagine. Anyone care to comment about that?
The flute has been in NW Wales for some years, presumably, then a couple of months in Bath in SW England, probably in the auctioneers’ warehouse. Of course one can’t know whether it was kept somewhere with central heating or whatever, and playing moisture is several times more than ambient atmospheric exposure… but given the mild, damp summer we’ve had in GB and the (notoriously damp) locations mentioned, I rather doubt the flute is likely to be seriously desiccated, even if long unused.
FWIW, my Rudall Carte F flute which came from Alan Ginsberg’s collection a couple of years ago was not dessicated and needed no special attention, just a basic overhaul. Oh, and AG used to make a few flutes as well as pipes.
I definitely endorse Mark’s recommendation to inspect carefully for cracks - look at the end-grain of the tenons and especially the sockets as well as the exterior surface and down the bore.
Again, thanks all for all this advice and tips. The flutes I play are all modern instruments, the oldest being a Dave Williams from 1982, so this 19th centrury retro flute business is uncharted territory for me. As Jem said the flute probably won’t have dried out given the environment it’s lived in, so prehaps just oiling and playing in carefully will be enough. I’ll check for cracks, didn’t think about that. Sweden gets extremely dry winter time, so I’ll have to monitor this new addition carefully.
