Rudall Carte bass flute for sale simple system wooden Alto

Irish Flute
1

Im selling a Rudall carte bass flute simple system on behalf of a
friend. This is the old style Alto flute not a Boehm. It is marked
Rudall Carte and Co 23 Berners st/ Oxford Street London 5177 and has a
crown stamp. The botom piece says Rudall carte and co London. The last
one of these sold on Ebay went for over 1000 Gbp and was getting sold
on behalf of a fellow Ginsburg that manufactures Uillean pipes in
Wales I believe. This flute has a small split on the embouchere lip
plate and has a mark where their was a key once but has been filled
in. Serious offers only. The pictures are available if you want to private message me.

David

2

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rudall-Carte-Antique-Bass-Flute-Alto-Flute_W0QQitemZ7376108497QQcategoryZ10183QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Here is the pictures for anyone thats interested.

David

3

Does anybody know what key this is in?

David, does it play? What does it sound like?

4

Jim it says Bb on the ebay page.

5

I dont think that type of flute should be considered for playing trad music.

6

There appear to be only two open holes.
How then is it simple system?

Is this deeper than our Bb flutes?

7

Its pitched in b flat bass, A full octave beneath a b flat flute. Yes it plays.

It is a simple system flute as their are primarily six tone holes but due to the span some keys are double action and 1 key operates 2.

Its is covered action top piece and has 2 open holes on the bottom joint.

David

8

Jim, I do not believe this would be deeper than our Bb flutes. This appears to me to be a band flute - you can read about them in Anthony Baines’ Woodwind Instruments and Their History (an excellent resource).

What used to be called a bass flute is an alto in modern terms. (I have a Renaissance G “bass” flute which is really an alto).

9

This is a b flat bass from a corps of drums and is used for playing the bass lines.

Corps of drum bads use E flat piccolo, b flat melody, f flute, e flat and b flat bass this being the largest and deepest in tone.

Ill post a picture of the full range if anyone is questioning my judgement!

This is the Alto flute for simple system corps of drum rnge of flutes.

10

David, I wasn’t questioning your judgement at all. I was just pointing out that there are differences in the nomenclature used (and Baines makes reference to this). He gives a good discussion of these instruments which I find fascinating.

According to Baines, the Bb bass (band) flute has an approx. length of 29.5 inches. This is an octave below the Bb flute (15.5 inch length) which he mentions as being the principal melody instrument of flute bands.

My guess is that when most folks on this site mention a Bb flute, they are referring to the low Bb flute of about the same length as the instrument you are selling. The smaller instrument would be referred to as a fife. Good luck on your sale.

11

So, if I’ve got the idea here, this is the same pitch and
depth of our Bb flutes, the big jobbies with the long
stretch, but made more playable, as shown in the photo.

12

Yes–my low Bb flute measures 29 in. from embouchure to foot. I don’t know whether Baines’ measurements start at the end cap, the cork, or the embouchure. Is there a standard way of measuring?

13

Richard thanks for clearing that up ive been a wee bit peeved off with explaining this so many times this week.

I take it You are referring to fifes in b flat?

I have also heard someone mentioning a g flat bass this week is this a simple system flute like mines or a bass flute for your Irish Flutes?

Wear could i obtain one of these if its simple system and could play with our corps?

David