Nice looking little toot, but crazy overpriced! I know the two I have are much later (1886 and 1922) and the older one needs restoration, but I got them for less than £250 combined, and I wouldn’t say this one was realistically worth more than £300 or so. Even though it is in excellent condition and the fittings look to me like sterling, not German Silver as the seller says, there just isn’t the interest in piccolos from either collectors or players, bar something truly exceptional. We’ll see!
Are their piccolos as good as the big ones? Have been toying with the idea of getting a matching piccolo for a while, but the prices on ebay are steep to ridiculous (like here) and there aren’t too many floating around on the flea markets here!
Well, of my two only the one is playable (the Ebonite one made in 1922) - I bought it to upgrade from a cheapie band piccolo I’d been given years before - and the upgrade was, if you see what I mean. I haven’t done any of the necessary work on the wooden one from 1886. and it isn’t playable as-is. The current eBay one looks like a very nice example and I’d expect it to play very well. I’d love to own it, but even if I was desperate for one and without vectoring in carriage and possible import taxes, I wouldn’t begin to contemplate that Buy It Now price!
Are those keys all original. The ones that have close-ups certainly look like sterling, but, in the main picture, it looks as if some of them are different and may be GS. Or am I imagining it?
I would give a kidney if i could get an Eb high pitch R Carte piccolo been searching for years had an ebonite Eb Low pitch piccolo and it was a beast that i got for 30 pounds, not too sure where the sellers gets the buy it now price form
I think all is original and hunky-dory. So far as I can see the keys are all matching, and any yellowness in the apparent colour is to do with the light conditions and the blue back-cloth. Here are harvested and manipulated versions of the main photos:
It really is a lovely thing, and in top condition, so far as one can see. It ought to get top price for a C19th concert D 6-key piccolo, but even with the RRC&Co. marque, that just doesn’t take it into the territory the vendor is aiming at!
BTW, nice clear serial #412. The Rudall, Rose, Carte & Co. label gives a date bracket, of course - 1852–1871. The vendor gives 1858-71, presumably based on the address, but I haven’t checked on that.
By way of comparison with the current eBay one, here’s a photo of my own two Rudall Carte & Co. D piccolos, #1783, cocuswood, made in 1886 (by Wylde) and #6974, Ebonite, made in 1922 (by Linfoot). Both have German Silver keys and fittings.
Here’s info on some other RC&Co piccolos that have gone through eBay in recent years:
#3211, cocuswood, needing restoration, damaged crown, in original case, sold on eBay for £175 in September 2007:
D piccolo #3064 April 1898. Ebonite, 6 GS keys on pillars. Made by Albert W. Sold 3 December 1901 to J. Vincent & Sons, Belfast. I don’t seem to have harvested the listing pictures/details/end price for this! (I do know it didn’t go for silly money!) It was on eBay in June 2008.
Olwells sold (on eBay) a probable Eb or HP D cocus with silver 6-key in Dec 2009 for approx £173 - listing didn’t mention nor photos clearly show the serial #, but the style of the crown and pillar-mounted keywork says probably C20th to me.
This one (also no serial # quoted or illustrated) - looks C20th to me from key and case style - cocus with GS fittings, barrel cracked but otherwise sound, went for £225 on eBay in September 2010.
I should mention that the RC workshop info quoted comes from Robert Bigio. Interesting that #1783 was from 1886 and #3064 from 1898. #3211 must also have been turn-of-the-century.
Lovely, yes, peter20p, and if it were this side of the pond I’d be tempted to have a punt, even though it is (admittedly) a High Pitch set, so of little practical use. At modern pitch, well…
Going back to the one I started this thread about (#412), it finished with no bids (surprise, surprise!) and has been re-listed with a reduced but still IMO over-inflated and unrealisable Buy it Now price. In reappraising it, I realised also that it is very probably either an Eb (“Db”) or High Pitch instrument as the given overall length and sounding length are rather shorter than either of the ones I own which demonstrably do play at A=440Hz. If I’m right, that would significantly dent its potential value/saleability.
#1783 (1886) Total Length 303mm, Sounding Length 256mm.
#6974 (1922) TL 307mm, SL 256mm
#412 TL 295mm, SL 244mm.
Hum. I think I’ll revise my speculative valuation down - even allowing for a degree of collectability, already dented by lack of original case and accoutrements, I don’t think this is worth more than £200 tops - and I made an automatically rejected Best Offer above that (just - it’s so pretty!!! I know I shouldn’t!) before I twigged the dimensions/pitch issue!
Somewhat belatedly, just to note that #412 eventually sold on 24 Mar, for: U$ 550.00(Approximately £340.35) - way OTT, IMO.
The one I mentioned two posts back (eBay Item number: 130500274290), #2699, with original case, a crack or two but decent condition, easily restored, twelve and one eighth inches long / 307mm (so should be D at 440) ended 28 Mar with a winning bid of £127.00. That was just up the road an hour or so from me! Grrrr. (I did bid, but not enough!)
Here’s another nice one newly listed- #3331 - awaiting pitch/dimensions confirmation… looks near identical to #2699, though in a bit better condition. Starting price is a bit high, though if 440 playability is confirmed it should get in the £175-225 range, I’d say.
A Boosey and Hawkes sold for about thirty five quid last week though it was marked Eb and high pitched but looked to have huge holes. I’m looking for a bit cheaper but really these go for a reasonable price for top quality. There was a Meyer {or Nach but I think real} with a C foot as well a little while ago. I’ve only ever seen one more picc with a C foot years ago. I got my E picc for a tenner.
A friend of mine grabbed that c foot Meyer. Unfortunately he has never played flute before! (but has always wanted a piccolo) He’s going through the beginner stage of “gah I can’t make a single damned note without running out of air, and every note sounds horrid!”, but seems to be improving gradually. I wish he lived close by so I could inspect it for him and test for leaks since he hasn’t had it serviced or tested. I sent him my old Tipple so that he can learn on that until his embouchure is in enough shape to play a full scale on the Meyer, which seems to be helping.
I know I shouldn’t!) before I twigged the dimensions/pitch issue!