Ive been spending the last few weeks of practice time (which is a bit scarce now that the tourist season is on full bore) with an old rosewood flute I got on ebay last year and I have to say it is one heck of a flute. Now that I think my search for "The Flute" has possibly ended ( a Nickolsin style sweetheart) I am messing around with some of my more negleted darlings and this Cloos is realy a nice flute. It has way more keys then I will ever use including the way at the top one and the way at the bottom one and a double touch on the Bb which I love because of the goofy way I hold the flute, and, yes, it weighs a ton. But you dont notice it. What makes it stand out, I think, is that the tone holes are a little bigger then the standard German flute and the embouchure is a small rounded rectangle. I think it was made around 1880 or so. The embouchure is realy sweat. It is relitively small but what a great sound you can get. You can get reedy or you can get the cleanest clearest tone and though I dont think of it as a powerhouse it is focused and could probably be heard well in a small session. I think this guy made some good flutes and I see them up for sale every once in a while and I just thought I would mention it so that those of you thinking about trying to pick up a deal on an old keyed flute could look for one of these as apposed to the run of the mill German flutes. I think Cloos was more a fife guy but Im not sure. Anyway, for what its worth, there you go.
Take care
Tom