Last week I saw a simple system 6-key Eb piccolo on Ebay. The bid price was quite low, and I was very intrigued, so I bid, and won. Saturday it arrived. As described, the corks and pads were shot, and there’s a pretty nasty crack on the back of the (lined) headjoint.
However, the wood is gorgeous, there are no critical flaws, and even I, with no piccolo experience at all and precious little flute experience, was able to blow a two-octave scale on it. On Sunday, I handed it to a good friend, who is a highly skilled flutist and piccolo player. She absolutely made this instrument sing. The tone was well-rounded and very lovely. She got it through a full two and a half octaves. She was very impressed by it, and especially intrigued by the unusual key. She estimates that it was produced sometime after the American Civil War, but probably not later than just past the turn of the century. There are no maker’s marks anywhere on it, and no case, so it’s very difficult to determine much else.
I may end up giving it to her on long-term loan. #1, I do not have the skill yet to play this instrument. #2, My fingers are way too big for it. My friend laughed and shook her head when she saw the strange position I have to hold it in to cover the holes. She tried changing my grip, but gave up after coming to the conclusion that my weird grip was the only possible way for me to play it. She’ll laugh even harder when she finds out that the only way I can hit the Fb and A key is with the first knuckle of my little finger, rather than the pad of the finger.
I purchased several over the years, and kept two of them. One is about 12 inches and the other 15 inches in length. The shorter is a piccolo and the longer I’d call a keyed fife. Haven’t played them in a while, but one of these days I’ll get back to it. They are indeed neat.
Bill
[ This Message was edited by: SuiZen on 2003-02-24 13:40 ]
On 2003-02-24 13:38, SuiZen wrote:
One is about 12 inches and the other 15 inches in length.
This one is just a touch over 11 inches with the tuning slide fully compressed. Impressively, the tuning slide will extend a full inch, yet still be tight enough to play.
We have a 6-key with an ivory head and blackwood body. When it’s playing (it has a crack now, soon to be going for repair), it has wonderful sound. I think the piccolo benefits at least as much as the flute from wood construction. It’s as smooth in the lower octave, but less shrill in the upper octave than a metal piccolo. I’m just a hack, but my wife’s able to play it into the third octave, where it’s no more painful than a Thin Weasel and less so than a Copeland (D whistles, I mean).
On 2003-02-24 21:06, chas wrote:
… I think the piccolo benefits at least as much as the flute from wood construction. It’s as smooth in the lower octave, but less shrill in the upper octave than a metal piccolo. …
No doubt at all. In my friend’s hands, this piccolo has a wonderful tone that is much warmer and rounded than a standard concert piccolo. I absolutely loved hearing her play it.
Does it have a conical bore? If so, it’s what the Irish call a band flute. Flute bands play these in several different keys: E flat, B flat and low F are three that I’ve seen. St. Mary’s Fife and Drum Band, from Limerick, is actually one of these flute bands, They have a nice site you could check out:
On 2003-02-25 16:38, jim_mc wrote:
Does it have a conical bore? If so, it’s what the Irish call a band flute. Flute bands play these in several different keys: E flat, B flat and low F are three that I’ve seen. St. Mary’s Fife and Drum Band, from Limerick, is actually one of these flute bands, They have a nice site you could check out:
No marks on ours, either. I had thought it was a Meyer, but checked, and nothing. While I was checking, I found that it actually has a little bitty tuning slide – whence the crack in the neck, I guess.
She estimates that it was produced sometime after the American Civil War, but probably not later than just past the turn of the century. There are no maker’s marks anywhere on it, and no case, so it’s very difficult to determine much else.