Ok, so I just missed purchasing these two vintage flutes in serious need of TLC on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=150295472050. I was mostly interested in the second one, as it looked to be a nice example of an early American “small hole” 8-key flute like the one Terry copied for his GLP and I’ve been wanting to try something with smaller toneholes. I still think they went pretty cheap, but can anyone tell me if I really screwed up by not bidding them up further? Clearly the first one needed more work, but I thought the second had serious promise.
Hi Dan,
I don’t know much about the old flutes: only that if you don’t know who made it, as in the more well known makers, then it’s usually too much of a gamble on buying, unless you get it for next to nothing. So I don’t think you went wrong, not spending a lot on specualation. But even some of the known makers didn’t have the best tuning, or possibly not a tuning that you could easily get to play at A440.
Jon C. could probaby give you a better idea, but if he gave out all of his Ebay flute buying secrets, then he’d probably have to kill you, and that wouldn’t be good, for a monk anyway.
I wouldn’t mind getting hold of an old flute (with keys) myself, but I’m not going to waste my money just buying what “looks good”. But if you’ve got money to burn, then by all means, buy 'em up! They can make nice wall hangings, or even…lamps, dare I say it?..but only IF they aren’t playable after fixing them up. That’s one thing I really hate to see–someone making lamps out of old instruments, without knowing they are good or bad instruments. Personally I think if they can be played, it’s a waste condemning them to lamp or decorative status, even if they don’t play quite in tune. Some kid could be having fun with it, maybe instead of stomping on a skateboard all day long (my next crusade).
Anyway, have fun, that’s the main thing, and keep making music!
Be well, Barry
The second one really looked interesting..maybe the buyer will up and let us know what it is…
Yes, I liked the second one too-especially how the long F was in front of the G# key-it looked much easier to hit for someone like me who has a short pinky reach. Don’t know that I’ve seen that arrangement before-or is it an adaptation of the French keyed system, but made more like the English keys?
The top one in the pic with the C foot looked like a pretty bog-standard German job from the keys. The lower one with the D foot is certainly more interesting, though has some nasty cracks to fix. The up-turned long F touch is a feature indicative that the lower body joint was designed to be rolled out - i.e. with the tone-holes not in line with the upper body ones, rather a la Nicholson - so you wouldn’t play it in the position shown in the pics. I have a flute with such a long F here at present and it isn’t really playable in that position - you have to roll the lower joint out until the key-touch is in something like the usual position, with the tone-holes about 30-40 degrees outwards from vertical, so the R hand arches over rather more…
Anyways, an interesting flute, probably worth a bit more than achieved for the pair, but as others have said, it’s always a gamble!