Ok, so I recently purchased a wooden 5-key flute with block-mounted keys and, until I receive the flute in the mail, I was hoping to find out some information regarding the flute…
Here is a small photo collage of the flute:
Unfortunately I tried posting this same thread before but slaps forehead clicked the ‘Preview’ button, thought it’d saved and closed the tab! D’Oh!
Anyhow… The flute reminds me of German simple-system flutes with the style of the bands and keys. The finger-holes (toneholes/whatever) are Pratten-esque in style with larger A and E toneholes and I find it a bit odd that there’s no C-natural key. I was chatting with a friend about the flute and they suggested a similarity to flutes made by Eugene Lambe due to E.L. incorporating German styles in his flutes. shrug
As far as I know the footjoint is NOT removable (I’ll find out soon enough!) and the body is 1-piece. It was my understanding that resonance holes for the low C# and low C were more of a modern feature/option although this flute appears older?
Any input would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks! -S
Update: I just sent an email over to Mr. Lambe in hopes that he responds!
it doesnt look german. it is definitely modern. if they did not want to put plugs on the bottom keys, they would have made it a D foot (no holes below the Eb key). good lucking find out what it is!
I agree with Daiv, modern for sure, though the style doesn’t shout a name at me. The lack of a C key as well as the “dummy” foot plus block mountings are pretty conclusive indicators of modernity - any antique would almost certainly work up through the keys as it were, so a 5-key would lack the long F but not the C.
From a typological (the study of “types” of artifacts, their development through time as indicated by changes in production methods, features and functionality, fashion…) viewpoint, until about 30 years ago one could have said with some confidence that ANY flute with block mounts would have had to be made pre c1880. Now we have probably nearly as many modern ones as extant antiques! Of course, they will be identifiable as modern by other features even if unstamped/unattributable, as in the present case.
The top ferrule on the foot section’s different, though, as to my eye it doesn’t look like any sort of metal (what’s under the Eb key). Replacement job? One-piece body and foot with a cosmetic faux ferrule? Never saw that before.
It’s got that signature dome-shaped (and thus hard to remove) endcap, too. I’m pretty sure it’s Pakistani. If it is and you have the original case, underneath the the nesting structure you’ll probably find newsprint in Urdu, as I did.
FWIW, I was able to play mine, but it took a lot of doing, and it didn’t sound all that great. Hope your purchase is a better one, Suzie.
Somehow I completely managed to miss out on the posts where one of you mentioned Paki flutes, etc. Still awaiting the flute as I was a hair slow on paying for it since some things came up. No response back from E.L. as of yet so I suppose I’ll be on my own once it arrives and will be sure to update this posting here with new pics and info once the flute’s arrived. If nothing else I can use it to make a cute little fire in the backyard and roast some marshmallows with it in the FL heat =) Anyhow, I’m looking forward to receiving the flute and messing with it as it seems quite mystical to my not-very-knowledgeable-on-Irish-flute(s) mind. The quality (from the poor quality photos =) ) appears as though it was well-made however the funky ornamental wooden ring underneath the D# I cannot attest for at this time. I was kind of hoping that maybe I’d luck out and it’d have a removable foot and just have the funky wooden sleek-ish ring on there but shrug who knows! I just went through my emails again and the person that had owned the flute mentioned that they’d been playing the flute over the last few years and that it bears no makers’ stamp… Also Dear Suzie, LEARN TO READ!kicks self they mentioned that it needs pads and, quite luckily, I have some white leather pads around so I can mess with it as soon as it’s been delivered! Now, back to clear my mind with some Boehm flutes that I need to work on! Thanks! -Suzie
Suzie, I’m not much further ahead on this, and until you get it, examine it thoroughly and see how it plays, the speculation is just that. Two points occur to me on re-examining the photos, however, that no-one else has yet made. Firstly, although I have no huge experience of them, I have yet to see (or, so far as I recall, see advertised) a Pakistani or Indian made keyed simple system flute with block mounted keys (has anyone else?) - so that fact would improve the odds you have something “real”. Secondly, that black-looking ring on the foot socket could well just be tarnished silver - the photos aren’t good enough to see really, but it is certainly possible that the keys and rings are sterling; again, you’ll know when you get it, but I’d say the chances are better than even that the ring actually does match when cleaned up.
Yes. It may play well, in the end, after all. Report has it that some indeed do. It would be a happy ending, and no harm done.
Yes. ME. You get 'em thru Lark in the Morning, for one. There’s no question of this. As I said, I owned one before I had known what’s up. They’re offered attractively priced as “Lark’s Own Brand”, or something, but in any case they are Pakistani made, “traditional block mounts” (per LITM’s blurb) and all, absolutely.
Yeah, the footjoint ring is weird. I’d like to know more about that; I’m still inclined to think it’s a replacement or strange repair. It’s the only odd note to an otherwise very familiar flute to me. I have experience with both sterling and nickel silver metalwork; in this case I recognise the key and ferrule style, and for my money it looks for all the world to be nickel silver, even through a photograph, so my assessment’s pretty inflexible, I’m afraid. Even tarnished sterling doesn’t look quite like nickel silver to my eye (although a local instrument repair guy made that mistake with my well-weathered sterling keys, and I wondered what sort of eye he had despite his training).
FINALLY! Received 'er in today’s mail! Much to my surprise, I think they had electrical tape holding the footjoint on… Below are a few photos. Enjoy!
SOMEONE here (NOT MYSELF!!) is quite the fan of using electric tape as the all-time favorite do-it-yourself repair to anything pertaining to this flute! Photos below.
Hummmmmm… Generally from those photos one would be inclined to opine that it was an antique - the state and style of the metalwork in particular and the fact it is clearly German Silver - yet the Pratten style body and tone-holes plus the dummy-type long foot still say “modern” to me. Save that we can now see the footjoint ferrules are indeed all matching, in the absence of any markings I don’t think we’re much further on! Are the head and barrel liners seamed or extruded? Are there any marks on the undersides of any of the keys, I wonder? Even allowing for neglect and abuse, it sure doesn’t look like it is under 25 years old! Could the foot be a replacement tube using the original fittings, I wonder, but ditching the C#/C key-work? is there any discrepancy in the timber seen in daylight that might suggest that as a possibility?
I will stick my neck out a bit here and say that, based on appearances, I expect that flute to fix up to be a very decent player!
Unfortunately I have absolutely no experience with removing block-mounted keys which, in this case, is in my advantage as I don’t have 14mm clarinet pads to stick on the flute! I’m going to rethread the tenons (and crown!) and fix the crack and stick 'er on eBay later tonight I think. Thanks for all the input!
Suzie, if you’re doing that much to it, go the whole hog! You’ll optimise your return on selling it if you do, and get some idea of how it plays. Getting (and fitting) clarinet pads is easy, and so is removing block-mounted keys. If there are no hooks protruding on the ends of the pivot pins (as appears to be the case) to grasp in pliers, you just need some kind of pusher tool - you can improvise one with a paperclip or soldering wire if you haven’t a proper one - that will fit into the holes in the blocks without stressing them or getting stuck, but without being too thin and risking jamming in alongside the pin instead of pushing it out. Hold your pusher in a pair of pliers quite close to the block and, with the joint safely and firmly supported, just push the pin through with the pusher until enough protrudes the other side to grasp with you pliers and withdraw. Just be very careful to maintain alignment while doing so in order not to risk splitting off the top of the block. It is all a darn sight easier than rod axles etc! Go for it!
