What is the consensus on this flute?
Worth the cash?
jemtheflute, is this something you’d take on as a repair job?
Will, there’s no telling! Sure, it’s a standard German type (I’d lay odds the Danish Sankstrom stamp on it is a retailer’s, not a maker’s - Langwill holders - help?). No telling until you get hold of it how it’ll play in terms of pitch or intonation - may be pretty good, or not. Yes, it is the kind of thing I buy to do up, but I won’t pay more than about £70 for them in this condition - £100 absolute tops on one I’m keen on. I’d probably charge about £70 - 100 to clean, overhaul and repair a barrel or head crack provided there were no other issues on a flute like this. Add that to your purchase price and you still may end up with flute that plays but isn’t usefully playable - or you may get a darn good 'un for the cost of a new keyless. It’s a gamble! I’ve got two recent quite promising purchases (as well as others already in stock) awaiting fixing that are not massively different from this one, but until they’re fixed and I see how they play, I can’t put a price on them - the better I think they play, the more I’ll want!
it might make a nice lamp ornament…
Jem,
Thanks. I believe the seller has several and is in Gloucester (not that far from me), so I’m going to see if I can visit and have a look at what he/she has.
Is there anything I should be on the look out for or be aware of that I might not think of as a newbie?
Any advice very much appreciated.
Will
Will, this guy is a regular dealer of flutes and other old instruments on eBay - but his listing style suggests he doesn’t know (or care) that much about the things themselves. That may be unfair - I’ve never met the guy or had dealings with him beyond eBay info requests. He is clearly in business to make a profit on what he picks up from auctions and clearances etc. - fair enough, but his prices are generally on the high side for the condition of the instruments - witness the slowness with which they tend to move on eBay. I’d say tread carefully! Beyond that, you’ll have to take your own risks - difficult to give much advice on what to look for or avoid by this method. If instruments will sound, check their playing pitch (take an electronic tuner along!) and see if the scale intonation is reasonable (making due allowances for normal characterisitics of period flutes). If they won’t play, measure sounding length and C#-Eb length (seeTerry McGee’s website - go armed with info from it) and check them against Terry’s tables for probable playing pitch. Don’t buy anything High Pitch (many English) or Low Pitch (unlikely in English flutes, more so in French or German). If an instrument will play A=440 with the tuning slide open about 1-1.5cm or less and the foot is not more than a semitone/50 cents flat, then it should be playable for modern use (though may still have a badly out of tune scale). Physically, be aware that splits and broken keywork are not difficult but relatively expensive to fix, completely missing keys may be hard/expensive to replace/have made. (A full overhaul of a complete, undamaged instrument will cost about £70+ unless you do it yourself. Vector that into your costing.) That’s about it for a brief “idiot’s guide” (no offence intended!). I’d suggest haggling with the man if you do find something you fancy - at least 25% below his eBay asking prices.
Going to have a look is a good idea - you’ll learn from it; but be very cautious about any decision to buy! It is very easy to get carried away! I know! Flute-lust is very persuasive!
No. I’ve purchased a few of these for $75-$125 (cracked head). If you can’t do the restoration yourself, then the repair costs will likely cost more than the flute’s value. However, they can be fun to work on and the tone is actually pretty good but not loud. When restored, they do make for nice ornaments. Don’t get too excited about the prospect of having C/C#. Even if you get the keys to seal, they are weak notes.
I purchased a very nice flute from that eBay seller and had no problem. Ask for the additional photos. Make a low ball offer or better yet, save up for a flute from a reputable maker.
Jem,
Thanks. I’ll save your posting for future trips to view period instruments. All very good info!
Guinness, I hear what you’re saying. I’d love to have the money to spend on a new, quality 6 or 8 key instrument, but that will be a long time in the future (if ever).
Basically, I’m just having a gander around and seeing if I might be able to mitigate the money for a new one and get a bit of lovely history in the bargain.
All the above having been said, is it realistic to think that a half-way decent (playable and in tune) keyed flute (period or recent make) can be had for £250-£350?
And before the deafening sound of uproarous laughter kicks in, remember I’m very much a newbie. 
Thanks, guys,
Will
Yes. If I’m allowed to mention it without being shot by Loren or a mod, have a look at my now sleeping For Sale thread.
(BTW, when I have anything new ready to sell, I’ll do it on a brand new thread! I haven’t re-read the Commercial Posting rules recently, but I don’t think making a back-reference (for contextual and illustrative, not commercial reasons) like this is against the spirit of them or should really be counted as my official allowance for the month, any more than Jon’s photos he puts up for us to lust over should be.)