I impulsively threw a bid at this in the last few minutes of the auction and now it looks like it’s mine, like it or not.
I’m sure others here saw it on eBay. Maybe someone here is even the person who is selling it to me.
Anyway, it doesn’t appear to be one of those knock-offs from Pakistan or East India. The seller claims it was hand-made in Quebec, but offers little else aside from a positive description of the flute’s tone and playability. If it comes close to being as good as this person seems to think then I’m hopeful I got a good deal.
I know the pictures in the link are quite small, but can anyone offer a guess at this flute’s background or does anyone know what I should expect when it arrives?
The case looks like those provided with some FLO’s from Pakistan. Can’t say anything 'bout the flute, though. But at 62 bucks, you probably can’t go too wrong. Keep us updated!
edit: the barrel’s shape reminds me a bit of this FLO.
Same guy has a 5-key Pratten-styel FLO for 450 take it home price. I would not expect a whole lot from any of these. Lamp time, anybody? I hope this one turns out not to be what it looks like.
Oh, boy. Another flute-buying maniac and I talked quite a bit about that flute. He was convinced it’s a Pakistani flute, based on the wood, the design, and the coarse thread used on the tendon.
The seller replied to my request for more info, but didn’t answer my question about how the flute was related to Québec. Let us know if there are any markings on it and how it plays. Maybe you lucked out!
Who knows until you get it. One very well known american flute maker believes in thread wrapped tenons. He thinks using cork is lazy, his words not mine. I have both, a cork wrapped keyless and 2 thread wrapped baroque flutes. Plus both my 19th century fife and my piccolo-flageolet have thread wrapped. I see no difference in the way any of them play.
Cheers:)
what’s wrong with thread? its just a preference… it has nothing directly to do with the quality of the rest of the flute. i like thread because you can adjust the fit according to the seasons.
I saw that as well. Looked Paki to me and I consulted with a friend that agreed. Maybe it was STAMPED something that looked like ‘bec’ which they assumed stood for Quebec when in ACTUALITY it said ‘becareful’! in which the ‘areful’ wore off? Anyhow, I wish you luck with your new um… lamp, err, I mean toy!
I actually tried one of those flutes at the Lark store in San Francisco recently and it played pretty darn well and was for sale at $235 or something. I didn’t buy it but I thought it was one of their better flutes.
It looks like a blonde version of the “swirly headed” one I sold on my FOR SALE thread last year (though that had lost any case it may once have had) - pics and sound samples there. It wasn’t brilliant and had minor intonation issues, but was excellent bang-for-buck, especially after I had tweaked the embouchure. If it plays as well as that, it will be a very servicable starter or travel flute/session cannon. Wherever these are made, I guess some of them are decent, but it may be a bit of a lottery. If a reputable/knowledgeable/trustworthy shop or another player has checked one out, it may be a reasonable bet, but until you get to play it, who knows?
Thanks for all the replies, even the discouraging ones.
It looks like the worst case scenario is that I’ve paid 60 bucks for a worthless wooden stick from Pakistan. The best case scenario is that I got a steal on a $220 Lark in the Morning or, even better, a lighter-colored duplicate of the no-name flute Jem sold last year for $340.
I looked at the Lark in the Morning website and the crocus wood flute they show there sure looks like the one I bought. Probably not a design that’s difficult to duplicate, however. I guess I can only hope.
I’ll post more information on this flute when it arrives. Perhaps even some pictures. Maybe then we can really figure it out.
Anyhow, I wish you luck with your new um… lamp, err, I mean toy!