Williams 5 key & Clementi 8-key flutes on E-bay

Irish Flute
1

There’s a Dave Williams five key flute on E-bay just now. Location: Lancaster, California - buy it now $2000 (£1614)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Irish-flute-made-by-Dave-Williams/222380189587?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D40762%26meid%3D329de27282d4414fa7c9c8ad4c0454b9%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D122313286659

These are very good flutes

Also a boxwood eight key Clementi. Location Bristol, England - buy it now $2000 (£1614)
buy it now $2000 (£1614)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Clementi-1850-wooden-Flute-boxwood-large-holes-8-keys-english-irish-romantic-/122313322298?hash=item1c7a712f3a:g:iUsAAOSw5cNYfOKS

2

I’m supposing the ivory present in the Clementi limits options when it comes to shipping and travel…

3

I believe the Williams has only five keys.

4

Actually, the seller of the Clementi is selling a large collection of antique flutes. Keep an eye out, there are many flutes still to be posted by this seller!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/barzaz/m.html?item=122313322298&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

5

Jim’s right. The Williams flute has five keys not six. I’ve corrected the thread title.

6

Whenever a Williams flute like that comes up for sale here on the West Coast I have to wonder “what if…”

Did you ever kick yourself for not buying a great instrument when you had the opportunity?

And never had that opportunity again?

Back around 1990 (not sure of the year) I visited the Lark In The Morning booth at the CTMS festival here in Southern California, and they had a Williams flute like that for sale. Mickey (the owner) let me take the flute off to a room and play it for a while. It was superb, really one of the best half-dozen flutes I’ve ever played. Every note was full, rich, powerful, easy to play, and perfectly in tune.

But I passed on it, because the price was considerably inflated over what I could get the flute directly from Dave for. But I never did order a flute from Dave, and I’ve kicked myself ever since for not buying that overpriced flute when I had the chance.

What, around 10 years ago an identical-looking flute came up on Ebay by a San Francisco seller and I bought it. I hoped that it might be the same flute. It wasn’t. In fact it played oddly. There was something a bit wrong about how the blow-hole was cut, and it was extremely unforgiving and tricky to play. I sold it.

So this current Ebay flute might be that magic flute! As I recall Mickey sold it in California. Or it might be just an OK flute, or it might be strange like that other one. It’s tempting to take a gamble on it.

7

Yes, Avery and I once found, at Ralph Sweet’s place, an eight-keyed Williams Rudall at a good price, which neither of us bought.
Don’t know about Avery but I still wake in the night screaming. Gee it was a good flute.

8

Ok, so I confirmed with Francesco Colosimo that it IS indeed him selling some of his flutes and not an opportunistic fraudster screen capturing pictures from his website.

9

Richard, there was a dandy used Dave Williams for sale at Lark Camp about 8 years ago. I sometimes wish I had bought it. Oh well. I love my current Copely flute. And “Contentment is Wealth”. : )