Restoration Project. Metzler Reform Flute

[Ciaran]

A friend asked if I could find a sale for this instrument. I am informed that it is a Reform flute. I showed it to a flute maker at the weekend and he confirmed that it is in need of total restoration. Made of cocus with nickel silver, each joint is stamped Metzler and Co. London. The head joint has a repaired crack nearly the full length of the section but the crack does not run through the embouchure hole. The key mechanism is in need of repair and the flute does not play the notes on the right hand. The G sharp key tip is missing.



Is there any market or interest in such an instrument, I am presuming that repair costs would exceed that actual value of it. It plays sharp for me and the tuning slide needs to be fully extended to about 25mm to reach A440.

Any thoughts or opinions on this instrument would be most welcome.

[hpinson]

I don't know, but if you do decide to restore, it would be wonderful if you could post a recording of how it sounds.

[Tonehole]

Hi Ciaran,

It doesn't look like a reform flute - so named for the reform headjoint with a wavy raised lip plate found on Schwedler and German style simple system flutes to complex keyed simole system flutes.

This one is a Siccama keyed flute development - fully keyed with the acoustic correction of the E hole and the subsequent loss of open jole half holing. I love my keyed Siccama flutes as a transition to learning simple system with a short finger spread. The native pitch is rarely 440Hz for these made anything from the 19th century to the turn of the 20th century.

The repair work is substantial as you say. My Metzler open hole simple system is a fabulous player. These keyed Siccama versions attract a smaller proportion of keyed simple system players and the work here outweighs any resale value.. I found my keyed Siccamas too hard to self repair compared to open hole 6 keyed flutes. This one is an average rather than upmarket Metzler who made flutes with non nickel silver.

If you are selling the head cap, this bit looks intact

[Ciaran]

Interesting, I know the flutes you refer to with the raised lip plates etc.

I had thought that is might have been from the Siccama family, I was not aware that they used designs with all covered tone holes.

Yes there is a lot of work to be done. The last D key seems to have been pulled out of it's normal position and this is the reason that the lower hand is not sounding.

Thanks for the info, very interesting.

Ciarán.

[Tonehole]

Hi Ciaran,

The reform lip plates seem to be easily to blow with less of the complex textures available from these classic headjoints.

Metzler were a part of that trend towards loudness as the search for bigger and better toneholes forced flute development away from small baroque traverso holes to simple system flutes with small toneholes. Later Metzler open hole flutes had larger toneholes (I can just cover the 5th finger of mine, whereas earlier ones are easy). However these can never be as large as the Siccama fully keyed flutes: hence the tone advantage. Rockstro did it for the Boehm typewriter layout. The early Siccama flutes (Hudson) were more minimalist in the qcoustic design correction priority. The later fully keyed behemoth Siccama competitors lost out to the Boehm key tradition due to the German influence in orchestras spreading worldwide. The tone of the keyed Siccama is still gorgeous if not better than most Boehms with their veiling defects

There is a Rudall fully keyed Siccama on sale now on the site : BEAUTIFUL HANDMADE RUDALL ROSE CARTE 1868 HYBRID BOEHM/SYSTEM SICCAMA WOOD FLUTE (#399)

The covered toneholes are a real disadvantage for maintenance. Keyed pads are a lot of work...! However if you get the flute fixed, the sound is gorgeous.

Kind regards