Help with Peloubet flute

[Tunborough]

And while that may or may not be true in a financial sense, it is true in a sentimental sense.

[paddler]

... it is worth restoring, keeping, and (hopefully) playing.

Good decision!

[Jon C.]

https://s1.postimg.org/2k2z18v3lr/Peloubet_4_key.jpg
Already going at it!

[Jon C.]

https://s1.postimg.org/618uxnvdtb/22218 ... 7897_o.jpg
Looks like a nice embouchure cut, should have it playing this weekend.

[s1m0n]

Thanks for posting. I'm sure a lot of us are intensely curious about how the magic happens, so feel free to post what you're doing in as much detail as you can.

[honketyhank]

The pix are great. Thank you.

[Adrian W.]

https://s1.postimg.org/2k2z18v3lr/Peloubet_4_key.jpg
Already going at it!

Do you keep the whistle handy in case you feel the need?

[Jon C.]

https://s1.postimg.org/2k2z18v3lr/Peloubet_4_key.jpg
Already going at it!

Do you keep the whistle handy in case you feel the need?

Yes, you should never be far from your whistle!

Here are some more photos of the Peloubet restoration, sorry I missed some key steps, but it is the usual crack and ivory ring repairs...
The flute is awesome, BTW.
https://postimg.org/gallery/27vrh9y00/

[Jon C.]

[paddler]

Nice work! And great job matching the color and grain on the crown and stopper. With a little bit of darkening with age that will be about as close to perfect as you can get. By coincidence, I just spent the afternoon turning a threaded cork holder with decorative finial and threaded crown for one of my own flutes. It takes a surprising amount of time to produce, finish and fit such a small and easily overlooked part.

I'm not surprised to hear that this flute its a great player. I really like some of these American antiques. They tend to be very well in tune at modern pitch, much more so than many of the English antiques, and they often have beautiful quality wood. Most people seem to either not know very much about antique American flutes, or have only heard of Firth, Hall and Pond (together), but other makers such as Peloubet and Riley (both F and E Riley) made some really excellent instruments, as did Firth, Hall and Pond independently and in various combinations with sons etc. And just as not all "Rudalls" are identical to each other, there is also a fair bit of diversity in tone hole sizes and playing characteristics among these various antique American flutes. I don't know if I'll ever get around to it, but I've been thinking about trying to shed some light (pictures, measurements, and information) on this subject, based on some of the flutes I have had access to.

[Jon C.]

Yes, screw adjusting crowns are time consuming...
Don't forget Asa Hopkins from Fluteville one of the innovative great American flute makers, also Pfaff made beautiful flutes.

The reason the wood was such good quality, England kind of got cut off, being the supply came from the Jamaican Islands or "West Indies" as the British called it. I believe the wood imports were ballast on the slave ships heading back to Europe, also the war of Independence might have cut off the supply. I have seen some of the most beautiful cocuswood used for the American flutes. I think the British were also substituting the real cocuswood with a ebony found in India, I have seen encyclopedia entries alluding to using a Coco wood from the "East Indies", which they mentioned that they hoped was as good...

https://books.google.com/books/content? ... C88&edge=0

[honketyhank]

Wow. Looks amazing! And I am really pleased to hear that it sounds good too.

[s1m0n]

I think the British were also substituting the real cocuswood with a ebony found in India, I have seen encyclopedia entries alluding to using a Coco wood from the "East Indies", which they mentioned that they hoped was as good...

There's a yellowish asian wood that I think the victorians in India were using for wind instruments and pipes, and calling "cocus" (because everyone knows that's what you call flute-wood), although it's not a Dalbergia at all. Before the Pakistani unstrument makers learned that irish flutes are black, you used to see yellow flutes show up on Ebay from time to time described as cocus. I think the term still has local use for that wood. One guy I exchanged messages with had no idea that there was a west indian cocus that isn't what he called cocus. I wonder if that's the wood your encyclopedia refers to.

[Jon C.]

I think the British were also substituting the real cocuswood with a ebony found in India, I have seen encyclopedia entries alluding to using a Coco wood from the "East Indies", which they mentioned that they hoped was as good...

There's a yellowish asian wood that I think the victorians in India were using for wind instruments and pipes, and calling "cocus" (because everyone knows that's what you call flute-wood), although it's not a Dalbergia at all. Before the Pakistani unstrument makers learned that irish flutes are black, you used to see yellow flutes show up on Ebay from time to time described as cocus. I think the term still has local use for that wood. One guy I exchanged messages with had no idea that there was a west indian cocus that isn't what he called cocus. I wonder if that's the wood your encyclopedia refers to.

I remember the write up saying it was a dark brown wood thus the "coco" or brown. I have restored a lot of English flutes over the years, and many of them were a brown wood, probably ebony, but not the real cocuswood. It would be interesting to test it in a lab. I know Madgascar ebony looks similar to cocuswood, but tends to crack easily. The German flutmakers like Meyer used Madagascar rosewood for his flutes...

[busterbill]

I was reading your thread with the idea of recommending Jon Cornia for the repairs, but it looks like you've already gotten there. He does excellent work and has a wealth of experience.