Abel Siccama - Very Interesting Tone
Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2022 1:46 pm
I just got my Abel Siccama #671 (probably by Hudson who went on to Pratten-style fame) back from Jeff Denning who did a beautiful renovation to a flute that was unplayable due to some breaks and problems. He fixed a couple of cracks, spun silver caps for the tenons, installed new pads, etc. Plus fixed a broken key seat, and a messed up crack at the Bb post.
Siccama flutes add keys for the third finger of each hand so that the A-hole and E-hole can be properly sized and positioned. The uni-body allows the G# key to be in a much better position. On most simple-system flutes, those holes need to be moved close enough for the third fingers to cover them, and then they need to be made smaller. It's kind of a wonder that non-Siccama flutes sound as good as they do.
Siccama flutes appear from time to time, but are not all that common. I'd only seen references to Siccama's in historical flute websites, like McGee's and OldFlutes:
http://www.oldflutes.com/articles/siccama.htm
http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Siccama.html
http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Sicc_Ext.htm
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=25289
If I were writing a Siccama review back in 1850...
Now that I've tried a Siccama, the design really delivers in terms of tone volume, intonation and evenness. A is clear, E does not at all require the Eb vent, and the G# note is very strong. Other notes are well-optimized as well, like the middle C/C#. It does prefer using the C-natural key for both C and C#. Neither the OXX OOO nor the OXO XXX C's work as well as the keyed C-natural.
The third finger reach on both hands is even easier than advertised; this kind of flute would be really useful for someone with small hands.
The keys are super-easy to use, requiring pretty much minimal adaptation/adjustment to your playing. You can do all the rolls, taps and cuts you've been used to. I guess slides don't work on those notes. For me slides which are easy on whistle, are not so easy on the flute anyway.
I've played a modern large-holed Rudall, but I've never tried a Pratten Flute, new or antique. The Siccama plays quite loudly and clearly - louder than the large-holed Rudall. It has very big holes (hole #4 is 10.2mm) but the bore is not particularly large - it's slightly smaller than my antique Rudall. My flute tone preference tends toward sweet and expressive on my Rudall, rather than pushing it to the reedy/buzzy tone. For me, this flute seems naturally toward the sweet and loud side rather than toward the reedy/aggressive tone. I'm sure with practice I'd be able to get a lot more volume and a more reedy character.
Siccama flutes add keys for the third finger of each hand so that the A-hole and E-hole can be properly sized and positioned. The uni-body allows the G# key to be in a much better position. On most simple-system flutes, those holes need to be moved close enough for the third fingers to cover them, and then they need to be made smaller. It's kind of a wonder that non-Siccama flutes sound as good as they do.
Siccama flutes appear from time to time, but are not all that common. I'd only seen references to Siccama's in historical flute websites, like McGee's and OldFlutes:
http://www.oldflutes.com/articles/siccama.htm
http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Siccama.html
http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Sicc_Ext.htm
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=25289
If I were writing a Siccama review back in 1850...
Now that I've tried a Siccama, the design really delivers in terms of tone volume, intonation and evenness. A is clear, E does not at all require the Eb vent, and the G# note is very strong. Other notes are well-optimized as well, like the middle C/C#. It does prefer using the C-natural key for both C and C#. Neither the OXX OOO nor the OXO XXX C's work as well as the keyed C-natural.
The third finger reach on both hands is even easier than advertised; this kind of flute would be really useful for someone with small hands.
The keys are super-easy to use, requiring pretty much minimal adaptation/adjustment to your playing. You can do all the rolls, taps and cuts you've been used to. I guess slides don't work on those notes. For me slides which are easy on whistle, are not so easy on the flute anyway.
I've played a modern large-holed Rudall, but I've never tried a Pratten Flute, new or antique. The Siccama plays quite loudly and clearly - louder than the large-holed Rudall. It has very big holes (hole #4 is 10.2mm) but the bore is not particularly large - it's slightly smaller than my antique Rudall. My flute tone preference tends toward sweet and expressive on my Rudall, rather than pushing it to the reedy/buzzy tone. For me, this flute seems naturally toward the sweet and loud side rather than toward the reedy/aggressive tone. I'm sure with practice I'd be able to get a lot more volume and a more reedy character.