A couple of weeks ago I drove to Peoria IL to buy, for 2000 dollars, a JG eight key.
The seller insisted that the buyer come in person, so I did, living in ST. Louis and having
always wanted to try a JG flute. The chief reason this flute isn't for me is that it is too heavy
for my 74 year old wrists, which begin to hurt after I play it an hour or so. While this flute is not terribly heavy (less so than a Grinter, say) it isn't light. It is small holed, clear and precise (just as JG says on his site), and it has a strong, good tone--a good deal more than I expected. One can increase the volume further by sending it to JG to put in a cutaway. It has a strong bottom D. Blayne, on the irish flute store site, says these flutes are modeled after the small-holed Rudall upon which Chris Norman's blackwood flute is based.
The seller had purchased it used from a music store that closed, and there is no telling how old it is, but it is in good condition, looks fine; I've played it out and folks praised its sound. It will need a little attention, however. It has been played. Probably the threading on the tenons will need to be replaced before too long, or the flute tenons corked--though they play well now. Top six keys work very well, the C sharp is good enough. I can sound the bottom C, but it may need a new pad to be functional. The keys appear to be in good mechanical order. Alternatively one can remove the two bottom keys and play the flute as a six key. The flute has an open topped box, which I will include, but you will need another case (a Cavallaro case works fine).
I've been on chiffandfipple since the Pleistocene, I'm grateful to people here, since I've learned lots from you'all, and having gone on an adventure to get this flute I want to pass it on at about the price I bought it, plus something more to compensate me for driving seven hours through the wilds of IL, gas, and so on. So the price is 2100 dollars--for an eight keyed flute from a well regarded maker. By way of comparison, the irish flute store is selling a used keyless jg pratten for 1449. My price includes insured shipping to the continental usa. PMs please.