Chiff and Fipple Forums

This is a really interesting question, that has something of a structural answer. The acoustics of the two instruments are related but not identical. It has something to do with how a wave is set in motion from a fipple vs a transverse embouchure. The fipple is much more sensitive to cross-fingering...

Here's a neat flute I just noticed on ebay, which is mostly interesting for what it says about 19th century music culture. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Boxwood-Flute-circa-1900-Atwells-Music-Salon-Salt-spoon-keys-/141000071161 It's an 8-key boxwood flute, pretty standard, marked "Atwill's Music Salo...

At the Boston Early Music Festival last week I played an all-ivory traverso for the first time, an Eichentopf copy by Von Huene (which they had alongside an imitation-ivory Denner, both early low pitch at 392). It had a very rich and deep sound, much like what a gold Boehm flute is like in compariso...

Will do! This one seemed like an interesting candidate, with at least some non-keyed holes. I wonder about the metal tube as well. I assume it's brass and seamed, but of course anything is possible with such oddities. I've never had the opportunity to play an earlier Rudall Bb, original or modern, b...

Jem kindly alerted me to an image of a Hawkes Bb flute on the Pamela's Music site (from which the flute can be purchased). With Pamela's permission, I've added it to my page on later Bb flutes, see: http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Later%20Bb%20flutes.htm It's interesting to see what the later makers ha...

Also -- looks like a great box... Original flute cases like this are harder to find than the flutes themselves!

His 8-key flutes are also of the highest order, though few and far between.

cheap! wholesale prices really.

Indeed, and Jem I wasn't trying to direct my comment at you. All I mean is, it's easy to lose perspective on the enjoyment of playing music, when one gets wrapped up in obsessions over price and investment. I've seen this happen to myself sometimes, and I've had to take a step back and remember why ...

But the time that you get to own and enjoy and play and create with an instrument isn't worth anything? So many people seem to think that if you buy something and don't make money when you sell, then you've wasted your time. What a tremendous gift just to be able to play these.

Oh wait, you mean people only buy these things to make money off them?

You are confusing tunings - Just, Equal, Tempered, etc., with an ability - Perfect pitch/Absolute pitch: To get technical, Just and Equal and Tempered are tunings of 12 abstract notes of the octave, which are choices that people made about the sound of pure intervals and harmonic relationships. Tho...

Wow, quite a price! There must be a reason. Perhaps somebody likes this serial number range? To me these old flutes are worth every penny they command, as the great ones are truly spectacular. Auctions like these don't really indicate much about the market, but just about a particular instrument on ...

Some of you may know that I have a sort of obsession with conical metal flutes. I bid on this as soon as it was listed, and I do hope I can win it. If I do, I will certainly report back here with full pictures and details!

I'd be really surprised if it goes for the price they're expecting. The ivory one that was on ebay not long ago went for, uhm, £3000? Can't remember, but the price wasn't huge, and it had an engraved key (but not as fancy rings). The highest price I've seen for an 8 key simple system flute was arou...