Hi
Can anyone recognize this flute? I think about buying it.
Cheers
I’m certainly no expert by any means, but it does resemble a George Ormiston flute I’ve seen.
I can see where you’re coming from, but I don’t think the keywork is quite right for him - plus if it was his, it should be fairly prominantly stamped. However, you did better than me because I couldn’t even hazzard a guess as to whose it is. I’m fairly sure the CD’s are Mel Bay though, who has apparently excelled in music since 1947.
G
I’m guessing anonymous German or French flute from the late 1800s/early 1900s.
Eric
I have had an identical flute that I got from Ebay.de a few years ago, so I think JayHawk is right. More likely early 1900s than late 1800s is my guess.
If you check Ebay.de antique and flute sections you will see some of these flutes show up on regular basis.
/MarcusR
I would have said a German flute too, except I’ve never seen one with a short foot joint like that. However, I think I have seen an old French flute with a short foot joint so that might be on the money.
Looks like someone’s been messing with the embouchure hole and maybe one of the toneholes as well…and the work on the embouchure hole does not look much like an “improvement.”
Yup !
Looks like a good candidate for a Jon C. tubulation operation !
I would say a nach Meyer. I have one with the short foot. The keys are virtually identical. Mine has a wooden cap rather then the metal cap, but the shape is even the same. The rings are the same, too.
The short foot does seem more French in background, but I nearly bought a german anonymous 4 key flute with a short foot so they do exist (I think they were export flutes sold by Sears and other US companies).
That embouchure hole does looks suspicious. My first thougth was it was a box shape (which had me thinking german), but maybe it has been messed with instead of coming that way.
Eric
Hmm- Doesn’t look like my old German band flute. There isn’t that funny key where the arm of one goes around the pad of another, but if they did make 'em with fewer keys, that would explain it…
This eBay one is very similar.
I don’t think the short foot is especially french… In the first part of the 19c, french simple system flutes are in general 5 keys with short foot, but I never saw one with an integral one. In the second part of 19c, they are in general 8 keys, like germans… The angled G# looks very german. Maybe a low-end german?
Sometimes too, flutes with features coming from different countries are american 
!!!
I’m in the nach Meyer camp, but I’m so green at this. I notice it has more of the conical bump at the barrel, interesting.
It definitely doesn’t look like the Ormiston I have, although the post mounts and short foot are there …
I’d take a good luck at the embouchure hole before I bought it.
It seems quite large and the shape is a little odd–I think it’s been messed with.
–James
P.S. take a good luck at the tone hole for L3 (by the G# key). I can’t see it clearly in the photo but there is something very odd about that tone hole.