I usually lurk about on the whistle forum but thought I’d walk over here for a look about. I have an old Clementi 8 keyed flute that belonged to my uncle. My flute is boxwood and has square keys. The flute is in excellent condition but seems impossible to play a scale in tune, even with itself. I’d be grateful for any information regarding age etc.
Could well be out of tune due to the cork stopper having shifted position. Otherwise, you should get something near a scale.
Kevin Krell
Definitely check the headjoint cork’s position, condition, and see if it’s airtight. Also check it’s joints and keys, they could be leaking. Say if one the upper keys is leaking, everything below that key is going to get messed up. If the flute is not airtight it’s surpriseing how much tone and control you lose.
You can do a quick suction test to see if a section’s keys are leaking; Put a small cork in the hole at the end of the section, cover the holes with your fingers and suck the air out with your mouth at the other end. If it pops when you take your mouth away after a second or two, you’ve got a reasonably airtight flute. Same with the headjoint. Cover the end with your palm, and suck the air out the embouchure hole. If your tenon joints are loose or wobble much, they’re leaking.
Sincerely,
George
Clementi 1802 to 1831
Sounds a pretty flute. What pitch does it not play at ?
Patrick Olwell said this in an interview:
“The three different pieces where fingerholes are in different places were more accurate. That was an important discovery and it was leading me to all kinds of new theories. One theory, for example, why Clementi-flutes were so out of tune was that they took the old scale they left the right finger hole side as it was and shortened the upper left hand section. The flute makers were often not flute-players, so they didn’t notice.”
Thanks guys, I’ve checked the headjoint cork and the leak test and everything seems ok. The bit from Patrick Olwell sums it up. D uo to G sounds in tune but A and B are really sharp. I haven’t checked with a tuner so I don’t know what the actual pitch is. If I work out how to, I’ll post a picture.
OK here is a photo of the flute
http://uk.geocities.com/jack.bethel@btinternet.com/flute.html
Your link is to a JPG file renamed to an html; doesn’t work.
I took the liberty of recovering your photo and providing it for this thread:
Lovely flute.
–James
Isn’t that a strange colour for an early 19th century boxwood flute? Anyhow, it’s a lovely looking piece. Maybe some maker or skilled repairer can do something to revoice and tune it for you.
Thanks James, I couldn’t find out how to put the photograph on here.
The colour is not exact as the flute was scanned in but the foot joint to the right in the picture is probably closest.
There’s a guide to posting images on the board here: http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=23407
Hope it helps us see more flute porn! 
It looks a pretty normal colour to me.
If anybody is in doubt I can put up a few boxwood flutes using the advice link so kindly provided !
yes Andrew - I have serious doubt 
- can you post some pictures, especially of the two R&R that you have ( the F and the new one), I basically want to see more of your flutes
The R&R flute in F is cocus wood.
The new one needs a little attention before it is thrown out into the big wide world web.
You wll be glad to know that I failed to buy a flute today. Too mean.But I do have three others coming. God knows why !
Which is dearer, the flutes or a course of aversion therapy ?
I am amazed how nice the Sweet Rosewood one is to use, after all the snide remarks I have heard about them !
Matter of luck, perhaps ?
Don’t know. I played one, and I thought it was a very good flute indeed. A pro fluteplayer of my acquaintance thinks highly of Sweet’s flutes although she doesn’t play them in performances to my knowledge. Her opinion of Sweet-bashing is that the workmanship can be a bit rough. Others have suggested that getting a good Sweet is, like Generation whistles, hit-or-miss. Said fluteplayer claims never to have encountered a bad one, playing-wise.
The Sweet bore looks rather rough to me, but I was advised by the Flutemaster to leave well alone. If it works …
Well, all this talk about the vaunted Tipple dimpled bore has me rethinking my presumptions about the necessity of having a glass-smooth bore! A rough bore may not be a liability after all. Who’d’ve thunk it?
Andrew, I wouldn’t mind seeing some boxwood flutes. Give me something to compare.