The flute is made by Firth, Hall and Pond. 4 brass keys. The brass and boxwood look nice together! Lucky, the flute plays in 440, fairly well as it is all wood,without a tuning slide.
I guess F,H&P may have got there design from Potter? The two are almost the same tone hole lay out.
Mmmm, very nice, Jon.
Now consider a possible military background for this flute. Boxwood and brass (heh heh, “military brass”) and compare the profile of the ivory rings with those on the Rudall Bb on my page:
http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/rudall_Bb.htm
(Rudalls often seem to use this style of ring on flutes with a military bent)
Also no tuning slide - a slide being less important when pitch is “regimented”.
Very pretty Potter too - Richard or William Henry? And is that a foot register? And why the very wide white band at the top of the body?
Terry
Wow, that’s a nice one, Jon! Look how clean it is-almost looks new, except for the nice darker color of the Boxwood. I imagine it does look really good with that brass keywork, especially in person.
Kind of like Thoreau’s sister’s flute, from the ceety, and only played on Sunday evenings! Good nab, Jon, and thanks for the pictures! Enjoy!
What is the volume and tuning like?
It seems almost like a transition flute from the baroque to the Romantic flutes. Is that guess any where close? Firth, Hall and Pond were making flutes and fifes ~1800-1850 which was the early part of the Romantic flute era (I think).
So was Thoreau’s flute a Potter?
Most likely made for the discerning Military band, in this case probably a State Militia, somewhere in the old US of A. I don’t think it was used much as it does look new. The rings must have been the rage for military bands… Another interesting feature, is the keys seats are concave, like Prowse used to make, I have seem some colaberation between Firth, Hall and Pond and Clementi’s, like that Meahcam and Pond and another F,H,&P that I have. They must have had some dealings.
Also no tuning slide - a slide being less important when pitch is “regimented”.
I am glad they used 445 tuning instead of 460 like some of the regiments. It is easier to play in 440.
Very pretty Potter too - Richard or William Henry? And is that a foot register? And why the very wide white band at the top of the body?
Terry
That is the sons work, William Henry Potter. The flute had a tenon replacement, probably 150 years ago, that is why it has the extra ivory. The Potter was a cracked up mess when I got it, but plays well now.
The flute has a lower register, I had to rebuild it, as it was a frozen blob. It is nice to pull out to the 3 setting and play the flute at 415. Pushed all the way in, it is at the 6 setting, about 440. Withthe adjustable foot, there is no flat foot syndrome.
I.D.10-t wrote:
What is the volume and tuning like?
It seems almost like a transition flute from the baroque to the Romantic flutes. Is that guess any where close? Firth, Hall and Pond were making flutes and fifes ~1800-1850 which was the early part of the Romantic flute era (I think).
The volume is a little soft, but I imagine that as the flute is broken in it will sing louder. I am being careful with the boxwood unlined head, as I have had them explode in the past, when the inside expands to fast, scary stuff… The tuning is a lot better then the english fltes from the same period. The tuning and tone hole placement is almost identical to the Potter, and that has very good tuning. F# is only 20 cents flat. My guess on the age would be about 1830.
Well in the states they didn’t go through the “romantic tuning” I don’t think so , anyway… Maybe Terry knows more on this. At least you don’t find the flat foot syndrome on the American flutes, except the ones that were imported from England and rebranded.
From this thread, it looks like one of them was stamped “MEACHAM/ & POND/ ALBANY”, but I think he had at least two.
Jon, thanks for the info, looks like you have a real winner.
Could have been a Riley. He made flutes in New York during the baroque era. I believe that is who William Hall apperenticed under.
You can clearly see the key mounts on Henry’s flute are rounded and Jon… your flute has arch top mounts.
I not familiar with the idiosyncrasies of these two makers.
Is this an important difference?