Help ID'ing old flute (photos and video).

The Chiff & Fipple Irish Flute on-line community. Sideblown for your protection.
Post Reply
msupples
Posts: 34
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2015 10:15 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: I play the flute, uilleann pipes, highland pipes, whistles, and a few other things. [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
Location: NC

Help ID'ing old flute (photos and video).

Post by msupples »

Hey all,

Can anyone help me with identifying the possible origins of this flute? It appears to be the "Meyer system", possibly Nach Meyer? Anyone able to point towards possible manufacture year range, country of origin, or maker?

There are no markings. It plays best around A=430, but can be brought up to A=440 with the slide in all the way. It has 10 keys which appear to be nickel silver, with leather pads.

The head cork was dry and crumbling, so I replaced that. The tenon cork similarly was not sealing, so I replaced it with waxed hemp. I also replaced most of the key pads as most were leaking. I can get all keys to play except the low B.

Overall, not a bad flute considering I paid less than $100 for it!

Scale and some tunes: https://youtu.be/2NplRYiQFaw

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
tstermitz
Posts: 527
Joined: Tue May 26, 2015 10:18 pm
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8

Re: Help ID'ing old flute (photos and video).

Post by tstermitz »

Probably a German "Nach Meyer", i.e. in the style of Meyer. 1880s - 1910s (appx)

Thousands were made, most play pretty poorly; some are okay. It's cool that you have the case in fairly good shape.

Check for a signature or logo in the wood.

http://www.originalflutes.com/german-fl ... lutes.html
User avatar
an seanduine
Posts: 1997
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2009 10:06 pm
antispam: No
Location: just outside Xanadu

Re: Help ID'ing old flute (photos and video).

Post by an seanduine »

This will get you started:http://www.oldflutes.com/catalogs/sears/index.htm It is from Rick Wilson´s Historical Flute Pages.
These instruments were all over the place for quality, and following Sear´s ¨Good, Better, Best¨ merchandising scheme, you got what you paid for them. You may have got one of their better ones, and seem not to have paid too much for it.
Having said that, they are not much in demand for today´s Irish Flute market.

Bob
Not everything you can count, counts. And not everything that counts, can be counted

The Expert's Mind has few possibilities.
The Beginner's mind has endless possibilities.
Shunryu Suzuki, Roshi
msupples
Posts: 34
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2015 10:15 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: I play the flute, uilleann pipes, highland pipes, whistles, and a few other things. [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
Location: NC

Re: Help ID'ing old flute (photos and video).

Post by msupples »

Interesting! Thank you both. Looking at the House on Earth and Sears catalogs, because this flute is a 10 key it seems to be the second-to-highest priced flute on the lists.

Not planning to sell it -- it's a fun, relatively quiet flute.
Post Reply