What Is this Thing?

[libraryman]

Having just learned some interesting things about 8-keyed flutes on another thread, I thought maybe I could ask the group a question. I broke down and bought an old beaten up 12 keyed German-looking flute that was recently on Ebay. What a monster. But what really throws me is that both ends of this flute are capped. The bottom end is missing a part, but it is threaded and fully closed. I guess it originally had a metal screw-on cap. But in any event, no air passes through the end at all. It wasn't a lot of money, but I'm curious--what the heck is this thing? Sure has me baffled. BTW, I can't even tell you if it plays because the headjoint cork is very very loose and holds no air. Thanks all.

[Gabriel]

I guess it originally had a metal screw-on cap.

Can't be! Never saw anything like that. Could you post a photo or two? Might make things easier.

[Julia Delaney]

It's to keep the music from leaking out when you're not playing it. I had one once and put it away without the cap and when next I picked it up all the tunes were gone out of it and it never played since.

[Cathy Wilde]

[chas]

Might this have been part of a walking-stick flute? It could be that an end a foot or two long screwed onto the foot.

[Cathy Wilde]

What if .... someone decided to repurpose a flute lamp ????????

(I'm not kidding)

[treeshark]

What if .... someone decided to repurpose a flute lamp ????????

(I'm not kidding)

Er... Do you mean buying antique lamps and repurposing them as flutes, thus horrifying the antique lamp purist lobby?

[radcliff]

I use this thread to ask a slight different question!
: What is This??


there is an Extra key, between F# and Sol----

(from a french flute on Ebay)

[Cork]

Of your post, libraryman, at first I was reminded of a ten-key* H.F.Meyer flute I have, German made, and a monster if ever, but then I read about your flute as being plugged at its foot, along with its having a threaded end.

Then, I read the rest of this thread, to date.

Moreover, and all jokes about lamps aside, I'm inclined to go with the theory that your flute perhaps could have at one time been a walking stick flute.

For instance, and although mine are keyless, I have a couple of Sweetheart walking stick D flutes, which have plugged ends, as their "walking" ends.

I also have a six-key, walking stick D flute, and while as a walking stick flute its end is plugged, it plays as a flute with its end removed.

And, perhaps the threaded end of your flute could have been for the removal of the weight of its foot end, to then better balance the flute, as a flute.

And, I'd bet that your flute has at least one open, un-keyed hole at it lowermost end, to thereby vent the flute.

BTW, I didn't pay much for my monster, and apparently neither did you. ;-)

Edit: *= the flute actually has nine keys, but ten touches, as the G# key could be engaged by either the LH thumb or the R1 finger, as one key with two levers.

[Cork]

It's to keep the music from leaking out when you're not playing it. I had one once and put it away without the cap and when next I picked it up all the tunes were gone out of it and it never played since.

I, too, had a laugh at that!

You have an admirable sense of humor.

[Cork]

I use this thread to ask a slight different question!
: What is This??


there is an Extra key, between F# and Sol----

(from a french flute on Ebay)

That is a curious feature, and my only guess is that it could be for some venting purpose in one of the upper registers.

[Gabriel]

My guess would be that the extra key is used to get F# into tune. The F# hole seems to be way too small in diameter to give a good F#. Might be a compromise between possibility of crossfingerings and tuning?

[Doug_Tipple]

Like Cork mentioned, some flutes that have vent holes (open C and C# holes) at the end of the flute play nicely with the end of the flute plugged. I use large vent holes (7/16" dia) on my 8-hole flutes, so no air exhausts through the end of the flute anyway. It doesn't matter whether the end of the flute is open or plugged.

[Dan Gordon]

I use this thread to ask a slight different question!
: What is This??


there is an Extra key, between F# and Sol----

(from a french flute on Ebay)

It's a Tulou f# key: http://www.oldflutes.com/articles/tulou.htm
As Gabriel suggested, it's for sharpening the f#, which was quite flat in order to allow a fork-fingered f (xxx xox).

[libraryman]

Thanks, especially to Cork and Doug, for your responses. This 12-keyed monster does indeed have several open holes at the lower end-the largest being activated with the kind of key that you push down on and it closes rather than vice versa. (Sort of like a pewter plug, but padded) So the walking stick theory sounds the most plausible I've heard so far. But imagine walking along with this thing! Doubt many passer-bys would stop for a chat and you might get stopped by the police for carrying an unregistered weapon. But then it might be good for getting extra elbow room in a session. I'm not going to put any money into it, but if I ever get to work on it myself, I'll let everyone know if it plays at all decently. BTW, I liked the line that it was for storing tunes too.