What piccolo is this?

[cassidystoker]

I found this piccolo in my room. I've never played it before, and don't know how to play it. It's anonymous - no markings or serial numbers. How much do you think it's worth? The music store here in Hawaii thinks it's a piece of crap. They told me it's not a piccolo. I think it's beautiful.

[Sigurthr]

It most certainly looks to be a piccolo! A beautiful one at that. Most modern music shops don't know anything about antique or antique-style (read: non-Böhm) flutes and will just try to sell you some made-in-pakistan silver-ish flute-ish object.

Can't help with the query about maker, year, or value but I'd say it has a fair chance of selling just because it looks to be in great condition.

[cassidystoker]

Thank you Siguthr. Any chance you might know how much to price it at?

[Doug_Tipple]

What is the flute made from (black plastic, blackwood, etc.)? An appraiser would need more detailed information in order to give you a value. Jemtheflute should be able to give you a ballpark estimate, so hand on for a bit.

[cassidystoker]

Actually I have no idea how to tell what it's made out of. I'm in Hawaii so there isn't anyone I can take it to (that I know of) to get it appraised. I don't even know what to call it!

[MTGuru]

Actually I have no idea how to tell what it's made out of. I'm in Hawaii so there isn't anyone I can take it to

1. Any woodwind / band instrument repair shop would be able to make a stab at the material or wood, and perhaps even the make of the instrument and a rough appraisal if they have the references and experience. I'm sure there are school bands and marching bands in Hawaii whose woodwinds - clarinets, oboes - need repair.

2. A guitar or ukulele maker or repair shop would be familiar with a wide range of tone woods (instrument woods). I think they have ukuleles in Hawaii ...

[jemtheflute]

Someone called? More info needed. Please give the overall length and the sounding length (from centre of embouchure/blow hole to level with the farther, open end) preferably in mm. A better lit, square-on photo would help too, and maybe a close-up of the material. It will be either wood or Ebonite - if you can see grain, it won't be Ebonite. I can't suggest value until I have those details.

[Doug_Tipple]

I'm guessing that what you have is a Ferris piccolo, and it looks like it is missing a ring on the end.
http://www.ferrismusic.co.uk/flutes-fif ... 3jns8i8ap1

[jemtheflute]

It does look very similar to those Ferris ones, doesn't it, Doug? However, of their current products neither their Eb picc nor their Bb band Flute has 6 keys, only 5.

Seeing the OP picture on my computer rather than my phone now, I can say that it does look to be modern, not antique. But I still need those dimensions to evaluate playing pitch.

[cassidystoker]

Thank you for all your input! Ok I measured the piccolo is 12 inches long. I'm pretty sure it's not wood either, I don't see any grain. I took some close ups. If you need better ones let me know!

[jemtheflute]

I still need the sounding length (see above) to estimate pitch. Otherwise, those keys look very like the rather crude Indian/Pakistani ones we see on e.g. Empire flutes, etc. There's no missing foot ring, and that termination also looks like the Indian flutes I've seen - and it would appear to be Ebonite, though I can't be certain of that from the pictures. Does it have a burnt rubber smell to it at all? I suspect it is one of these, or very similar. Looks like they retail for c U$100. Some of these are tolerably playable (others NOT!), and if it is in D at 440 it might qualify as a half decent thing, but without actually trying it I couldn't vouch for it at all! I suspect resale, second hand value is negligible, especially if it is High Pitch or in Eb.

[daveogden]

You "found this piccolo in your room"??!!

You can find this piccolo in the Empire Brass online catalog:
http://www.synergyhouse.net/woodwind_buy3.asp

This is another instrument from India or Pakistan, thanks for the good photos. It would be useful to move them to the "avoid cheap Pakistani flutes" listing in the stickies on the forum.

[Doug_Tipple]

You "found this piccolo in your room"??!!

You can find this piccolo in the Empire Brass online catalog:
http://www.synergyhouse.net/woodwind_buy3.asp

You never know what you are going to find out when you read the Empire Brass catalog. I just learned that the piccolo is smaller than the standard flute. Dave, it seems that both of us need to look around our rooms to see what forgotten stuff we might find. I know that I need to look around the house, as my wife has a tendency to put cash in strange places and then forget about it.

[daveogden]

Yah Doug! That's the great thing about being a collector and having a bad memory!

[cassidystoker]

Thanks everybody for all your help! I'm going to try and sell it locally, but if that doesn't work I guess I'll put it on eBay, and call it an antique lookalike or something...