Metzler flute from ebay

[dunnp]

Hello out there,
My wife bid on and won a flute for my birthday this week. She saw this saved in my watch list on our shared ebay account and decided I'd like it. I actually hadn't looked that close so I thought it was a piccolo. I assume its a Metzler band flute in Bb. Anyway I'm looking at the pictures and I think I'm looking as a left handed flute. Is this right? also it looks like the g sharp key is a post munted replacement? Any idea of pitch? I should have it soon so I'll know but just curious?
anyway thanks for looking
Patrick
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWNX:IT

[Denny]

it does look left handed.... or someone flipped the picture!

It will probably make more sense in real life, the pictures are none too good.

[I.D.10-t]

or someone flipped the picture!

The coin looks to be facing right. If it is a pound coin, it seems to be correct. (A Lefty Band flute seems like a rare find)

At 39cm it most likely is a Bb band flute.
http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/flutelengths.htm

[dunnp]

Metzler arrived today. I plugged up the keys and cleaned the bore. Plugged a leak around the replacement g sharp key post. There was flaking old shellac or glue along the base of the post.

It is a mighty player in Bb not high pitch it seems. I will post a clip soon, marked Metzler and co. three Great Marlborough St. London. It is left handed but the keys don't get in the way for a righty. Embouchre cut seems fine played righty. Seems like its undercut only slighty and evenly on both sides.

I can see why the likes of Patsy Hanley, Catherine Mcevoy, and Cathal McConnell weren't all that bothered by righty flutes. Most of the keys are useable anyway.

Why a lefty band flute? seems odd. What military or flute band wants one guy in the flute section pointing the other way.

Really a cracker of a flute. All the fun of a piccolo but not as shrill was playing the Shelf Polkas with out making my ears bleed.

[I.D.10-t]

Looking forward to the clip.

[dunnp]

Hi Id,
Here's a quick video of the Metzler. I only had a few minutes to make a clip as my little boy was not being cooperative so neither I nor the flute are warmed up. It's a tune I was just working on yesterday but you get a sense of it. I realize now I should have chosen a jig with lots of low octave Bb's as the note is very punchy and is great on this flute.

Still it's a mighty little flute, no head or barrell cracks though still a little leaky just now. I only wish it was right handed. Though everything but the Eb key is almost reachable {they're plugged now}.

Part of me thinks this should go to a lefty as original leftys are hard to find, but it's so nice to play I want to hold onto it for now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K72IZ6U5bSc

Take Care, Patrick

[Doug_Tipple]

The flute sounds good, Patrick. Thanks for sharing the video. I couldn't help but notice how you are fingering the flute with your left hand, with your fingers at nearly a 90 degree angle to the flute. Are you playing that way because the conventional grip or piper's grip are not possible because of the close spacing of the holes and the keys?

[dunnp]

Hi Doug,
I wasn't thinking about it but probably to reach over the lefty keys a bit and probably because of the close spacing as well. I use a conventional more or less grip for the left hand {not flat or pipers anyhow} but flatter on the right. I have an E piccolo and the g sharp key block {d terms} gets un the way of A rolls a bit and the spacing is really close. Do you still do piccs Doug?

[Doug_Tipple]

Do you still do piccs Doug?

Yes, Patrick, I still am making D piccolos, although currently I do not have them listed at my website, wanting to focus more on my larger flutes, which I think are better flutes. As you know, the bore size is one of the factors that determines the spacing of the finger holes. Because I am using a bore of 15 mm for a piccolo, the holes are pretty close together and would only be easily playable for people with smaller hands. Patrick, for your larger hands I would recommend a piccolo by Jem Hammond (from Wales). Although his one-piece pvc piccolos (12 mm bore) are non-tunable, they have an easy response and are well in tune. They are also very inexpensive.

[dunnp]

I hope Jem can finish some piccs soon.

[jemtheflute]

Thanks for the plug, guys! I'm afraid I'm still out of stock and hung up on getting a batch made...... some urgent and overdue flute repairs need to take priority still.

[plunk111]

Off topic I know... Had to say that I played my "Jem Picc" on top of a hill in a stiff breeze today. I love this thing! Thanks again, Jem!