Superb Rudall and Rose on eBay

[peter20p]

This flute showed up on eBay :

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT

I've never seen such an instrument. Top finished. It's not really my taste, but surely required craftmanship to make.

[LorenzoFlute]

Terrible pictures, not even one of the left hand section, and doesn't show much of the holes. Looks like it has medium-small holes? From the 1830s?

[jim stone]

I confess I find the keywork aesthetically busy.

[kkrell]

I confess I find the keywork aesthetically busy.

Chased rather than chaste?

[radcliff]

I've never seen such an instrument. Top finished. It's not really my taste, but surely required craftmanship to make.

Acanthus leaf model
Grinter flutes :

[eilam]

Peter Noy make a beautiful copy as well.....gold plated keys.......(a bit much for my taste, but it's striking).

[Jon C.]

What a beautiful flute! Peter Noy told me he cast his keys from the original Rudall that he had in his shop. I like the keywork, classic salt spoon clam shell design.

[O_Gaiteiro_do_Chicago]

Anyone know why there are screws in the shared block for the C/C# foot keys? Can't say I've ever seen that before, I'm curious if it's a repair or a way to adjust the somehow. Also interesting is the fact that all the blocks have pins running through them, I wonder if any of them had popped off or they came with the flute.

[Jon C.]

Anyone know why there are screws in the shared block for the C/C# foot keys? Can't say I've ever seen that before, I'm curious if it's a repair or a way to adjust the somehow. Also interesting is the fact that all the blocks have pins running through them, I wonder if any of them had popped off or they came with the flute.

The screws look like a bad repair, (maybe the winner will send it for a repair) the silver pins in the blocks are stock, though they used steel most of the time.

[gorjuswrex]

Looks like a short head joint to me. Sugest anyone wanting to play at modern pitch checks it aginst Terry Mc Gee's flute size table to see what pitch it is.

[benhall.1]

For someone with more knowledge/better eyesight than me: where's the tuning slide? I would have expected a double ring where the tuning slide would be, and I can only see single ones.

[jemtheflute]

I need to have a better look at it - only browsed it via my phone yesterday.... (ok, have done - yep, poor photos) but the thing that stood out to me was the sounding length - 598mm. Assuming it is correct (and the vendor's blurb reads as that of someone who knows his stuff), that says Low Pitch! Not very surprising in a relatively early flute. Someone needs to quiz the vendor directly on that (done!).

Here's what I asked:
Hello. It really would be very helpful to have more and better photos! Some taken in decent ambient daylight, perhaps? Individual ones of each joint, perhaps from at least two sides, one showing the tuning slide extended or the barrel separate from the head....? If you can't add them to this listing, how about hosting them on e.g. Photobucket and posting a link here?
Also, some more info on pitch. I know you have given the sounding length of 598mm. That suggests to me this flute is not playable as high as A=440. Could you comment on its playing pitch? If you can measure it, what Hz value do you get for A with the slide open about 1/3 (10-15mm) of its potential extension? It would also be helpful to have the overall assembled length and the C#-Eb length - from the centre of the top open tone-hole (L1) to the centre of the cup of the Eb key with that aligned with the finger-holes.
Lovely flute - hope it does well for you.

It is very beautiful! I suspect the pitch issue may have something to do with the realistic starting price. If I'm right, this is not a modern ITM usable flute, which of course significantly restricts its market and perhaps, therefore, its value. However, it may be of greater interest to period instrument players than most R&Rs if it plays c420 and is certainly of greater interest to collectors given the fancy furniture. A pity if it weren't to be played, though!

NB, he's only willing to sell/post within GB!

[kkrell]

For someone with more knowledge/better eyesight than me: where's the tuning slide? I would have expected a double ring where the tuning slide would be, and I can only see single ones.

Darned if I can tell - the photos are inadequate, and I hope they update with more. Description says there IS a tuning slide, and that the head is lined.

[jemtheflute]

For someone with more knowledge/better eyesight than me: where's the tuning slide? I would have expected a double ring where the tuning slide would be, and I can only see single ones.

One cannot see it on the current photos, sure, but I'd lay odds there are rings both ends of the head but no upper ring on the barrel - probably due to the weight/thickness (cost?) etc. of the rings. Two of them adjacent would be too too much! It isn't all that unusual to find flutes with no upper barrel ring or maybe something like a narrow plain band for reinforcement which actually disappears under the fat decorative one on the head when the slide is full closed. I would not doubt the vendor's statement that there is a slide......

[peter20p]

The seller confirmed to me that he only ships to UK. I asked for more pics but he didn't answer to this.