Rudall alert!

[flutefry]

I have a R+R with a pewter plug for the Eb key, number 2883, so it wouldn't surprise me if the one with the Wilkes head is in that ballpark. Mine is another lovely, responsive player.

Hugh

[radcliff]

serial numbers shown...
I thought the deco silver band was made in the '30 but turns out was '40 instead.

[Jon C.]

Amazing, that all the Rudall's went unsold! The Pask went for a good price! Anyone on C&F get it?

[Steampacket]

There's still 12, resp. 14 hours left to bid on two of the Rudalls, but they probably won't sell either as the starting prices are too high for these kind of flutes.

[jemtheflute]

I think the starting prices are very reasonable. Look at the Pask result. Also the ridiculously low result for the amazing gold & silver modern late RC Böhm flute. These two remaining flutes are worth way more than those prices and anyone buying them at close to those prices is getting a bargain. One of them has an additional Wilkes head worth the best part of £1k in itself!

Also, bear in mind these are fully refurbished (by Wilkes), ready to play instruments from a reputable source. They're not auction room or attic find items in pot luck condition needing overhaul.

[radcliff]

yep, prices are almost 1/2 of expected.
the 11(?) Keys rudall have a smaller number of interested people as it won't be the best for folk musicians (imho).

the later R&R (4185) seems to have a not original embouchure, maybe made by Mr Wilkes himself?

[jemtheflute]

I agree the 11-key B foot one wouldn't appeal to most here for ITM use (not that it wouldn't do the job!) so I wasn't surprised it didn't sell. As for the lowest start-price one, the one with the silver lip band, I see no reason from the photo to surmise the embouchure has been bushed and recut. That flute is actually the one I would expect to be the best of the three for ITM. I note it has an upturned long F touch so the R hand piece/tone-holes would need to be turned out relative to the L hand à la Nicholson.

[benhall.1]

I agree the 11-key B foot one wouldn't appeal to most here for ITM use (not that it wouldn't do the job!) so I wasn't surprised it didn't sell. As for the lowest start-price one, the one with the silver lip band, I see no reason from the photo to surmise the embouchure has been bushed and recut. That flute is actually the one I would expect to be the best of the three for ITM. I note it has an upturned long F touch so the R hand piece/tone-holes would need to be turned out relative to the L hand à la Nicholson.

I must admit, I really liked the look of that one with the silver embouchure band. If I didn't have a bit of a flute glut, I'd have been interested in that one.

[jemtheflute]

If I didn't already have my Bb foot one, the B foot would have been sorely tempting. Still is, really, but couldn't possibly justify trying to find the money just to collect......... If I was flush, I'd probably.........

[RudallRose]

Honestly, I'm surprised the Pask didn't go for higher.

Pask is considered by those who have played them to be the finest of the 8key antique flutes ever made in the prime years.

I've played one and they are quite incredible.

Not to mention they're availability is very very rare.
I believe only 1 has come up on eBay in the last several years.

And i've not-yet seen one in the auction houses.

Whomever won it got it for a very fair price IMHO (assuming it's in the playing and aesthetic condition noted).

[MarkP]

#2008(?) with B foot = £2500 GBP
#500 with Eb plug and additional Wilkes head = £1610 GBP
#4185 with inscribed silver lip plate = £1300 GBP

[libraryman]

I was surprised the two Rudalls that sold today did not go for higher prices. I do not know Seb Knight and notice he has had a lot of Ebay transactions, so maybe it is very presumptuous of me to say this, but I would think he might have done better if he had given some more information about them. And saying you are selling a flute before you have even gotten it back from Chris Wilkes had to have caused some people to wonder. Why not wait a week and then list it as "just overhauled by none other than Chris Wilkes." I don't mean to be critical of the seller who I gather is known to some of you and am thinking he is probably a very honest man with a love of antique flutes and I certainly wish him well. I just wonder if others agree it helps to give better descriptions. For example, was the embouchure on the silver plated one recut. Jem thought not and he knows an awful lot about flutes, but wouldn't Seb and Chris be in the best position to answer that for sure? I don't know. I would have bid on one or the other at those prices, but somehow neither seemed quite right for me and I just was not sold.

[jemtheflute]

Listing them all at the same time, providing self-competition, can't have helped to boost the yield. One might speculate at an urgent need to realise funds and the "priced to sell" starting prices would fit with that, but I don't know Mr. Knight and have no knowledge beyond what he wrote on eBay. He certainly could have done better listings.......

Bottom line is that only one of the 5 flutes he put up achieved anything like a decent value and one didn't sell at all, so far as I saw (the B foot 11-keyer).

[Jon C.]

Listing them all at the same time, providing self-competition, can't have helped to boost the yield. One might speculate at an urgent need to realise funds and the "priced to sell" starting prices would fit with that, but I don't know Mr. Knight and have no knowledge beyond what he wrote on eBay. He certainly could have done better listings.......

Bottom line is that only one of the 5 flutes he put up achieved anything like a decent value and one didn't sell at all, so far as I saw (the B foot 11-keyer).

He did the same thing several years ago, I remember Andrew thinking it was a very bad idea then. I bought a Valentine Metzler in boxwood and silver from him years ago... I guess if the wolves are at your door, you have to do what you have to do!

[kkrell]

Sebnight also has a couple of concertinas up for auction, and indicates a possible medical reason for the sale.