The Heckel woodwind instrument making workshop is one of the oldest to survive today. It was founded by Johann Adam HECKEL (1812-1877) who was born in Adorf but moved to Biebrich near Wiesbaden. He was extremely successful making all sorts of instruments, including bassoons, contrabassoons, clarinets, clarinas, flutes, oboes, basset...
This is a rare guide-chant or singing guide made by the company KASRIEL in working condition! This particular guide-chant is featured in the 1927 Kasriel catalogue as model 53. Aimed at schools, it has metal reeds and a keyboard of two octaves with resin keys. The surround is made of polished...
This vintage JACK LEFF piccolo not only sounds fantastic but also looks stunning! This grenadilla piccolo was entirely handmade by the legendary Jacques LEFÈVRE (1930-2020). Jacques Lefèvre apprenticed under his father, Martial Lefèvre (1883-1957) and worked for SML for some time before leaving in the 1960s to set his own business...
This eight-keyed flute, crafted in boxwood with silver keys features patented pewter plugs and a metal-lined head joint with tuning slide. The rings and screw cork are made of ivory. It has the markings 4, 5, 6 on the barrel and there are also markings on the ivory stopper indicator. It...
This splendid early Romantic flute was made by the crème de la crème of Viennese master woodwind makers Stephan KOCH (1772-1828). We think this instrument was made around 1820 while Stephan was still alive before his son Franz took over the workshop. Take a moment to listen to it yourself, playing...
This beautiful, solid-silver flute was made by the Bonnevilles – one of France’s finest flute-making workshops. Founded by Auguste Adrien BONNEVILLE (1819-1895), the business would endure three generations of expert instrument makers. At first glance, we can admire the high level of craftsmanship evident in every millimetre of this flute. The...
It goes by many names... contrabbasso ad ancia, contrebasse à anche or simply reed contrabass. This strange item is not a brasswind, but a woodwind. It does look a bit like an ophicleide and was used in bands like a contrabassoon. This instrument normally has seventeen keys. These include five for...
This is a stunning and rare flute by the Bavarian and Munich-based master instrument maker, Benedict PENTENRIEDER (1809-1849). Pentenrieder’s life story and that of his immediate family is quite a sad one. He lived a very short life… dying at the age of just 40. He worked at the same...
Here is a three-part flute made by the Bavarian maker Georg HEIDEGGER (1815-1859). Georg Heidegger was the first of a family of instrument makers. The family was active in Passau, Bavaria, Germany and Linz, Austria from the nineteenth right up to the twentieth century. The flute is crafted in grenadilla and...
If you are from Stuttgart, this instrument may be of particular interest to you. It was made by one of the few instrument makers who worked there in the nineteenth century. Johann Baptist RUDHARD was born in Engelboldshofen, near Leutkirch, in Allgäu Germany on 4 September 1788. He was a musician...
