Conical ring-key flute – BERTHOLD, Johann Heinrich

This grenadilla conical ring-key flute features a nickel silver mechanism that is silver-plated. It was entirely overhauled and is now in wonderful playing condition. It has new pads, felts and corks.  It also has a beautiful case covered in real leather, plus two new wooden tenon protectors. This conical ring-key flute...

Oboe – Wilhelm HECKEL

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...

Piccolo – JACK LEFF

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...

Flute – POTTER, William Henry

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...

Early Romantic flute – KOCH, Stephan

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,...

Solid silver flute – Bonneville

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....

Reed contrabass – Luigi ALZIATI

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...

Flute – Benedict PENTENRIEDER

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...

Flute – HEIDEGGER, Georg

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...