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...
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,...
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....
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...
This short story centres on a young man from the small village of Bessancourt in France. He would establish his own workshop in Paris, specialising in the art of making exquisite handmade flutes, ultimately becoming one of the most renowned flute-makers in French history. The business would endure across three...
This silver Boehm flute was made by the renowned Berlin-based maker Emil RITTERSHAUSEN. Carl Emil Cäsar RITTERSHAUSEN (1852-1927) worked for Boehm & Mendler before setting up his own workshop in his native Berlin. His Boehm flutes and piccolos were much in demand by professional flutists worldwide. His partnership with...
This gorgeous Wm. S. Haynes inline flute is crafted in solid silver and is also rare. Why rare? By consulting the company website, we can date this flute # 22842 to January 14, 1953. It is specified as a THM French flute. THM meant Super Thin Wall, so with...
The HAYNES surname is synonymous with Boehm flute manufacture in the USA. But it’s all somewhat confusing – same name, no relation plus family ties and feuds. The main story is of course one of two brothers… isn’t it? John C. HAYNES (1830-1907) The first Haynes to mention is John C. Haynes...
This delightful piccolo in C was made by the renowned Berlin-based maker Emil RITTERSHAUSEN. Carl Emil Cäsar RITTERSHAUSEN (1852-1927) worked for Boehm & Mendler before setting up his own workshop in his native Berlin. His Boehm flutes and piccolos were much in demand by professional flutists worldwide. His partnership...
Open/closed G-sharp key
The open G-sharp key was promoted by Theobald Boehm. So, G-sharp is fingered like a G on the modern-day flute and G is fingered like the modern-day G-sharp. The open G-sharp key mechanism avoids having an additional second G-sharp tone hole, which is not optimal in acoustical terms.
The closed G-sharp key is the regular mechanism on modern day instruments as well as traditional conical wooden more-keyed flutes. G-sharp is obtained by pressing the G-sharp lever. G is produced by pressing down all four fingers of the left hand.
Theobald Boehm’s open G-sharp was not successful in the end and is no longer used in flute-making, with some exceptions.
