Description

Solid silver alto flute in G by Rudall Carte & Co. Ltd

No collectables website would be complete without a Rudall Carte & Co. flute. This exquisite, solid silver alto flute is a beauty to behold and was made by England’s finest flute-makers of the mid-twentieth century.  The company was established in 1872 as successors to Rudall Rose, Carte & Co and was bought in 1943-1944 by Boosey & Hawkes. The history of this great company is fascinating and we would recommend reading Robert Bigio’s fine work on the subject.

The mechanical work of this instrument is outstanding and everything is made with superior precision. The keys for the left hand are constructed so that the flute can be easily played without so much reach [essential for such a long flute!]. The lip plate is convex in shape and the embouchure is perfectly crafted. Funnily enough, the keys for the trills are positioned on the outer side of the flute, not facing the player as usual.

All the keys and the tube are hallmarked for silver purity with English markings. This includes the lion for sterling silver, a tiger’s head for London and a ‘P’ for the year of manufacture – 1950. Also, there is a special hallmark ‘RC&CO’.

This extremely attractive flute is in excellent condition with no signs of repair. Perhaps the head joint was shortened under the ring at some time. The pads need to be replaced in order to get the instrument back to its former glory.

This alto flute in G plays warm at a=440 Hz and is ready for a new home.