8-key Nach Meyer Type Flute

Offered here for restoration, this is an eight-key simple-system conical-bore wooden flute in the nach Meyer style. The sounding length is 570mm.

The instrument is sold as-is and presents several restoration needs that should be understood before purchase. The head joint has a crack, and the liner has come loose; the barrel is currently stuck on the head joint liner and will need to be carefully separated before the liner can be resealed. The barrel itself also carries a crack. The left-hand section is in overall good shape with no cracks and only the smallest chip on the lower tenon. The right-hand section is similarly sound. The foot joint is missing its socket ring and end ring, but is otherwise intact. The keys are nickel silver. General wear and patina across the instrument are consistent with its age. The flute has solid bones and would be a worthy candidate for a careful restoration.

About the Maker

"Nach Meyer" refers to instruments modeled after the flutes of H. F. Meyer of Hannover, a firm active from 1814 to 1897 whose instruments were widely admired and extensively imitated. Many such flutes are unmarked or carry a trade name that does not identify the actual manufacturer; when marked, they are often stamped "NACH / H. F. MEYER / HANNOVER." They were made as less expensive substitutes to Meyer's own instruments, and quality varies considerably across examples. These instruments were late versions of simple-system flutes made across Europe throughout the nineteenth century, and they became popular with amateur players and even a few professionals.