Rare Vintage Antique LOUIS LOT Flute (ca. 1898) Superb example from the "Stradivarius" of the flute! Start Price USD 5,000.00 Current Price USD 5,000.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price USD 6,000.00 Reserve Price - Start Time Saturday, August 16, 2008 End Time Tuesday, August 26, 2008 Location Benicia, CA See more about 'Rare Vintage Antique LOUIS LOT Flute (ca. 1898)' Description SquareTrade © AP6.0Up for sale, a vintage flute from the firm of Louis Lot (1855 - 1951)This is one of the nicest existing Louis Lot flutes we've seen! A 6xxx series flute, it was manufactured in 1898, during the tenure of E. Barat, successor. It is made of maillechort, an alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc, and is silver plated. Louis Lot called this flute his model 7; it features perforated key cups ("open holes"), pointed key arms, an inline G, low C, and Bb trill. The tone holes are soldered to the body, which is seamed from a flat piece of metal rather than extruded. This increases the strength of the tubes, making them more resonant. The foot joint, of the pinless variety introduced by Villette, has a full box joint. The embouchure measures a perfect 10.0mm by 12.0mm and is unaltered. The head joint and body tubes are 0.011" thick; this is somewhat thinner than today's "thin-wall" flutes. It is pitched at A=435, which was standard French pitch at the time. Of particular note are the extremely shallow key cups, which require very thin, hard pads, and precise adjustment. The flute comes with the original, French style case, which is quite literally coming apart. Also included is a nice Ciprian Designs soft leather case cover.The flute sounds very much like a vintage French Louis Lot! The perfectly proportioned embouchure produces a very silky, diaphanous sonority. It requires more focus from the lips than a modern flute, but the payoff is well worth it. The key action is quick, precise, and nimble. The flute feels incredibly buoyant due to the thin wall construction and possible something else altogether. Perhaps the quality of work and proud tradition that went into its construction. That is why Louis Lots are a class apart, and the standard by which modern Boehm-system flutes are judged!Louis Lot flutes were meant to last, and to be played, often. This one is no exception. Some time ago, the entire flute was re-plated. Apparently, the former owner had very corrosive hands, which caused the original plating and base metal to wear away. The end result must not have been very appealing to look at, thus the replating. This unfortunately caused the engraving to loose some of its sharpness. Also, the head joint tenon still shows evidence of plating wear. Overall, the condition of the flute is remarkable for its age. There is absolutely no lost motion or "wiggle" in the mechanism. All of the pads seat very well. The flute feels remarkable solid and capable -- showing signs of considerable workmanship and skill.We are proud to offer this remarkable Louis Lot flute! Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. If you would like additional pictures, let us know and we would be happy to oblige.Louis Lot - the Stradivarius of the flute! Place a Bid!