Buffet piccolo solid silver vintage antique french rare (like Louis Lot flute)

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Buffet piccolo solid silver vintage antique french rare (like Louis Lot flute):
$1200.00

Here\'s something extremely rare. While vintage/antique style French piccolos exist, most are made of wood or plated nickel. Buffet was one of the original builders of Boehm flutes, but very few people have had the chance to play their earlier flutes. They were very much a part of the French flute tradition, comparable with Louis Lot, Bonneville, Lebret etc. This has a seamed tube, made by hand, and of course soldered toneholes. Modern piccolos can be shrill and harsh, and my guess is that upon full restoration this will have that singing quality that can only be found in vintage flutes. I don\'t know the exact date, but this was probably made in Paris sometime around the 1930s, a time when Louis Lot still existed but Powell and Haynes were on the rise.This piccolo is in unrestored condition. I can play most of the notes on it, but it will require some work to be usable by a professional. There is no damage, as far as I can tell. The sounding length (center of embouchure to end of foot) is 9.9 inches. I don\'t know what pitch it will play at when restored, but like all antique flutes, if you\'re looking for something to play at 442 with an orchestra, you\'re better off with a modern instrument. It may be higher pitch or possibly at 440 in Db, but I really don\'t know yet. However this is highly collectible, and should be really interesting to play on. I haven\'t come across any other vintage French solid silver piccolos at all! A vintage Powell or Haynes would cost much more than I\'m asking, and the tone of this is far more interesting. I will try to add a sound sample.Please study these photos and ask any questions. I can only take returns if something I have said is inaccurate.