- Made in 1879
- Silver (0.950)
- 0.014″ seamed tubing
- Soldered tone holes
- Open hole
- Pointed keys
- Inline G
- C-foot
- Embouchure: 10.0 mm x 11.8 mm
- Weight: 402 g
- Headjoint sounding length: 153.5 mm
- Flute-sounding length: 603 mm
- Traditional scale
- A=438-440 Hz
Henri Villette was Lot’s foreman from the company’s inception in 1855. After Lot retired in 1876, Villette began a series of improvements to the mechanism, making the flute generally more robust and reliable. The sound also became more assertive, with a tinge of earthy power that suited the needs of flutists in larger venues. Villette flutes blend the infinite refinement of Louis Lot’s concept with the strong character of Villette. These flutes rarely come up for sale because the owners simply cannot part with them. Adolphe Hennebains, George Barrere, and Jean Pierre Rampal built their careers on silver Villette flutes of this period.
The headjoint’s sounding length is consistent with known unaltered vintage headjoints and shows no signs of having been shortened. The sound is rich and dense, like eating a chocolate torte. This powerful instrument is easy to relate to but will also keep you exploring what it can offer for many years to come.
The flute has been well-maintained. There is some tarnish from the flute sitting unplayed for a while, but the pads and mechanism are in excellent shape. The flute is housed in its original case, although the latch is non-functional.
As mentioned earlier, Louis Lot flutes from the Villette era rarely come up for sale. Even rarer is one that is in excellent shape and unaltered!
Price: $20,525
Sold as is. Sales tax applies to purchases within California. For inquiries on purchasing, please contact Gary Lewis.
