- Made in France in 1895/1898
- Silver-plated maillechort with silver embouchure
- 0.014″ seamed tubing
- Soldered tone holes
- Open hole
- Pointed keys
- Inline G
- C-foot
- Embouchure (silver): 10.18 mm x 12.10 mm
- Weight: 361 g
- Headjoint sounding length: 147.5 mm
- Flute-sounding length: 599.5 mm
- Traditional scale
- A=440-442 Hz
This body and headjoint were made during Barat’s ownership of the Louis Lot company. During Barat’s era, the embouchure became larger and more rectangular. The Bb shake also underwent a design change.
The body, constructed in 1895, was initially paired with a headjoint bearing the serial number 5902. However, that headjoint was severely shortened by a previous owner. The current owner preferred a headjoint with more modest alterations, so he paired the body with a headjoint bearing the serial number 6530, made in 1898, also from the Barat era. The headjoint is silver-plated maillechort with a silver embouchure (unmodified). A previous owner of the headjoint shortened the tenon by 2-3 mm and removed the ferrule.
With the 6530 headjoint, the flute has a more natural Louis Lot sound – large, rich, and complex. Its sound will fill a room with little effort. The Barat period seamed tube is also highly vibrant and responsive, giving this very lightweight instrument a great deal of power across the entire range. The low register is quite gutsy, and the tonal glow that gives Louis Lot flutes their charm can be heard in all registers.
Pitch-wise, the flute plays well at A=440 Hz and 442 Hz with the proper headjoint placement.
There are no other modifications other than the headjoint. Gary Lewis overhauled and restored the flute in 2019. It has been played very minimally since then. The pads and mechanism are in excellent shape. The plating shows some wear, but there are no signs of pitting. The flute is housed in a Louis Lot case from the SML era (circa 1960).
Price: $4,950
Sold as is. Sales tax applies to purchases within California. For inquiries on purchasing, please contact Gary Lewis.
