Strasser Flute

[bjones]

Hi,

I have a bad habit of buying instruments for my daughter that I know nothing about. She is dedicated to the violin, but every time I throw a new instrument at her, she plays it. She is 13 and plays the french horn in her jr. high band, trombone in the H.S. Jazz band, Glockenspiel, piano, trumpet, ocarina, mandolin, etc.

So I bought a flute for her for Christmas.

Now I can't find a reference to the model of flute that it is. Not that I need to know, but just out of curiosity.

It has one stamp

STRASSER
PARS
FRANCE

And a second
STRASSER
PARIS
FRANCE

on the mounting plate it has
1840 in one place
and 1790 in another

It appears to be silver plate over brass.
It is a closed hole flute.

A search in the forum doesn't even bring up a single entry for Strasser
So it makes me curious about this flute.

Does any one know anything about it?

Thanks in advance.

Last time I did this I ended up with a marching french horn in G.

[JButky]

Hi,

I have a bad habit of buying instruments for my daughter that I know nothing about. She is dedicated to the violin, but every time I throw a new instrument at her, she plays it. She is 13 and plays the french horn in her jr. high band, trombone in the H.S. Jazz band, Glockenspiel, piano, trumpet, ocarina, mandolin, etc.

So I bought a flute for her for Christmas.

Now I can't find a reference to the model of flute that it is. Not that I need to know, but just out of curiosity.

It has one stamp

STRASSER
PARS
FRANCE

And a second
STRASSER
PARIS
FRANCE

on the mounting plate it has
1840 in one place
and 1790 in another

It appears to be silver plate over brass.
It is a closed hole flute.

A search in the forum doesn't even bring up a single entry for Strasser
So it makes me curious about this flute.

Does any one know anything about it?

Thanks in advance.

Last time I did this I ended up with a marching french horn in G.

Strasser is the first of the three makers of the line SML Strasser-Marigaux-Lemaire.

They made some really fine oboes and some gorgeous saxes, and as SML a few really nice flutes. Under the strasser name this would predateor postdate that period.

Here's some info on Joe Sallenger's website about the SML flutes
http://goferjoe.bygones.biz/marigaux.htm

Strasser bought the old louis lot business and name in 1960 and made flutes under the strasser name. It is most likely that this is one of those flutes.

Pictures would help..

[bjones]

Here are some pictures of it. It is pretty hard to get good pictures of a flute with all the shadows.

I gave it to my daughter yesterday and she is playing basic Christmas tunes on it already. It took her a couple hours to get a tone that wasn't breathy. I expect that it is a beginner flute that has been passed around a bit, perhaps at a school or something. The finish is a bit pitted. But it is great for what it is for.

DSC03083.JPG (72.53 KiB) Viewed 12867 times

DSC03086.JPG (66.44 KiB) Viewed 12867 times

DSC03087.JPG (59.51 KiB) Viewed 12867 times

[JButky]

Here are some pictures of it. It is pretty hard to get good pictures of a flute with all the shadows.

I gave it to my daughter yesterday and she is playing basic Christmas tunes on it already. It took her a couple hours to get a tone that wasn't breathy. I expect that it is a beginner flute that has been passed around a bit, perhaps at a school or something. The finish is a bit pitted. But it is great for what it is for.

A stamp on the ribs like that is probably a serial # not a date. I would guess it was made in the 60's when brass tubes were more commonly being used.

I'd like to see more pictures of the embouchure hole and keywork if you can.

[bjones]

DSC03092.JPG (44.67 KiB) Viewed 12846 times

DSC03093.JPG (72.52 KiB) Viewed 12846 times

DSC03098.JPG (22.49 KiB) Viewed 12846 times

[bjones]

DSC03099.JPG (60.67 KiB) Viewed 12846 times

DSC03100.JPG (47.73 KiB) Viewed 12846 times

DSC03101.JPG (45.81 KiB) Viewed 12846 times

[bjones]

The lighting in the previous one makes the 1840 look like 4840.

DSC03102.JPG (32.75 KiB) Viewed 12845 times

DSC03103.JPG (27.68 KiB) Viewed 12845 times

DSC03104.JPG (28.9 KiB) Viewed 12845 times

[JButky]

Very interesting, thanks. I wish I had it in front of me to look at more closely.The more pictures I see the more of certain detail shots I'd like to see to confirm some things that appear to be. But that would be too much. Thanks for sharing this much.

[bjones]

Thanks for your answers. Getting pictures is not a problem.

What is it that makes you curious?

[JButky]

Thanks for your answers. Getting pictures is not a problem.

What is it that makes you curious?

Well there's only one french pointed cup arm on that flute, C# key and trills. That's a bit unusual. The plateau keys are very unique and there is mark that makes me suspect that the pad nuts might be an older style post and nut assembly.

Would also be interested in the headjoint taper and embouchure hole dimensions / proportions, Scaling, that sort of thing..

Odd flutes intrigue me..

[bjones]

Well, I had to look up what French thingy was

There is only one pad on the top with it, but the three on the bottom have it and all look original as far as not being welded or anything. The dimension and proportion with the other 'arms' are consistent.

I'll have to chase the others later as I am off to work.

[bjones]

The headjoint length is 7.25 from the shoulder of the taper, which is a straight taper, from .790 to .708 "

The hole is 0.515 x .413

The lip thingy stands off from the tube by .100"

The washers on the pad nuts (things holding the pads on) are round about .325 diameter and the heads are slotted like a regular screw head. I believe I could get one off, but I wouldn't know how to get it back on.

[JButky]

The headjoint length is 7.25 from the shoulder of the taper, which is a straight taper, from .790 to .708 "

The hole is 0.515 x .413

The lip thingy stands off from the tube by .100"

The washers on the pad nuts (things holding the pads on) are round about .325 diameter and the heads are slotted like a regular screw head. I believe I could get one off, but I wouldn't know how to get it back on.

Thanks,
But the dimensions require special tools to measure specific things. They are generally not available and need to be made for these purposes.

I do appreciate the attempt though.

If the hole is that size, it's huge. It may or may not be a straight taper. All those measurements show is that you have the requisite 10% reduction.

Here is a sample of a taper plot attached.

head_measure1.jpg (34.38 KiB) Viewed 12820 times

[bjones]

I can't read the details on the chart. Oh well. Although I did run a metal straight edge against it to verify there was no curvature. I verified the dimensions of the hole.. and it gets larger on the inside. There is about a 15 degree angle all around. I appreciate your interest.

Years ago I worked as a Naval Architect/Marine engineer so I could probably figure out how to get just about any dimension you wanted. A flute can't be too much different than a boat, except hopefully the boat has fewer holes in it

[JButky]

I can't read the details on the chart. Oh well. Although I did run a metal straight edge against it to verify there was no curvature. I verified the dimensions of the hole.. and it gets larger on the inside. There is about a 15 degree angle all around. I appreciate your interest.

Years ago I worked as a Naval Architect/Marine engineer so I could probably figure out how to get just about any dimension you wanted. A flute can't be too much different than a boat, except hopefully the boat has fewer holes in it

You know the old adage then, If you can measure it, you can copy it! Again the problem is that the tools to do that are not commercially available, you have to make them. Or in some cases modify existing ones.

Thanks Again