Uebel flutes

[phil the fluter]

I believe these flutes were made in the GDR. Anyone know anything about 'em? Well made or not? Is the maker still in business? Obviously the GDR isn't.
phil

[Gaboleo]

I bought one in Hamburg Germany in 1990 just after the Berlin Wall came down. I paid about 1000 DM for it. It's solid silver with an extended tube at the bottom that allows you to tune the lowest notes a bit. The whole intrument seems to be tuned sharp, to play it in tune you have to pull out the head joint half an inch. It has some other unique features. There is a good description on the internet of Gustav Reinhold Uebel (but in German). He leared flute making from his father and died in 1981. It was one of the good East German instrument shops, but was sold to some other firm after his death.

I have only seen three other GR Uebel flutes. One for sale at a specialty flute shop in New York for about $1000, anther being played by a grat Cuban Charanga flute player in Antique Guatemala, and another one in crummy shape at a hawk shop in Miami, in the Cuban area. The owner told me that these flutes were supplied to Cuban musicians by East Germany. Mine and the one in New York have silver lip plates; the other two I saw had white plastic (or hard rubber) plates.

In most descriptions I have seen they are not characterized as top professional flutes, but I think they are. They have nice workmanship and a good sound and play well in tune.