Artley flute

[pied_piper]

It seems to me that for at least 13 years Artley was making basically
one design for a flute, this would be while they were in Elkhart.

Not quite. The various Artley flute models included:

Prelude 18-0 - student
Symphony 77-0 - intermediate Plateau Model with silver head
French Conservatory 5-O with open hole straight line keys
Artist 7-O with plateau keys and offset G keys
French Artist 8-O
Coloratura 19-O Eb flute
Wilkins 36-0 French Model Flute with open holes
Wilkins 37-0 Plateau Model
Wilkins 38-0 French Model Flute with B Foot Joint
(The Wilkins was a professional sterling silver model that was often considered to be on par with Haynes and Powell flutes of the same era. It actually was designed to be a direct competitor for Haynes.)
Ogilvie 40-O bass flute

In 1971, they had 15 different models of flutes and piccolos as shown in this ad:

[jmdewey60]

Thanks for the info.
Maybe what I meant was that there was a standard design
that was their main production model, that had no designation
to distinguish it as being anything other than an ordinary version.
And that common model remained virtually unchanged for a
significant number of years.
If anyone runs across an example of these other models, feel
free to post the info.

My personal interest in Artley flutes has to do with the fact that the
first flute I bought, in 1973 was an Artley. It was used when I bought
it but it could not have been very old since it was made in Nogales.
It was not an eighteen but more like the basic model made earlier in
Elkhart. I had two other flutes after that, both Artleys, but they were
never as good as the first one I had. I was happy to find one of the
earlier models in like-new condition, recently, so it revived a certain
amout of brand loyalty that I had lost over the years.
One anecdote would be that when my ship went to Hong Kong, one
of the officers told me to make sure I went to this particular music
store. When I went in, looking for music books for flutes, they were
impressed when I mentioned I had an Artley. They said they were
what they sold in their store, considering them to be of high quality.
That was back, shortly after I got my first flute.

[pied_piper]

The most common model was the Prelude 18-0. Most of the Artley flutes found on eBay are Preludes. Occasionally you'll see a Symphony 77-0 model.

[MissyHPhoenix]

Was the Wilkins actually on a par with the Haynes and Powells? Does it give the same results? I had never heard about an Artley being anything other than a student line flute, so this is interesting. I've never tried an Artley before, but might go see if I can find one just to try it out.

[pied_piper]

The Artley Wilkins flute had a good reputation, but Artley flutes are no longer made and your only chance of playing one would be a used instrument. As for it being on par with Haynes or Powell, that's probably a matter of opinion. The Wilkins never had the popularity of Haynes or Powell, but it's difficult to say if that was a marketing problem (trying to overcome the Artley student flute stigma) or whether it really was not as good. The Wilkins was not produced in large quantities so you may have a hard time finding one. I'd say if you ever get a chance to try one, do it, but I wouldn't go out of my way on a quest to find one. There are a lot of newer flutes that are probably better (improved scale, etc.) than any flutes from that era, but again, that's a matter of opinion and preferences. Some folks really like vintage flutes.

[cflutist]

I'd take a Powell or Haynes any day over an Artley Wilkins or an Armstrong Heritage.
That's why I ordered a Haynes back in 1972. They had a 6 month waiting list, versus 3 years for Powell.

[jmdewey60]

I hadn't read the OP for this thread in a long time and was a little horrified
looking at it now, after educating myself a little on Artley flutes in general.
Here's a picture I found which I think may be what this person had. If so,
I think it is neither a Wilkins, or a student flute, but something like I was
describing as the past standard Artley, as was in common production before
the Nogales productions. The main difference being the B foot. If it was made
in '79 it would be a holdover from the Elkhart models that they would have
kept as a step-up from the 18-0.

This is described as an solid silver head Artley with B foot.

[jmdewey60]

I ran across a listing for sale on the internet of what was being claimed as being a Wilkins.

The only difference, other than the layout of the logo on the barrel of the body, from my
60's vintage Artley, is the tapered roller on the foot, which looks like the one on my Pearl,
which in turn may be copied from the Powell. The Wilkins is reportedly copied from the Powell.
What can not be told from a photo is the materials, and instead of the silver head-joint like
mine, the body would have been silver also.

[jmdewey60]

Here's another to fill in a missing model by Artley. This is called a Super Artist.
It has a solid silver head joint and body. The serial number places it by the chart
to 1962 which makes it one year older than mine which I am calling the standard
model, as it has no model designation. From the photos, I can not see any difference
from mine, other than having the model name, and the silver stamp on the body.


These are a couple reduced down montages I made that shows some of the features.

[jmdewey60]

I just found this, a model 8-0. The photo description does not include close-ups
so I am going by what the seller is saying he found while examining the instrument.
He says that each part is stamped as silver. The serial number is 320657 which
would put it into a sequence corresponding to those made in Nogales.

This has what looks like; the keys where your fingers would go are flat, while the
other pad cups are somewhat concave in the centers, conforming with most closed
hole flutes (of any brand) found. It has the inline G, and a C foot.

[jmdewey60]

By way of comparison to the model 8-0 in the above post, I am
posting photos of an 18-0 that also happens to be the oldest
one I have found that had a serial number to go with it. Kind of
a bad image of the first digit and the seller did not write out the
number in the description but it looks like 286154 to me.



After making a post on the way the keys look on the 8-0, I took
a look at my 18-0 and could see that there are no flat keys, they
all have a concave center. Mine is a B foot with the serial number
485XXX. It has an offset G which I think they all have, from what
I remember seeing.
To reiterate what I mentioned in an earlier post, if anyone owns
an Artley flute, go ahead and post it here with whatever story you
might have, like how long have you owned it.

[jmdewey60]

Here's an example of an Artley 5-0 flute claimed by the seller as
having been made in 1981. It says USA on the barrel below the
Artley logo. The serial number is 622XXX. The headjoint is silver.

[jmdewey60]

This is something I have run across a few times, "Oh, Artley's are made by Armstrong now."
I was always a little sceptical but now I have the proof. This is labeled as an 18-0, it has the
stamp USA on the Barrel below the Artley logo, which had been changed, I guess to look more
like the Armstrong logo. It also went from a six digit serial number to a two part number with
two digits and a space and five digits. The shape of the pad cups are those of the Armstrong
form and not like the older Artlie's at all.




note: This is currently up for auction.

[jmdewey60]

I just found this early made-in-Nogales Artley today. The seller bought it "locally"
meaning not on the internet, I suppose, maybe a thrift store or yard sale or flee
market. He apparently did his homework on the serial number and and states that
it would have been one of the earliest flutes that were made in Nogales. He is
right, comparing it to all the Nogales made flutes in my picture archive that I
picked up on EBay over the last couple months.
I can see the first two numbers which are 23. The complete number is listed in the
description as 236799 and he dates it as 1968 / 1969.

click on link for bigger image:
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd56 ... 236XXX.jpg
Edit for update: I ran across another one after I posted this, which seems to be
slightly earlier in the sequence of serial numbers, being 236218. It is similar in that
it also does not have a model number stamped into the barrel below "Nogales".

[jmdewey60]

Here's another example of what has to be an Armstrong made Artley,
this time in a different model, the 5-0 with silver headjoint.
three points of evidence:
1. hollowed out underside of the G♯ key which is an Armstrong practice.
2. the type and style of etching on the headjoint is the Armstrong usage.
3. a seven digit serial number.



The key pad cups are Artley style on this example and not of the Armstrong type.
Point 2 above could be irrelevant if someone substituted an Armstrong
headjoint for the original, which may be the case but not clear from the photos.