For your viewing pleasure is this BEAUTIFUL little piece of eye candy. A HARRY BETTONY SILVER PICCOLO in Low Pitch, Key of D Flat, manufactured by The Cundy-Bettony Co. DESCRIPTION, HISTORY AND CONDITION. This is a VERY EARLY model H. Exact dating, based upon serial number, remains elusive. By 1920, serial numbers ranged from 1800-on. The main body AND the key work are stamped “STERLING” (see photos). The Headjoint is unstamped, so I will safely assume it is only Silver Plated, but it could also be Sterling. It does not quite contain the luster of the main body and key work (see photos), but I see no brass showing through. At the tip of the slip joint, it appears yellowed (see photo 5), but to the naked eye, away from the brown paper, it is silver in color. Several of the needle springs appear to be the original gold springs, though I see a couple that are blued steel. While this piccolo is not absolutely perfect, it has been lovingly cared for within the last 100+ years or so. I have made no real attempt to polish this piccolo, other than a quick and gentle wipe-down, as you can see. Several of the photos Ive posted were taken with a macro lense, from about an inch away, which shows all the warts. As such, the photos are far more telling than any worded description I could offer. You can clearly see the tarnish in the tiny nooks and crannies of this piccolo. There are micro swirls on the piccolos surface, and two extremely small pock marks on the head joint (pictured). Additionally, one post has been re-soldered (pictured), but it seems to have been carefully, professionally done, and aside from mild discoloration around the base, is tidy and smooth. To the left of the re-soldered post is a post that appears to have a cleft in it. This is grossly exaggerated by the macro lense, and nearly imperceptible to the naked eye. The case is original, and is entirely intact, but very fragile looking. It has had no repairs, and still holds the piccolo securely. While faded on the inside, it is not musty or otherwise fouled. Pads and corks are newer, as is the head joint cork. It appears that two of the key rods will need to be swaged or have Delrin or nylon spacers fitted for optimal action. While postal errors and abuse are beyond my control, I will make every effort to safeguard against overzealous package handlers who could care less about your soon-to-be prized possession. This Cundy Bettony piccolo is virtually irreplaceable. Contiguous United States; Lower 48, etc. I leave feedback upon receipt of the buyers feedback having been left for me. The item “ANTIQUE PICCOLO, H. BETTONY, SILVER, ca. 1910-1915, PROFESSIONAL” is in sale since Monday, March 06, 2017. This item is in the category “Musical Instruments & Gear\Wind & Woodwind\Band & Orchestral\Piccolos”. The seller is “shoegaze” and is located in Chesapeake, Virginia. This item can be shipped to United States, to Canada, to United Kingdom, DK, RO, SK, BG, CZ, FI, HU, LV, LT, MT, EE, to Australia, GR, PT, CY, SI, to Japan, to China, SE, KR, ID, to Taiwan, TH, to Belgium, to France, to Hong Kong, to Ireland, to Netherlands, PL, to Spain, to Italy, to Germany, to Austria, RU, IL, to Mexico, to New Zealand, SG, to Switzerland, NO, SA, UA, AE, QA, KW, BH, HR, MY, CL, CO, CR, DO, PA, TT, GT, SV, HN, JM.
- Brand: The Cundy Bettony Co.
- Model: Low Pitch Db
- Headjoint Material: Sterling or Silver Plate, unable to determine
- Skill Level: Professional
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
