This picture show Harry in the Flutemakers Guild shop in London.
You may have never heard of this English flutemaker, so I have put together this information for what I feel was a remarkable and historically important maker of fine flutes.
The Flutemakers Guild was actually formed by a small group of Rudall-Carte & Co. workers in 1961. Here are a couple sources for some enticing bits of information about this flutemaker, their beginnings, their US presence and pictorial steps on a special project they did.
Suzanne Walker [now Carr] and Flutemakers Guild, Ltd.
At one time, about 1981, my then husband was doing some business in England and came across this boutique flute maker. We decided to purchase one and add this beautiful wood instrument to my collection. It arrived in the U.S. one year later. My flute is described as having a thick wood body, thinned, metal lined headjoint, sterling silver keywork, an altered scale, and attached footjoint. It is open hole, in-line G, has a C# trill key and a B footjoint with a gizmo. Even at that time this instrument had an altered scale.
I was so impressed by the workmanship and rich sound that I encouraged them to let me be their U.S. representative. This initiated my long relationship with the Seattle Flute Society in Seattle, Washington, USA and the National Flute Association as I participated as a commercial member in these organizations for a number of years.
From 1982–1991, as the US distributor for Flutemakers Guild of London, I opened a specialty music store in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle to sell these and other new and used flutes.
Since I was pushing wood flutes, I did not have much success. I think due to the fact that silver flutes were very much the accepted instruments. Also, in the early 1980’s many new flutemakers were breaking off and forming their own companies and many flutemakers were still trying to invent new scales, or headjoint shapes or types of keywork, so people were not thinking about wood flutes. Even FMG’s beautiful wooden piccolos did not get much attention. Now, years later, many flute companies offer some type of wood or resin that looks like wood, flute. Wood headjoints have been an option though, probably since the early 1980’s. In Seattle, especially through flutemaker Alex Eppler.
I do not think that the Flutemakers Guild company still exists today. There is no web presence, only people trying to sell used instruments or various flutemakers selling their flutes with Flutemakers Guild used wood or silver headjoints. Do not hesitate to buy one. They sound wonderful.
Here are couple links to information about this flute company:
PR from 1986
“The Flutemakers Guild was founded in 1961 as the result of a number of craftsmen breaking away from a very famous flutemaking firm that was being absorbed by a larger organization. It was felt that the individuality needed to produce a handmade flute of the highest quality would be lost when the heavy hand of “big business” took over.
The Guild was formed to carry on the tradition of making flutes in the ways that had produced the fine British flutes of earlier years, this we like to think we are still doing! Of the original seven craftsmen who started regrettably we are now down to two, various people having been trained and gone on to other flute firms, but we are still going and producing handmade instruments. The remaining two members are Chris Bouckley, trained by us and with us for nine years and Harry Seeley, founder member and flutemaker for thirty six years – maybe one day we will train some more flutemakers, who can say!”
Rudall-Carte keywork on a modern flute
Flutemakers Guild was involved in an interesting and historical project. The project involved taking the keys from a high-pitch Rudall Carte & Co. flute and transplanting them onto a new, modern-pitch body, giving the grand old flute a whole new lease on life. The photos, which were taken by the craftsman Harry Seeley, illustrate how the project was carried out.
For more information on this project go to: