How to Spot a Fake Flute

by Howard Fosdick © FolkFluteWorld.com

Ever been tempted to buy a flute when you can't try it first? On Ebay, Etsy, or some other website?

There's a risk to this. You might buy a fake flute -- an unplayable item.

Some are intended as fancy, decorated display pieces. This is a perfectly legitimate market. Many people enjoy collecting cute little vessel flutes that aren't playable. And look at those two flutes to the left... they're beautifully embroidered.

But whatever flute you buy -- for whatever purpose -- you'll certainly want to know up-front that you're buying an display piece that won't play a true musical scale.

There are also low-value fakes, made to look like a great buy for a musical instrument, but that are actually just designed to steal your hard-earned cash.

This article tells you how to distinguish an unplayable flute from the real thing.

Unfortunately, there's no way we can help you assess the tonal quality of a flute you can't play before purchase. But at least we can help you identify flutes that aren't designed to play at all.

Identifying Fakes

Playable flutes -- whether they're recorders, tin whistles, ocarinas, or vessel flutes -- have irregularly-spaced finger holes of varying sizes.

Flutes with evenly-space finger holes of all the same size are rarely playable.

Here are a few fake flutes. Note the evenly space finger holes, and how all the holes are the same size:

None of these flutes play a true scale

You can see why some would want to collect these pleasing fancy flutes. Their intricate designs are appealing. But none of these will play a true musical scale.

Just for contrast, look at this wide variety of playable recorders, tin whistles, ocarinas, and other folk flutes. Every one of them features differently-sized finger holes of uneven spacing.

These flutes are all true musical instruments

Identifying Fake Ocarinas

Fake vessel flutes are popular among collectors. They like to display them for their colorful or unusual designs. I've seen collectible ocarinas representing every animal that exists, as well as many that don't (like unicorns, sea monsters, elves, dwarves, and the like.)

Many are made in Latin America or east Asia. Collecting these is a fun hobby that many enjoy.

Most of these pieces play a few notes. But they won't play an entire musical scale, and they don't play in tune. These are best termed whistles, instead of ocarinas or true vessel flutes.

Again, the dead giveaway that you're buying a whistle rather than a true musical instrument is by the symmetrical spacing of the same-sized holes. Take a close look at these non-musical whistles:

Non-playable vessel flutes

Final Exam

Okay, it's time for your final exam. Here's a photo of an authentic Ebay listing. Is this flute playable?

Ebay Offering: Playable or Not?

First off, notice that the listing poses this flute inside a Johannes Adler box labeled "The World's Finest Recorder." But look close, and you notice that this item has only 6 fingering holes on top. That's not a recorder. Recorders have 7 top holes (some of which may be double-holes).

6 holes indicates a penny whistle. So if anything, this is a penny whistle sitting in a recorder box with which it has no legitimate association.

Now, notice how each fingering hole is the exact same size, and how they are spaced equidistant from one another.

This item is, in fact, unplayable. You might buy it as a beautiful collectible, but it is not a playable musical instrument. The seller may or may not have been aware of this fact.

By the way, I can verify this conclusion from experience. I bought a lot of a few dozen flutes at an estate sale, and this very item was included. Very pretty, but it doesn't play a note.

Conclusion

There exists an entire world of non-playable flutes and whistles designed as display pieces. If you like to collect them, enjoy! But always know what you're buying.

If you're looking for a musical instrument, now you know how to avoid non-playable collectibles.