Fife Major using "cheater" mouthpiece

[33rdaladrummer]

http://cgi.ebay.com/IDd-Set-Discharg...item2303bcc8be

"He re-enrolled at Port Clinton as a Fife Major on Sept 17, 1861"

I guess musical ability was not a requirement in this case. Either that or this fife belonged to someone else.

[Shantyman]

Will, can you tell what key the fife is in?

[33rdaladrummer]

I'll ask the seller how long it is. Or you can ask him if he has a piano to blow on it and hit the keys until he finds the right one.

[Jimmayo]

In case some don't know what a cheater is, here is a picture of one. With this device anyone can make a fife sound off.

Story behind this one was that a Confederate broke it in two at Appomattox and threw it away. A junk dealer bought it from an old lady who said her yankee grandfather brought it home from Appomattox. This was about 35 years ago . When I asked the dealer what her grandfathers name was he gave me a funny look and said "why would you want to know that?" I gave him the asking price of $35.00 which I thought was high since there was no ID.

[33rdaladrummer]

Thanks, Jim, fantastic piece

[JKfifer119]

Originally Posted by 33rdaladrummer

http://cgi.ebay.com/IDd-Set-Discharg...item2303bcc8be

"He re-enrolled at Port Clinton as a Fife Major on Sept 17, 1861"

I guess musical ability was not a requirement in this case. Either that or this fife belonged to someone else.

there's many a musical person without an embrochure.
Also the cheater could have been put on the fife in the major's advanced GAR days, one never knows

[33rdaladrummer]

Joe,

You should hear Joe Whitney play his original fife with cheater...

Steven,

15 inches long. It's a C.

[33rdaladrummer]

Jim,

Do you think you can take a tape measure to the broken fife when you get a chance? We've been having a B-flat / C discussion in Liberty Hall recently. Nowadays over 99% of fifes are B-flat but there are many surviving fifes in the key of C. There's a C fife at the Museum of the Confederacy.

Thanks.

[Jimmayo]

Originally Posted by 33rdaladrummer

Jim,

Do you think you can take a tape measure to the broken fife when you get a chance? We've been having a B-flat / C discussion in Liberty Hall recently. Nowadays over 99% of fifes are B-flat but there are many surviving fifes in the key of C. There's a C fife at the Museum of the Confederacy.

Thanks.

14.5 inches end to end.

What does that tell you?

[JKfifer119]

Originally Posted by Jimmayo

14.5 inches end to end.

What does that tell you?

its a "C" fife most likely

as Will points out most(99.999%) fifes one hears today are in B flat.
an awful lot of orginal "c" fifes turn up but folks just don't like playing them
they take some getting used to but are pretty darn effective, you get a whole lot of bang for your buck, once you get passed the pitch