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Nathaniel "Tip" Lamberson | |
|---|---|
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| Born | February 15, 1922 |
| Died | September 13, 2005 (aged 83) |
| Occupation | flute maker |
Nathaniel "Tip" Lamberson (1922–2005), also known as "N.D. Lamberson", was one of the premier American flute makers. Tip made a total of 730 flutes from 1968 to 1985, when he officially retired from the flute-making industry.
Lamberson, a flutist and engineering student attending both the University of Arizona and Iowa State University, visited the Haynes and Powell flute factories wanting to upgrade to a professional level instrument. After testing flutes, Lamberson decided to purchase one of the fine woodwind instruments. Lamberson was dismayed when he was told there would be a 4-year wait for his flute. This inspired him to instead make his own flute.
Lamberson partnered with Pearl L. West of Iowa, founder of West Music, who was also trying to develop his own flute, although he was not far along in his endeavor. West did, however, provide Lamberson with the raw materials he needed to develop his first flute, serial no. 1. Lamberson's first flute had tuning issues which were quickly resolved. Lamberson's design changed little since flute serial no. 2.
It was at this time that Alton McCanless partnered with Lamberson and moved to Oskaloosa, Iowa where Lamberson was manufacturing flutes in his basement. The pair purchased Platz Oboe and McCanless was put in charge of producing the Oboes. West eventually separated his partnership with Lamberson citing that sales were not keeping up with costs. Soon after West's departure, Lamberson began finding success with his high-quality instruments.
In all there were 730 flutes made by Lamberson. Not all were complete: West bought one unfinished and one customer wanted a raw body only, with no holes. Most were solid coin silver, although 26 were made of red gold and 35 white gold. There were also 11 flutes made in conjunction with Jack Moore of Elkhart. These were labeled "MOORE-LAMBERSON".
Lamberson No. 1 now belongs to the Historical Society of Iowa, and resides in Des Moines. The last, No. 730, is a red gold flute with an extra C foot.
Lamberson's silver bodied flutes can easily sell for over $3,000 and his more rare white gold models for up to $10,000.
Lamberson died on September 13, 2005 in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Lamberson flutes continued to be made by Tip's business partner, Alton McCanless, in Oskaloosa up until his death on June 17, 2016. [1]
The flute is a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening. According to the instrument classification of Hornbostel–Sachs, flutes are categorized as edge-blown aerophones. A musician who plays the flute can be referred to as a flute player, flautist, flutist or, less commonly, fluter or flutenist.
The oboe is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A soprano oboe measures roughly 65 cm long, with metal keys, a conical bore and a flared bell. Sound is produced by blowing into the reed at a sufficient air pressure, causing it to vibrate with the air column. The distinctive tone is versatile and has been described as "bright". When the word oboe is used alone, it is generally taken to mean the treble instrument rather than other instruments of the family, such as the bass oboe, the cor anglais, or oboe d'amore.
The saxophone is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to produce a sound wave inside the instrument's body. The pitch is controlled by opening and closing holes in the body to change the effective length of the tube. The holes are closed by leather pads attached to keys operated by the player. Saxophones are made in various sizes and are almost always treated as transposing instruments. Saxophone players are called saxophonists.
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