Brannen Grenadilla Piccolo

Specs:

* Brannen Brothers Piccolo

* Made in 1982

* Grenadilla Wood

* Solid Silver Mechanism, tenon and rings

* Vented C added by Jim Keefe

* SN: P82**

Brannen no longer makes piccolos as their master craftsman, Jim Keefe, left Brannen to start his own piccolo making company. The wait list for his piccolos is (counts fingers indicating how long I've been on his wait list) over 6 years, so this is your chance to snag one of his instruments if you didn't have the foresight to get onto his wait list prior to the pandemic.

This piccolo has a rich, smooth sound. It just feels... big. Not shrill. Powerful. . An iron fist in a velvet glove.

The vented C was added by Jim Keefe in its last overhaul. If you haven't played an instrument with this feature, you can happily play the piccolo until the end of time without realizing it's even there. But, if you experiment with it, you can encourage some of the more traditionally troublesome notes to speak more easily and you have more flexibility with pitch. As piccolo players, we know that these instruments are not simply "press the buttons and the notes come out" / "mine was tuned at the factory" devices. The vented C adds to your arsenal of alternate fingerings that allow you to match pitch and color with other players who lack the talent or sensitivity to match YOUR pitch and color, even though clearly, you are the one who should be matched. But we're team players, and we do what we must...

The condition is excellent. I am the second owner, but have rarely played it, and its first owner kept it in immaculate condition with regular COA's at Flute Works Seattle, and a recent overhaul by Keefe himself.

This piccolo plays well and is in beautiful condition as-is. However, as for any instrument of this caliber, I would recommend scheduling a COA by your favorite tech in the coming year or two, depending on how frequently you like to have your instruments serviced.