This blog is dedicated to the sublime instruments called nose flutes and which produce the most divine sound ever. We have chosen to discard all the native models from S. Pacific and Asia, for they need fingering to be played. We'll concentrate on "buccal cavity driven" nose flutes : the well patented and trademarked metal or plastic ones, plus, by a condemnable indulgence, some wooden craft or home-made productions.

Aug 29, 2014

Trophy Concert Nose Flute

Trophy Music Co, subsidiary of Grover, is the producer/distributor of the famous plastic Humanatone. The company mostly sells them in bulks of units wrapped in cellophane. But there is also a department called 1st Note which distributes the Humanatone with a better packaging, with the name "1st Note Nose Flute".

What's more unusual, is to find a wooden nose flute branded by Trophy Music... That's what I found, and with the help of my friend UkesterBrown, famous ukulele player, I was able to acquire it (the seller didn't want to sell out of USA ...!). Thank you David!

It is named "Concert Nose Flute", and is a "regular vietnamese nose flute" - I mean: not really an interesting wooden nose flute (badly and quickly made). What is interesting is the fact that Trophy distributed it. The back is printed with an "humorous" user manual, and the graphics looks like dedicated to an April Fool's Day use.



I checked the barcode (UPC-A : 0 82562 08423 0), in which 82562 refers to Trophy Music Co. and 08423 to the specific product itself, and found no occurrence, meaning that the product has been discontinued. However, the reference W408 still exist for a wooden nose flute in Trophy Music catalog, but apparently with no packaging (they probably understood that the laughing man was not compatible with their assertion Finally Noseflautist can be looked at as serious musicians (sic). So, it is not possible for me to date this nose flute, but I think it is from the 1990s. The "laughing bow tie man" graphics is the same that the former designed used to package the 1st Note Nose Flute (Humanatone).



Here are the former and the current graphics of the 1st Note Nose Flute:

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2 comments:

  1. Maikel MeiAugust 30, 2014 at 12:28 PM

    How silly to use the already existing comic cover for a "concert NOESflute"; I reckon Trophy didn't make a quick buck out of this one.

    I must say I have never been a fan of Trophy's plastic noseflute, as they don't produce a great sound, tend to crack easily when bending the flaps and definitely are made as cheaply as possible. I find it an insult to the original design.

    I have even had several Humanatones in the bunch that were sealed at the labium... What I did with those was cut them up and use those bits to extend my Swans with so that I could attach a contact micriphone.

    I find it sad that when people think of the nose flute, quite a lot of them have this inferior flimsy object in mind. I am ever so glad that South African Chris Schuermans has evolved the plastic nose flute into a proper professional nose flute with his Bocarina.

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    1. UkeHeidiAugust 30, 2014 at 6:39 PM

      Yes, I agree, the Trophy Music version of the Humanatone is very poorly made with clow grade plastic. It is made to be a cheap toy, and is ufortunately sold by millions.

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