Signature and Conservatory

Left to right: Silver and Aurumite 9k Handmade Conservatory flutes

The Powell Signature and Conservatory flutes are two of our most popular models, so we are often asked, "What is the difference between them?"  There are just a few differences, so we wanted to help answer that question...

From the "top down," the Signature and Conservatory flutes differ in the following ways:

1) Headjoint - Signature flutes have a Signature headjoint, and Conservatory flutes have your choice of one of three Custom styles: Soloist, Philharmonic, Venti

2) Body - Signature flutes have sterling silver bodies.  For Conservatory flutes, you have the option of a sterling silver or Aurumite 9k body.

3) Mechanism - There is a pinned mechanism on the Signature and a pinless mechanism on the Conservatory.

4) Adjustments - Signature flutes have adjusting screws, and Conservatory flutes have paper adjustments. Click here to read or previous post on adjustments, "Very Fine Adjustments."

That's all there is to it -- just a few differences.  Have you tried the Signature?  Conservatory?  Since there are two body options for the Conservatory, make sure to try the silver and the Aurunite 9k if you can!  Also, we have links with additional specs on our website - click here for Signature and here for Conservatory.

Signature

Conservatory - Silver

Conservatory - Aurumite 9k

Building Bridges

Powell's pinless mechanism is found on the Handmade Custom and Handmade Conservatory flutes.  It is a mechanism that allows for different movement of multiple keys on one steel. As opposed to being pinned to the mechanism, keys on a pinless mechanism are connected by bridges.  You can read a previous post on the pinless mechanism, complete with links to video demonstrations by Powell's president, Steven Wasser, by following this link.

We stopped by the stringing department to visit with Stefania Iamandei as she was building bridged mechanisms for Conservatory flutes.  

The bridged mechanism is comprised of several different parts that vary depending on the specifications of the flute.  For instance, the left hand piece is different depending on whether the flute has an inline or offset G.  The right hand has an additional piece for flutes made with a split-E.  You will see the bridge components in the photo below.

Stefania was putting together the mechanism for a flute with an offset G and split-E when we stopped by.  We outlined the components in the photo below (left hand piece is red, right hand piece is yellow, split-E piece is light blue). The split-E section that is "upside down" on the bench does not have the long piece yet that is located between key cups, so we have that piece outlined in a darker blue on the mechanism in the photo below.

The two bridges are outlined with red boxes in the photo below.

The next photo shows a close-up of the bridges.  As Stefania builds them, she has to make sure that they have the correct fit and that they function properly.  She also has to check that the bridges (and the entire mechanism) open to the correct height, because once she is done, the flute goes to the finisher.  The finisher ads foam and cork adjustment pieces to the bridges to prevent metal-to-metal contact.

Below, we see a close-up of the left-hand bridge.  Once the mechanism meets the correct measurements and is functioning as it should, Stefania adds beveled edges -- purely for aesthetics.

The photo below shows the left-hand bridge as it will look when it is open.

In the photo below, we see another view of both bridges.  You can clearly see the tabs that function to create key motion.

Finally, we see a photo below of the bridges on a finished Handmade Conservatory Aurumite A9 flute.

Numbers in the Cups?

If you have a Powell Signature or Conservatory flute, you may not have realized this, but there are numbers engraved in your key cups and on certain parts of your mechanism.  What are these numbers for?  Well, they are actually the serial number.  The reason for this is quite simple, actually.  You see, all Conservatory and Signature flutes have silver key mechanisms, so keys and mechanism components from several different flutes may be sent to the polishing room at the same time. 

Initially, each key mechanism is fit to a particular flute during the "stringing" process.  The key mechanism and body components of an individual flute are kept together in a tray in the stringing department.  However, the keys and mechanism components are removed from the trays when they are sent to the polishing room.  After polishing, they are returned to the stringing department in preparation for the flutes to then go on to the finishing department.  So, in order to insure that the proper mechanism (which has been fitted to the flute) returns to the corresponding body after polishing, the serial number is engraved in the key cups and other areas of the mechanism.  In the photos below, the blue Sharpie marks point to the areas where the serial number is engraved:

The Venti Headjoint

Venti headjoint (indicated by "V" on label)

In 2006, Powell Flutes debuted the Venti style headjoint, which was developed in collaboration with Powell artist Paul Edmund-Davies.  This headjoint is one of four styles currently offered by Powell, available in a variety of metals with customization options (click here to see spec chart).

So what exactly does "Venti" mean -- and what was the inspiration behind the design?  We found the original 2006 website description for the Venti and have included it below, along with a copy of the original press release and a small gallery of photos.

The 2006 website description stated:

The name "Venti" encapsulates the concept of a headjoint that allows air to pass freely through the instrument and beyond, giving the performer variations of flexibility, dynamics, power and sound. Powell has worked with international flautist, Paul Edmund-Davies to develop this latest headjoint style.

Mr. Edmund-Davies became interested in the development of this style due to the prospect of playing on a headjoint that mirrored his experiences of singing in a cathedral choir. Paul's concept of a natural approach to the instrument incorporates an open and unrestricted style, with reference in particular to a more resonant and free 3rd octave.

The result is a headjoint that allows for depth of sound through all three octaves, even pitch and dynamic range, as well as a sound that is powerful without being wild or breaking up.

“The appeal of the Venti cut for me is that it has vocal characteristics that give the player a more comprehensive range of colors and dynamics, which in turn lead to a highly creative yet intimately personalized form of interpretation.”

Paul Edmund-Davies, soloist

This headjoint is available on our Handmade Conservatory and Handmade Custom Flutes (metal only):

• .014" & .016" Sterling Silver
• Aurumite 9k
• Aurumite 14k
• 9k rose gold
• 10k yellow gold
• 14k rose gold
• 19.5k rose gold
• Platinum

The 2006 press release:

Gallery:

The Handmade Conservatory Flutes of Yesterday and Today

A 2013 Conservatory - inline with split-E

Looking back through our archives, we found the 2002 Powell Handmade Conservatory brochure, which was the first brochure for that particular model line.  Twelve years later, the Handmade Conservatory flutes are some of Powell's most popular models.  So, how have they changed?  Looking at the original brochure helps answer that question...

The Handmade Conservatory flutes of 2002 had at least one characteristic from their predecessor, the 2100 -- the "Posi-Stop" tail design.  The brochure describes this feature as follows:

Posi-Stop design

In order to maximize the response of the flute, none of the key tails rest on the flute tube.  Instead, their movement is halted by nearby invisible Posi-Stops, which look like small spring posts set on the ribs of the flute.

Also, the early Handmade Conservatory flutes, just like today's models, offered the choice of a Powell Custom headjoint.  The difference in 2002 was that the headjoint styles available were the Boston and the Philharmonic.  The headjoint descriptions from the brochure are below:

The Boston style headjoint combines its own, graceful embouchure plate with modern undercutting techniques.  It is easily controlled, and produces an open, clear tone with exceptional projection.

The Philharmonic headjoint is readily identified by its broader embouchure plate.  Articulation is crisp and clean, and this style is capable of broad dynamic and timbral ranges.  A player can create a deep, rich tone with extraordinary carrying power and focus.

Today, the Philharmonic cut is one of three Custom headjoint styles (Philharmonic, Soloist, and Venti), all of which are available with the Conservatory models.

Finally, when comparing "spec charts" from the 2002 and 2014 brochures, we can see differences in G key and split-E options in particular.  In 2002, the Handmade Conservatory flutes (just like today) were offered with either an inline or offset G.  However, in 2002, Handmade Conservatory flutes that had a split-E were "half offset."  Today's Handmade Conservatory flutes come with a split-E option for both inline and offset models.  The split-E inline option was introduced on the Handmade Conservatory flutes in 2013.  Also, both the 2002 and current Handmade Conservatory flutes have French (open) cups.  The 2002 models came with the option of American cups, which were French cups with Plug-Os.  Between 2002 and 2014, Handmade Conservatory flutes have kept their material choices, being offered in either sterling silver or Aurumite 9k.  For more on the today's Handmade Conservatory flutes, visit https://powellflutes.com/flutes/handmade-conservatory.

2002 Spec Chart

2014 Spec Chart

Page from the 2002 brochure highlighting choices.

Page from 2002 highlighting body material and headjoint styles.

White House Debut

For Powell Flutes, the year 2002 was a celebratory one as the company marked its 75th anniversary.  A limited edition 75th Anniversary Custom model was launched, and the Conservatory Flutes went through a complete transformation.  In 2002, the 2100 and 3100 Conservatory models were redesigned and renamed as, simply, the Handmade Conservatory models.  The new Handmade Conservatory flutes were available in silver (previously the 2100) and Aurumite 9K (previously the 3100).  You can see examples of the design changes in a previous post at http://www.flutebuilder.com/2013/03/the-2100_10.html.  The very first shipment of Handmade Conservatory flutes in 2002 had a very special destination, which we discovered when we recently came across the original text for the 2002 press release:

First Silver Model of Powell's New Handmade Conservatory Flutes Played at the White House

Maynard, Massachusetts - Verne Q. Powell Flutes, Inc.  has announced the introduction of a new line of flutes in the Handmade Conservatory model.  The flutes come in two versions -- all sterling silver, and Powell's patented Aurumite 9K body with sterling silver mechanism.  The models were developed last year in response to a request for a handmade flute with traditional aesthetics, but with the unique Posi-Stop tail design of the former 2100 flute, according to Roberta Gillette, Powell's Marketing Director.  The first shipment of the First Handmade Conservatory silver flute coincided with an emergency order request from one of our dealers, Washington Music, in suburban Washington, D.C. for a flute to be played in the President's Band for a White House function the following day.  It so happened that the first flute produced in this new line became destined for a White House debut.  Congratulations to Washington Music for facilitating the introduction of the new Handmade Conservatory line in the first house of the land.

The new Handmade Conservatory flutes feature A-442 or 444 pitch, the Modern Powell Scale, 14K white gold springs, extruded tone holes, and handmade custom Powell headjoints with .016" tubing thickness.  Inline or offset G is available at no extra cost.  The flutes come in a cherry wood case with a leather case cover.  A half-offset G model with E mechanism in A-442 is also available.  For more information, visit www.powellflutes.com.

Original press release text in binder at Powell.

Conservatory Aurumite 9K

Close-up on engraving

Introduction of the 3100

Inside of 1999 catalog

We were looking through the archives and found a Powell catalog from 1999, which marked the introduction of a new model known as the 3100.  Made of Powell's patented Aurumite® 9k, the 3100 joined the 2100 in a category known as the Conservatory Flutes. The story behind the 2100 and 3100 Conservatory flutes was noted in the catalog as follows:

The name "Powell" has meant excellence in flutes since Verne Q. Powell established his own workshop  in 1927. Mr. Powell made his first conservatory flute in 1928, called the Commercial Model.  These flutes had extruded tone holes, and plain cups with Y-arms.

The Powell shop discontinued the Commercial flute in 1988 but continued to receive requests for a conservatory model instrument.  Since flutists were expressing a preference for French-style pointed arms, rather than the Y-arms found on the Commercial Model, Powell embarked upon a complete redesign of the old Commercial Model in 1991.

Artisans at Powell set to work on the new design. Finally, after two years of development, during which it was tested by customers around the world, the new flute was introduced.  It was named the 2100 in anticipation of the twenty-first century.

Soon after Powell introduced the 2100 flute, flutists began asking for a gold version of it.  The craftspeople making the 2100 were inspired to use Powell's patented Aurumite® technology to achieve this.

Aurumite is the unique combination of sterling silver and gold, developed by Powell in 1987, and used for some of its Handmade Model flutes since then. Through a patented fusion process, Powell produces flute tubing made of interlocking layers of gold and silver. 

The Conservatory Model version of Aurumite is called the 3100.

The 2100 and 3100 flutes were offered with several options: pitch of 442 or 444, B foot or C foot, inline or offset G, and French or American cups.  For the 2100, there was a 2100 headjoint available in either sterling silver or Aurumite.   The 3100 had an Aurumite headjoint.  Both models came in cherry wood cases -- the 2100 with a nylon case cover (option to upgrade to leather), and the 3100 with a leather case cover as a standard feature.

The 2100 and 3100 number designations were dropped in 2002, and a new model name was introduced -- the "Handmade Conservatory" models -- in either silver (former 2100) or Aurumite (former 3100).

Close up of Conservatory section

The story of the 2100 

Spec chart for 2100 and 3100