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:

History of the 19.5K

19.5k with 14k mechanism

We had a chance to look at the 19.5k flute "launch event" in a previous post, but this week, we came across some of the original programs from the event.  Since the event included a recital by Powell artist Paul-Edmund-Davies, the program listed the repertoire he performed and a couple of notes about the specifications of the 19.5k flute.  However, the program also came with a special note by Powell's President, Steven Wasser, about Powell and the development of the 19.5k as you will see below.  The event took place at the Harvard Club in Boston on June 7, 2003.

Changing the Status Quo

How do we make changes to Powell instruments while protecting the traditional qualities for which our instruments are known?  In other words, why change what's not broken?

All our instruments share certain Powell family characteristics, most importantly, the "Powell Sound."  But in a world that is constantly changing, maintaining the status quo is tantamount to going backwards.  Yes, we have an artistic tradition that must be protected, but we also have a responsibility to test the limits of materials and technology.

What makes a Powell flute special is that we, as an organization of people, have a shared artistic concept about what we want a Powell flute to be.  While this shared concept has been modified over time to reflect changes made possible by technology and the demands of customers, it remains remarkably intact from the day Verne Powell founded his flute making shop in 1927.  

Everything we do at Powell -- whether it involves a new design, a new tool, or a new technology -- is always evaluated against the question, "What does it do to the Powell Sound?"  If it leaves our sound unchanged or enhances it, we proceed.  If we feel it detracts from what we want our flute to be, we go back to the drawing board.  Over many years, these numerous small decisions have become a complex system of values, tooling, designs, and attitudes that collectively account for the uniqueness of our instruments.

Why 19.5k gold flutes?  It was an "accident."  Our supplier found that the 18k rose alloy we had been ordering was so difficult to work with that they simply refused to make it any more.  Instead, they suggested a 19.5k rose alloy they had developed.  We thought the 19.5k alloy might be interesting, since higher karat gold alloys are denser, and because density is generally regarded as desirable with regard to flute acoustics.  In order to test a 19.5k gold flute, we had to buy a large amount of gold -- body tubing, sheet for lip plates, casting grain, post wire, various sizes of tone hole tubing, rings, crown rod, and more.  It was a risk, but there was no way around this if we wanted to hear what a 19.5k gold flute sounded like.

We're here today because we like the results of our 19.5k endeavor.  You are the beneficiary of the chance we took.  Listen to the music -- try the flute.  See whether you like this change in the status quo.

Steven A. Wasser
President, Verne Q. Powell Flutes, Inc.

Event Program

Inside the cover

First page: Status Quo Note

Bottom of the page

Last page

10th Anniversary of the 19.5K

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the 19.5K Rose Gold Handmade Custom Flute, which was introduced to the public in a very special event at the Harvard Club in Boston on June 7, 2003.  The special black-tie event at the Barlett Room of the Harvard Club featured French Music performed on the new 19.5K flute by Powell Artist Paul Edmund-Davies.  When it was introduced, the 19.5K Custom was available with a 19.5K body and 14K mechanism or a 19.5K body and silver mechanism.  The model with the 14K mechanism was priced at $29,800, and the model with the silver mechanism was priced at $20,100.  In its first year on the market, the 19.5K came in a handmade French-style Moroccan leather case and special accessories designed by Wirkkala designs, including a hand-carved wooden swabstick, a flute mat, flute cover, and a Cross pencil.  The flute and accessories were all presented in a velvet drawstring pouch.

Powell was the first flute maker to offer the 19.5K gold, and Powell's President, Steven Wasser, felt the new gold option offered "many of the characteristics of a platinum flute while maintaining the warmth and subtle colors of gold."  The 19.5K joined a list of metal options for Powell Handmade Custom flutes, which in 2003 included silver, 10K gold, 14K Aurumite, 14K gold, and platinum.  Introduced with two metal options for the mechanism in 2003, today's 19.5K is available with a sterling silver, 10K yellow gold, or 14K rose gold mechanism.  As the price of precious metals has increased since 2003, the price of a 19.5K today would be quite different than it was in 2003.  You'll want to check with your local Powell dealer for exact pricing, although today's prices for the 19.5K would range from around $39K to $59K, depending on options.  If you're in the market for something of 19.5K gold but aren't quite in the position to get a flute, Powell does offer (as with all their metal options for bodies) the headjoint only.  If you've never tried a 19.5K Powell, you should!  Check it out -- it may be the perfect flute for you...

*Note - Quote and event details from article in MMR Magazine, August 2003

What exactly does “Venti” mean? The evolution of a headjoint…

By Christina Cobas - Marketing Manager, Powell Flutes

Paul Edmund-Davies

Powell headjoints have always been an important factor in the sound of a Powell Flute.  The tradition of headjoint making at Powell has always attracted some of the most talented flutists and flute makers.  When Paul Edmund-Davies asked the headjoint makers at Powell to do something truly different, they did not shy away from his challenge.

“The Venti headjoint came about from my desire to express myself through the flute as vocally as possible. Having had a very English cathedral school upbringing from the age of seven it was the human voice not the flute, that was the strongest influence in my formative years. In many ways, the voice is the ultimate instrument of them all, with its abilities for contrast, dark and light, soft and loud, and endless dynamic possibilities. Perhaps though the evenness of sound through the entire range is something that the best singers can use in an utterly captivating way and it is this quality that I find often lacking in head joints on flutes. Many can be stunning, but only in one octave and then they lose depth. They can be pure or round, have massive volume or attack, but invariably lack a certain bloom through the three main octaves of the instrument. Not surprising really considering that we are ultimately dealing with something that is attached to machinery!

The Venti headjoint is definitely for those who wish to sing through the instrument. It certainly requires the performer to keep the air column alive, but the rewards are that it is even, has a very good dynamic range throughout and above all is captivatingly flexible. It enables the performer to truly explore expression and discover their individual voice.” says Paul Edmund-Davies.

Since its original conception in 2006, the Venti style has been slowly evolving as a result of the feedback of many flutists of many levels and detailed work with Paul.  Today, the Venti is truly a reflection of the epitome of modern headjoint making.

If you are interested in trying a Venti style headjoint, contact Rebecca Eckles at reckles@powellflutes.com.