The Sonaré (R)evolution

Powell Sonaré PS-601 

By Steven A. Wasser

President, Verne Q. Powell Flutes, Inc.

When we decided to co-manufacture a step-up flute in 2002, our conceptualization of Sonaré, with a Chinese body and a Powell headjoint, was ground-breaking.  I vividly recall one of our long-time Powell players coming up to us at the convention that summer.  With her hand on her hip, she demanded to know, “Why Powell is making a flute in China?”  I explained our concept of putting a professional headjoint on an inexpensive flute body, since the headjoint was far and away the most important acoustical component of the flute.  She tried the flute then said, “I’ll take that one.”

We’ve come a long way since we introduced the Sonaré flute in 2002.  For one thing, at last count there were 14 other flute makers who had copied our concept.  For another, the Sonaré flute has evolved.

When we introduced Sonaré we were frankly paranoid about doing something that might jeopardize the Powell image.  Thus, we were extremely careful to distinguish between the flute body made in China, and the headjoint made by Powell in the United States.  The engraving on the headjoint was the normal Powell Signature headjoint engraving, but the Powell name was nowhere to be seen on the body of the flute.  We engraved “Sonaré” on the barrel of the flute.

During the first few years of Sonaré’s existence we wound up using 4 different scales made by our Chinese partner.  We ultimately standardized on a single scale – the one we though was best – but were still not satisfied.  Since the acoustics of the flute are determined first by the headjoint and secondarily by the scale, we decided to focus our engineering talents on the body.  To make a long story short, in 2006 we came up with a technology we’ve called “Zinki,” that allows us to economically extrude tone holes at Powell with our Modern Powell Scale.  Since then we’ve used Zinki to extrude all Sonaré flute bodies, as well as our Conservatory and Signature flutes.  Even Custom gold flutes with extruded tone holes are done on Zinki.  (If you’re curious about the technology you can look up U.S. patent #7,420,109.  It describes our approach for putting a big ball through a small hole.)

By using flute bodies made at Powell with the Modern Powell Scale, we felt we had made a large leap in quality.  At that point we decided Sonaré could become a Powell flute.  Sonaré then became a model designation, just like Signature or Conservatory.

However, we aren’t done making improvements.  Starting in spring, 2015, the Sonaré flutes being assembled for us in China will be utilizing cups that are the same size and shape as the Powell flute cups used for Conservatory and Signature flutes. 

One final point.  Because we make the body and headjoint of the flute at our Maynard workshop, and because we do the final finishing at Powell, we have an instrument where more than 50% of the content is U.S. content and where final finishing takes place in the USA.  Thus, our Powell Sonaré flutes qualify as “Assembled in USA.”  To the best of our knowledge no other flute in this category qualifies for that country of origin labeling.

Introduction of Left Hand Pinless Design

Looking through our archives, we came across the Powell Flutes newsletter from the summer of 1988.  The pinless bridge in the left hand, introduced 26 years ago, is a precursor to today’s elegant and functional pinless mechanism.  An excerpt from the 1988 newsletter article highlighting the new design is below:

The Hidden Bridge: An Improvement in Left-hand Design

The unique action of a flute, whereby certain keys must act independently some of the time, and in concert with other keys at other times, creates a design challenge.

Part of the solution to this challenge has been the use of steels or rods which run inside the sterling silver mechanism tubing.  One approach, which is the most typical one for the left hand, is to “pin” the steel to the mechanism tubing, effectively putting one key in a fixed position to another key.  A second approach has been to connect two or more keys by running a bridge from one to the other.  This method has traditionally been used for flutes with split-E and offet G to connect the right-hand E with a lever that operates the left-hand lower G.

Each approach has advantages and problems.  Mechanically, the bridge is a more secure device.  However, bridges are cumbersome to build and do not have the delicate appearance of nearly invisible pins.

Powell’s design of choice for 62 years for the left hand has been to use pins.  After Powell’s craftsperson has pinned and adjusted the left-hand mechanism, it is both effective and attractive.

The practical mechanical limitation of pins for the left hand occurs when a flutist desires a split-E in conjunction with an in-line G.  Several Japanese flutemakers began using a bridged left-hand section for split-Es around 1980.  Powell constructed a left-hand bridge on two flutes during the last three years.  While the bridge was determined to be very effective, the aesthetics were unsatisfactory.

Powell’s stringing supervisor (Tom Sears) was asked to bring his 15 years of flutemaking experience and his artistic talents to bear on the aesthetic problem.  What he finally designed, after experimenting with several methods, was a bridge for the left hand which runs below, rather than above, all of the mechanism tubing.

The “hidden bridge” is so well designed and crafted that most players cannot even find it unless the bridge is shown to them.  Powell’s new hidden bridge design is mechanically simple and accomplishes the functionality of the bridge without any oversized or extra back connections.  Aesthetically, it is the equal of pinned mechanisms.

For more on today’s  pinless mechanism, we have two videos on our YouTube channel with Powell’s President, Steven Wasser, demonstrating a model of the mechanism at the 2009 NFA Convention in New York City.  Click here to watch the first video, “Smooth as a Rolling Stone, Part 1” and here to watch “Smooth as a Rolling Stone, Part 2: Q & A.”

Red box around pinned left hand mechanism

Red box around pinless "hidden bridge"

What Color Is White Gold?

By Steven Wasser

President, Verne Q. Powell Flutes, Inc.

We all know the answer to the question, “What color was George Washington’s white horse?”  The answer to the question, “What color is white gold?” is not as obvious.  If you look at white gold from a distance it does appear silvery in color, but if you place it side by side against silver, you will see a yellowish tint to it.

Powell 14k White Gold with 14k Rose Gold Keys

Some jewelry is advertised as white gold, but is really yellow gold which has been plated with rhodium or platinum.  In this case the whiter tones of the plating give the impression of white gold even though the underlying material is actually yellow gold.

The 14k white gold alloy Powell uses is comprised first and foremost of 58.4% gold, calculated as 14÷24.  The balance of the gold alloy can be anything else.  Our alloy contains copper, nickel, and silver, with the latter two metals contributing to the “white” color of the gold alloy.  According to the Metals Handbook: Ninth Edition, Verne Powell’s comment about the hardness of white gold and the difficulty of working it was right on target.  “White golds work harden faster and are harder after annealing than gold-silver-copper-based yellow golds.”

Powell uses 14k white gold for flute tubing.  In limited applications we also substitute 10k white gold mechanism tubing for sterling silver where extra hardness and strength is desired to keep the flute keys well adjusted.

The same characteristics that make white gold hard and difficult to work also produce flutes that are especially resonant.

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*Gallery - Photos below show a Powell Custom 14k white gold with 14k rose gold keys (photos on left) next to a Powell Custom silver with silver keys (photos on right).

The One and Only White Gold Flute

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

In 1949, Verne Powell wrote the following: “I consider this flute the finest thing I’ve ever created.  The gold is much harder than yellow gold or platinum and has a 'ring' and brilliance I’ve never heard in my flute.”

Those were strong words from a master craftsman about Powell flute #900.  His words were addressed to Fritz Baker, principal flutist with the Denver Symphony at the time, and Powell was describing the performance characteristics of a flute made entirely of white gold.  In another letter to Baker in January 1950, Powell wrote, “There never has been a finer flute made – but as far as we are concerned, there will never be another like it.”

What happened?  Apparently, Powell had always wondered what a white gold flute would sound like.  In his view, the hardness of white gold “should make a splendid instrument.”  To satisfy his curiosity, Powell produced a flute with 14k white gold body and keys on speculation.  Flute #900 was the result.

The problem was that the same qualities which produce an especially rich sound from white gold make it very difficult to fabricate.  In that same letter to Baker, Powell explained, “The metal is incredibly tough to work, and we had plenty of headaches, including darn near ruining every tool in the shop.”  How tough?  At Powell, we use 10k white gold mechanism tubing as a substitute for sterling silver in certain applications where we want to make sure the flute keys stay in adjustment.  When we ream the white gold, the steel reamer smokes on its way through, even with plenty of lubricant added.

Back in 1950, Baker went on to buy Verne Powell’s one-and-only white gold flute and record with it.  Today, Fritz Baker is 94 years old and retired from his illustrious career.

In one of Powell’s letters to Baker, he speculated, “We might some day make a flute with a white gold tube and all silver mechanism, as it was the [hardness of the white gold] mechanism that presented the real problem.”  Today, Mr. Powell’s speculation is reality.  Powell offers 14k white gold flutes with a sterling silver, 10k yellow gold, or 14k rose gold mechanism.  Here’s a photo of one we just finished with a white gold body and 14k rose gold keys.

The pricing for the 14k white gold flutes is the same as for 14k rose gold flutes, and they are available for trial.    

Ductility

Signature flutes (all have drawn tone holes).

Recently, a customer inquired as to why he could not buy a Custom Aurumite 14k, 14k white gold, or platinum flute with drawn tone holes.  We had the chance to speak with Powell’s President, Steven Wasser, to find the answer…

Closer view of the Signature flutes.

Mr. Wasser explained that the reason why drawn tone holes were not an option for flutes made from these metals is because of the metals’ ductility.  Ductility is essentially the metal’s capacity to be drawn out into a different shape (without breaking).  If a metal has a high level of ductility, it would have the capacity to withstand the tone hole drawing process.  In this process, Wasser explains “the tubing is pulled out of a small hole in the flute body into a tall ‘chimney’ to form the tone hole.   It is then rolled over and flattened to create the surface for the pad to close against” (from the post Tone Holes - Drawn or Soldered?, May 16, 2012). 

Super close-up on drawn tone holes.

All metals have a ductility level, and both white gold and platinum have reduced ductility – therefore, they do not flow the same way a much more ductile metal like silver would.  Aurumite is comprised of two different metals – one outer layer of silver, and one inner layer of 14k gold.  Silver and gold have differing levels of ductility, and the layers will want to move at different rates (with silver wanting to move faster than gold).   Although a numeric value is not always given for a metal’s ductility, a certain level is needed for the metal to be successfully drawn into tone holes.  Wasser states that a “100% success level is needed,” so if even one tone hole does not form properly in the drawing process, drawn tone holes would not be an option for that particular metal.  In this case, it would be the Aurumite 14k, 14k white gold, and platinum.