Adding a Gizmo

Close up on gizmo (on a 14K Aurumite Custom)

In a recent post on our Facebook page, we asked if there are any options people did not have on their current flutes that they would like to have had.  One response was from a flutist who said she had a Powell without a gizmo key, and she wanted to add one.  We thought, "Hmm, is it possible to add a gizmo key?" We've had inquiries about a C# trill, but never the gizmo, so we decided to find out if this would be possible.

We visited Powell's Repair Technician, Rachel Baker, and found out that the answer is yes -- you can add a gizmo key!  In fact, it's quite a simple modification (as you will see in the photos below).  If you have a B-foot flute, a gizmo key can be soldered onto the arm of the b key.  That's all there is to it!  This will allow the new gizmo to function just as it would if it were on the flute originally.

Just a refresher on the function of the gizmo -- it helps the high C speak  more easily by allowing the B cup to close without closing the C and C# cups.  Powell currently has two different shapes for its gizmo keys -- a straight one for the Signature and Conservatory models, and a curved one for the Custom models.  If you were to add a gizmo, the curved style is the one that would be added.  This addition is also quite affordable, as Rachel quoted about $150 to have the key added.  For further information, click here to read our previous post on the gizmo.  If you're ready to have it added, you can schedule the service by clicking here to access our online repair request form.

Red oval around gizmo key, red lines outline B key arm (where gizmo would be soldered).

Close up on gizmo key -- only this would be soldered.

 

Left Hand Low B

We stopped by the Powell repair shop at the end of this week and were surprised to find a flute with two keys for the left hand pinky.  Of course, one was the G#, but there was another -- a left hand low B!  Multiple keys for the left pinky are no stranger to other woodwinds, but we usually do not see them on a flute.  So, just what is the purpose of this key?  Well, it gives you an optional fingering for low B.  It also could be used in place of a gizmo key.  So, you could use the left hand low B key instead of the gizmo, and it would have the same function.  The left hand low B is built into the low B key mechanism.  The left hand low B key mechanism has additional tubing, posts, and ribs that connect it to the body of the flute. When the key is pressed, a lever section next to the low B mechanism on the footjoint is activated and closes the low B key.

Although there is additional material for the key mechanism, it really does not change the weight of the flute overall.  Our Repair Technician, Rachel, tells us that this left hand low B key is not as common today as it was in earlier decades.  Aside from this key, Rachel mentioned that she has also seen a left hand low C# -- but flutes with these left hand pinky keys are a pretty rare occurrence in her shop today.

Left hand low B is below to the G#.

Left hand low B is built into the low B mechanism.

Close-up on the bridging lever portion of the mechanism.

Front view.

Close-up on left hand low B key.

Additional posts (and ribs) are at the top and bottom of this mechanism. 

Front close-up on the footjoint.

B Foot or C Foot?

We recently came across a Powell Aurumite Conservatory flute in the testing room, and something seemed a bit different...  The footjoint seemed a bit "shorter" and seemed to be missing a tone hole.  Was this a mistake?  Of course not!  It was simply a C Foot flute.  With Powell Flutes, every model is available as either B Foot or C foot.  This includes, Signature, Conservatory, and Custom models.  In fact, there is an option to buy an additional foot for the custom flutes.  So, for example, if you were to by a Custom with a C foot, you could purchase an additional B foot as well.  Powell Sonaré flutes are available as B foot or C foot models, which are actually identified by the first letter of the model.  You can see a listing of these models on the Powell Sonaré page of the Powell website.  You will notice codes for various model numbers.  If the code begins with a C, it's a C foot -- if it begins with a B, it's a B foot.  Examples would be CGF and BGF.  A CGF would have a C foot, inline G, and French cups.  The BGF would have a B foot, inline G, and French cups.

So, what exactly are the differences between a C foot flute and a B foot?  Well, the C foot, as you can see in the photos, has a range that extends down to C.  With this range, there are only two tone holes on the footjoint, no B key, and no gizmo key.  A B foot flute would have a range that extends down to B, so it would have three tone holes on the footjoint, a B key, and (on Powell flutes) a gizmo key.  The gizmo key helps facilitate the high C -- you can read more about its history in our previous post on the gizmo key.  However, B foot models of Powell flutes are also available without a gizmo key.  Because a C foot flute has less physical material in its construction, it will also be lighter to hold and will be priced lower than a B foot.  In the U.S., the majority of Powell sales are for flutes with a B foot.  In the UK, many players prefer the C foot.  Regardless of your choice, Powell has the option with each model (as mentioned above).  There are also cases available from Powell for either a B foot or C foot flute.  The photos below show Aurumite Conservatory C foot and B foot models.

C Foot -- two tone holes, no B key, no gizmo.

Close-up on C footjoint.

B Foot has three tone holes and additional keys.

Red arrow points to gizmo key, yellow points to B key.

Gizmo

What in the world is a "gizmo?"  Well, in the flute world (especially at Verne Q. Powell Flutes), the gizmo is a key on the footjoint that helps facilitate the high C.  This particular key was developed by Verne Q. Powell in 1928 after a visit with Arthur Lora, Principal Flutist with the NBC Symphony Orchestra.  Lora asked if there was a way to modify his footjoint, so Powell developed the key and named it the "gizmo."  It has been standard on Powell flutes ever since.  So, the gizmo key has been around for 84 years and was developed by Verne Q. Powell just one year after opening his own flute making business (in 1927).

Custom at top, Signature below (with blue tape)

Today, the gizmo key has a slightly different shape on Powell Custom flutes than on the Powell Signature and Conservatory models.  On the Signature and Conservatory flutes, the key is straight -- aligned perfectly with the key arm.  The gizmo key on Custom flutes is slightly angled away from the top of the footjoint.  The gizmo key does not take an additional rod or mechanism -- it is simply a different key.