Replacing Headjoint Corks

We stopped in to the headjoint room as flute finisher and headjoint cutter, Lindsey McChord, was installing a new cork in a piccolo headjoint.  She showed us how to install it and how to remove it, which was pretty interesting -- especially in contrast with the flute headjoint.  We say this because after we watched Lindsey remove the piccolo headjoint cork, we were anxious to see how it compares with the removal process for a flute headjoint cork.  In both cases, Lindsey had a special tool to remove the cork.  However, she told us that when you remove the cork from a piccolo headjoint, it is removed in the opposite direction than it would be with a flute headjoint.  In other words, when you remove the piccolo headjoint cork, the cork is pushed up toward the crown and out through the top of the headjoint. This is because of the metal receiver at the bottom of the headjoint (this receiver attaches the headjoint to the body tenon). As you can probably imagine, the cork assembly would not be able to fit through the hole in the middle of the receiver (see photo below):

However, when it comes to flute headjoints, the cork is removed by pushing it down through the bottom of the headjoint.  The flute headjoint tapers as it goes up toward the crown, so it's not possible to push the headjoint cork up through the top without severely damaging the headjoint -- which you do not want to do! Take a look a the photos below to see the process of removing the corks.

Lindsey uses a special tool to remove the cork.  She starts by placing it in the headjoint, starting from the bottom

This tool is also used to check the positioning of the cork, just like a swabstick.  There is a line in the tool that will be exactly in the middle of the embouchure hole when the cork is positioned properly.

Lindsey pushes the headjoint downward toward the bottom of the tool.

And the cork pops up through the top!

A different tool is used for the flute headjoint cork. 

Lindsey removed the crown and inserts the tool in through the top of the headjoint.

With the headjoint upside down, Lindsey pushes it down toward the ring on the tool.

The flute headjoint cork is out -- having come through the bottom of the headjoint.

Finishing the Split-E

We've shared a few posts about Powell Handmade Custom flutes with a split-E, including a close-up on the mechanism and a quick snapshot from the finishing department.  You can find these posts by following this link to "Close-Up on Split-E" and this one to "Offset G and Split-E."

This week, we stopped by the finishing department as finisher Matt Keller was working on the split-E mechanism for an Aurumite 14k Handmade Custom.  So, we began to wonder... Are there differences between finishing flutes with and without the split-E? Matt told us that there are a few, and in general, a flute with a split-E takes longer to finish because it has more adjustments.  Of course, the adjustments are on the additional parts required for the split-E mechanism which you will see in the photos below:

Matt holds additional part of split-E mechanism.

The part turned over with arrows pointing to adjustments: 

felt (yellow arrow) and cork (red arrow).

Close up on cork adjustments.

Although it does take longer to finish a flute with a split-E, Matt feels that the independent motion of the mechanism's G keys can help with at least one challenge.  He explained that flutes without a split-E have two G keys that have to open and close together, as shown in the photo below:

Matt told us that the synchronized motion of these two keys can make padding them quite complicated!  With a split-E mechanism, the G keys are separate and move independently, which makes padding them a bit less challenging than when the keys move together.  To demonstrate this, Matt released one of the springs so that we could see one of the G keys open and one of them closed (as highlighted by the red arrows in the photo below):

In conclusion, we realized that there are differences in terms of materials (additional adjustments on split-E), parts, and the mechanics of the mechanisms, but the finishing process itself remains the same -- and the end result is a smoothly functioning mechanism!

Undercutting Wooden Tone Holes

This week, we stopped by the finishing department just as flute finisher Matt Keller was about to begin undercutting tone holes on a wooden flute.  In a previous post (which you can read by following this link), we learned that cutting wooden headjoints required mostly filing and sanding as opposed to the cutting and scraping techniques used on metal headjoints.  So, we asked Matt if a similar technique is used for undercutting wooden tone holes.  Come to find out, it does!

Matt told us that undercutting wooden tone holes is done with a very small file, which you will see in the photos below:

File is to the right of the footjoint.

Matt holding the file in his right hand.

There are two areas of the tone hole that he files, which we've indicated with blue arrows in the following photo:

Why are these two areas the locations for undercutting?  Well, Matt mentioned that these locations are aligned with the direction of the air flow through the flute.  Definitely makes sense when you visualize it!  As for the reason behind undercutting tone holes in general, flute finisher Karl Kornfeld added that undercutting, "reduces turbulence as the air flows through the flute."  Matt files very carefully, a little bit at a time, using extremely light pressure. The process is much easier to see in a video than a photo, so we captured a bit in the video below!

Tube Thickness

Have you heard the term "heavy wall" in regard to flutes?  When we go to shows like the NFA, we do have people asking if we have "heavy wall" flutes.  So, what exactly is the "heavy wall" flute?

Well, "heavy wall" refers to the thickness of the body tubing.  For our silver Custom flutes, you have the choice of three different tube thicknesses: .014", .016", and .018."  In that series of measurements, the "heavy wall" is the .018" tubing, because is it the thickest tubing of the three.  Many of our flutes have the .016" thickness, including our Signature, Conservatory, and Aurumite models. Currently, most of our orders for silver Custom flutes request the .016" tubing as well.

The Custom silver flutes have thickness choices, but what about gold?  Platinum?  All of the Custom gold flutes (regardless of karat), have a body thickness of .012,"and the body tubing for platinum flutes is .010." 

It's good to keep these different body tubing thicknesses in mind when trying headjoints as well.  Silver headjoints are available in .014" and .016" tubing.  As you might recall from a previous post on silver headjoints (follow this link to read it), we found that the .018" tubing on silver headjoints didn't produce the desired sound qualities we were looking for with the .018" silver Custom body, so the .016" silver headjoint fits that particular flute.  Of course, if you have a .014" silver flute, the .016" headjoint would definitely not fit!  From yet another post (which you can read by following this link), we learned that sometimes the barrel thickness is different than the body thickness.  Lots to think about!  So, if you have the chance to try different thicknesses on silver flutes, see if you can feel and hear a difference.  Obviously, there's more than one size to fit all when it comes to silver!

The Missing Ingredient in Nickel Silver

Powell Sonaré 601 (with silver-plated nickel silver keys).

By Steven A. Wasser

President, Verne Q. Powell Flutes, Inc.

Do you know the silver content of nickel silver?  If you guessed anything more than 0%, you are misinformed.  Although the name is clearly intended to make you believe that this is some kind of silver alloy, the fact is that nickel silver is comprised primarily of copper and nickel. 

Here is how this apparently came about.  An alloy of copper and nickel was developed in China, perhaps in the mid sixteenth century.  It was called paktong.  Europeans wished to copy this alloy, which had the appearance of silver, and finally succeeded in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries.  Since the European metallurgy was developed in Germany, this silvery-looking alloy was called German silver.  Subsequently, because of its silvery look, it also became known as nickel silver.

Musical instruments can generally be made of nickel silver in 2 situations: where the nickel silver substitutes for sterling silver because it is cheaper, or where it substitutes for brass because nickel silver is harder.  Thus, you will find nickel silver flutes, saxophones, and French horns. Because nickel silver is relatively easy to shape and solder, you will also find instrument keys made of nickel silver, such as for clarinets, flutes, and saxophones. 

Even though nickel silver might initially look like silver, it tarnishes easily.  In addition, many people have allergies to nickel, so nickel silver used for musical instruments must be coated with something to protect the musician.  The normal coating is silver plating. 

Although silver plating looks nice and shiny at the start, it will eventually tarnish, just like sterling silver.  While the plating can be polished clean, dent removal and other work that requires manipulation or abrasion of the surface will remove the plated layer of silver.  In addition, constant daily use can wear off silver plating. 

At Powell we use only sterling silver or gold alloys for the precious metal flutes we make at our Boston area workshop.  For our Powell Sonaré flutes, we make the bodies and headjoints of sterling silver or nickel silver.  Our Asian key assembler uses nickel silver keys plated with silver to keep costs down.

In 2013, as the price of precious metals skyrocketed, we began to search for alternatives to sterling silver for flute and piccolo keys.  We looked at nickel silver but preferred a strong, clean alloy that did not require plating.  Our answer was stainless steel which, as the name correctly implies, is “stainless” or tarnish resistant, and is also strong.  (Some of the same properties which make stainless steel strong also make it difficult to form.  This required us to develop special machining and brazing technology.)  The strength of stainless steel assures the flute or piccolo player that their keys will stay in adjustment longer than instruments with nickel silver or sterling silver keys.

In 2013 Powell introduced the Sonaré piccolo with a stainless steel mechanism.  We designed the instrument with the nature of stainless steel in mind, using an art deco style that allowed us to machine the parts.  Now, 2 years later, we are introducing another version of the Sonaré piccolo which will use stainless steel keys, but with a more traditional, circular design aesthetic.  

Rejection, or Why Not?

By Steven A. Wasser

President, Verne Q. Powell Flutes, Inc.

Several of our current headjoints, including 10k gold, 14k gold, and platinum.

Most of our blog articles affirmatively describe things we do.  However, as instrument makers one of our responsibilities is to decide what not to do. 

We recently conducted some experiments with a precious metal alloy that is 95% silver and 5% platinum.  Our hypothesis was that this alloy would provide some substantial acoustical benefits over sterling silver, such as a darker tone and improved response. 

Since the headjoint is the most critical acoustical component of the flute, we started the 95/5 experiment with the headjoint.  We ordered thousands of dollars’ worth of 95/5 tubing, flat stock for lip plates, and casting grain for walls (this stuff is considerably more expensive than sterling silver!).   

In order to control as many variables as possible, we used our existing designs and simply varied the material.  After making several headjoints with the 95/5 alloy we reached a conclusion – no.  Although it might seem counter-intuitive, the silver alloy with 5% platinum was very soft.  Neither the lip plate nor the tube wanted to stay where we put it.  We also found little acoustical difference. 

The softness of the 95/5 alloy was a knockout factor, but we also concluded that we have plenty of precious metal choices already available with sterling silver, several versions of Aurumite, and 9k, 10k, 14k, and 19.5k gold.  Unless the 95/5 offered something special and distinctive, which in our view it didn’t, there was no point in adding another material.

So now you know about something we tried and decided not to do.  All the 95/5 material we ordered and the headjoints we made are being melted down for us by our refiner.

The "Stand In"

We stopped by the finishing department this week and saw something particularly interesting at flute finisher Matt Keller's bench.  It looked like a metal flute body with extra ribs going in odd directions. It was also on a flute peg right next to a grenadilla Custom flute that Matt was finishing, so we had to had ask, "What's this?"

Well, it turns out that this ribbed metal "body" is actually a "stand in" to polish the ribs that go on the grenadilla flute.  Matt needed to polish the ribs as part of the finishing process, but he could not polish them on the wooden body.  Definitely not.  If you think about it, metal flutes have ribs that are soldered onto the body. Since the body is also metal, the body and ribs are polished together on a wheel that is spinning very, very quickly.  Although the image below is a photo and not a video, it helps in visualizing the polishing process for metal flutes:

With the wheel spinning so quickly, it's certainly not a good idea to have the wooden body anywhere close...  Also, the ribs are screwed on to the body of the grenadilla flute, so they can be screwed onto the metal "stand in" body, polished, unscrewed, and then screwed onto the wooden body.  Matt and our Repair Technician, Rachel Baker, tell us that once the ribs are screwed onto a grenadilla flute or piccolo, they have to stay!  Why?  Well, taking them on and off again and again can really weaken the wood and lead to more problems.

Matt told us that all of the ribs for the grenadilla body and footjoint are all on the "stand in."  So, the "stand in" might look a bit odd, but it truly is helpful for polishing the ribs that go on a grenadilla flute!

Close-up of the wooden flute body (which is upside down),
footjoint, and the "stand in."

Tools of the Trade Part 1 - The Scraper Blade

In several of our posts here on Flute Builder, we've had the chance to discuss and share photos of various parts of the headjoint cutting process.  This week, we stopped in to the headjoint cutting room and took a short video of headjoint cutter and flute finisher, Lindsey McChord.  In this first video (of many we plan to film), Lindsey talks about one of the most important tools she uses, the "scraper blade."

Inline or Offset G

Left to right: 14k Custom with inline G, 19.5k Custom with offset G.

One of the standard options for a Powell flute is to have either an inline G or offset G.  For some, the choice may be simple.  For instance, if your fingers are not long enough to play an inline G flute comfortably, you'll probably choose the offset G.  But, is there a difference in sound between a flute with an inline G and one with an offset G?  We asked Steven Wasser, President of Verne Q. Powell Flutes, if he could shed light on this topic.  His response is as follows:

Because a flute is not an efficient converter of your air stream into sound, the tiniest things can make a difference in response and acoustics.  If we had a keyless flute where the only choice was to position the G tone hole in-line or offset, there would be no difference in intonation or response.  However, the presence of the offset G key requires a small additional rib, and additional keywork.  The independent G keys, with their additional mechanism, add a small amount of mass to the flute.  All other things being equal (ceteris paribus, as the economists like to say), there will be a slight acoustical difference between an in-line and offset G flute.  The difference is likely to be so subtle that it is not material, and my suggestion would be to go with whichever mechanism is most comfortable for you.

So, now we know the answer!  As mentioned in the introduction, the option of inline or offset G is available on all Powell flutes, including Powell Sonaré models.  Follow this link to view additional information on the Powell and Powell Sonaré flute models.

Close-up on 14k flute with inline G.

Close-up on 19.5k flute with offset G.  The yellow line outlines the side of the extra mechanism tubing that is part of the additional keywork for the offset G.

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

The Low Bb - Powell #4871

Looking through our archives this week, we spotted a very unusual flute -- Powell #4871.  It was made in 1976, and the most distinguishing feature of this flute is its low Bb!  The flute was made of sterling silver and had the following specs: soldered tone holes, .014" tubing, Cooper Scale, French cups, offset G, split-E, and a C# trill.

The low Bb is operated by a left hand lever which closes the key cup.  You'll see this outlined in the photos below.  Powell's repair technician, Rachel Baker, mentioned that it was most likely positioned there because there would not be enough room next to the C and B rollers on the footjoint.  Also, the C# trill key on this flute has a different shape and is positioned differently than a traditional C# trill key.  The C# trill key here is quite long in comparison and is located below the Bb shake (rather than above, which is where it is normally located).

Enjoy the photos below of this very unusual Powell!

Close-up on the footjoint (tone hole closest to bottom of footjoint is the Bb).

Low Bb is operated by a left hand lever (next to G# key).

No room next to B and C rollers for an extra key!

Green arrow points to low Bb key, red to Bb shake, yellow to C# trill.

A different flute for comparison.  Blue arrow points to a traditional C# trill, red arrow to Bb shake.

Close-up on serial number.

Authorized Powell Dealers: Access and Service

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

Once upon a time you either had to come to Boston to try flutes or wait for the National Flute Association convention.  Times have changed.  There are numerous, regional flute shows throughout the year, and several flute specialty shops in the United States stock professional flutes.

Powell has its own demo inventory of about 20 instruments, and we offer a trial program for those flutists who live in areas where there is no authorized Powell dealer or where the flutist prefers to work directly with us.  Powell instruments are also available through a carefully selected dealer network, primarily consisting of flute specialty shops.  Our demo inventory is normally busy traveling to various flute shows around the world or is being sent out on trial, so having a dealer network creates access for you to a substantial pool of immediately available instruments. 

Although we ship trial instruments around the country, shipping takes time if we even have an instrument available to ship.  Those flutists located in areas where we have authorized dealers can benefit by having immediate access to qualified, local service.  To find your nearest Powell dealer please refer to the dealer locator on our web site:  https://powellflutes.com/dealer.

If there is no authorized Powell dealer in your area, you may schedule a trial directly through Powell by completing our online trial request form: https://powellflutes.com/flutes/schedule-trial.

The Powell Pin

In a recent post, we shared a 1974 Powell pricelist (which you can view by following this link) and noticed that a "flute pin" was on the list.  We were very curious and had not seen any in the shop -- until now.  Powell's Repair Technician, Rachel Baker, had a customer who owned one of them!

Maureen McKibben came to the Powell shop in 1963 to purchase her Commercial model flute and received the pin as a souvenir of her visit.  This month, when she sent her flute in for regular maintenance, she included the pin for us to see.  The actual pin is about three inches long and is made of sterling silver.  As you'll see in the photos below, the flute on the front of the pin is quite detailed!  We would like to thank Mrs. McKibben for sharing this very special memento with us fifty-two years after she received it!

Front of pin

Side of pin

Back of pin (with sterling indication)

 

Aurumite Headjoints

Aurumite 14k Custom

If you've attended a convention like the NFA, you'll know that the Powell booth is filled with many flutes, piccolos, and headjoints to try.  The selection is vast, and we certainly want visitors to try different things.  But have you ever found yourself selecting a flute and headjoint combination to try, only to discover that the headjoint would not fit into the flute?  If so, you may have had a combination of an Aurumite 14k Custom flute and a silver headjoint.

Why would the silver headjoint not fit into the Aurumite 14k Custom flute?  Well, in a previous post (available through this link), we discovered that the .018" silver Custom does not have a .018" headjoint -- it has a .016" headjoint (and .016" barrel).  With an Aurumite 14k Custom, the flute has a thickness of .016," but its headjoint has a thickness of .014" -- and a barrel thickness of .014" to fit the headjoint.  The headjoint and barrel are made from the exact same Aurumite material as the flute (silver on the outside and 14k rose gold on the inside) -- they just have a different thickness.  Since the Aurumite 14k Custom has a .014"  barrel to fit the .014" headjoint, a silver headjoint of .016" thickness would be too big. 

As for the other Aurumite flutes, the headjoint and body thicknesses are the same, so the barrel is as well.  The Ruby Aurumite Custom has a .016" headjoint, barrel, and body.  The Aurumite 9k Conservatory also has a  .016" headjoint, barrel, and body.  In these cases, a silver headjoint of .016" thickness would fit. 

What is the reasoning behind the Aurumite 14k Custom flute having a .016" body and .014" headjoint?  It is actually the same as the case with the .018" silver Custom.  It's all about sound and response.  When the Aurumite 14k Custom was developed, different headjoint thicknesses were tested, and the best sound, resonance, and response came from choosing a .014" headjoint for the .016" body!

Aurumite 9k Conservatory

Ruby Aurumite Custom

The "Original Crown"

This week, we met with Powell sales associate Daniel Sharp to talk about crowns.  In his travels to flute fairs, he has been asked if Powell still makes the "original crown" or "old crown." So, what exactly is the design of the "original" or "old" crown? We discovered it was quite different than many flutists may be picturing...

Daniel shared that Verne Q. Powell modeled his earliest flute crowns after the Louis Lot crown.  In the photo below, we see the crown from Louis Lot #6412, made in 1898:

Photo courtesy of National Music Museum.

Taking a look at Powell #4, we can see the similarity:

However, many flutists are familiar with a style of Powell crowns with two knurled rings, as shown in the photo below with Toshiko Kohno, former principal flutist of the National Symphony Orchestra.  Her flute was made in 1969.

Although we do not have an exact date for when Powell began using this two-ringed design, we can tell that the design dates at least as far back as 1938.  In the photo below on the far left, we see a headjoint from 1938 with a lip plate engraved by Verne Q. Powell.  To the right of this headjoint are two recently made Powell Signature headjoints.  This two-ringed design is currently used on all Powell Signature headjoint crowns.  It is the design that most people are familiar with and consider to be the "original" or "old" crown.

However, in the photo below, we see a Powell silver crown that is currently made for Powell Custom headjoints.

The final photo below shows the current silver Custom crown next to a current Signature crown (on the headjoint).  You'll notice the difference in the two crowns.  The current silver Custom crown resembles the earliest Powell crowns, and the Signature crown resembles the crown with two rings that many people recognize and consider to be the original design.  So, the answer is clearly, "yes!"  We still make the "original" style crown...