Signature Piccolo Mechanism

Last week, we visited with Signature flute and piccolo stringer Ranjana Ranjana as she was building the pinned Signature flute mechanism.  We also had the chance to speak with her about the Signature piccolo mechanism, which (just like the Signature flute) is pinned.  Why is it pinned and not pinless? Well, it is actually quite simple -- there is not enough room for a pinless mechanism on a piccolo!  As you can imagine, everything is very small on the piccolo mechanism, and there is simply not enough space to create the bridges that a pinless mechanism requires. So, both Signature and Custom Powell piccolos have pinned mechanisms.

As for the process of building a pinned piccolo mechanism, it is basically the same as building a pinned flute mechanism. Ranjana must insert the pins and cut them to length -- making sure that the mechanism components fit and function properly. In the photo below, Ranjana is holding the right hand section of a Signature piccolo mechanism that she was building.  You will see a red arrow pointing to one of the pins that has been inserted but not yet cut to length.  There is a red circle around one of the finished pins (it is at the top of the mechanism, all the way to the right of the red arrow).

Close-up on right hand section.

Just as she does with the Signature flutes, Ranjana solders mechanism components -- including some additional parts for the piccolo keys.  In the photo below, we see a comparison of left and right hand sections in different stages of the building process. The right and left hand sections at the top of the photo were in an early stage, and the sections at the bottom of the photo were further along. We've added red arrows to the sections in the bottom of the photo to point out elements that Ranjana would be finishing on the sections at the top of the photo.  As you can see, the bottom sections have a few more components for the keys, a few pins, and a spring catch.

Once the mechanism is fully done, it will look like this!

The Signature piccolo is made from grenadilla wood and has a sterling silver mechanism.  It is available either with or without a split-E, and the standard headjoint options are the Classic and Wave style headjoints.  Follow this link for more information on the Signature piccolo.

Profiled Piccolo Headjoint

In 1993, Powell introduced a new piccolo headjoint with a "profiled embouchure plate to help provide greater comfort for flutists switching back and forth from flute to piccolo."  This headjoint style was named the "Profiled" headjoint and is one of three piccolo headjoints offered today (Profiled, Wave, and Classic).  Powell's Director of Service and Quality, Rebecca Eckles, spent many years performing professionally on flute and piccolo.  She shared that the Profiled headjoint definitely allows for a "more comfortable transition from flute to piccolo."

Flute finisher Lindsey McChord also cuts headjoints for Powell, and you may remember her name from previous posts -- especially last week's post about cutting wooden flute headjoints. She told us more about cutting the Profiled piccolo headjoint, highlighting its similarities to the wooden flute headjoints, which also have a "profiled" lip plate.  The Profiled piccolo headjoints, just like the wooden headjoints and other piccolo headjoints, are all made from one piece of wood.  Lindsey begins cutting a Profiled piccolo headjoint exactly the way she would for a wooden flute headjoint -- by filing the lip plate until the wall is the correct height. She also uses a gauge on the outside of the lip plate to make sure she has the correct angles for the front and back angles.  After that, she continues cutting and filing as she would with the wooden flute headjoints.  For wooden flute headjoints, there are metal versions of these styles (Soloist and Philharmonic).  One difference between wooden piccolo headjoints and wooden flute headjoints is that there are not metal versions of the three piccolo headjoint styles.

We realize that Lindsey wears many hats in terms of cutting headjoints and finishing flutes, but we know she is also a flutist. So, we asked for her thoughts on the Profiled piccolo headjoint from the player's perspective as well.  Lindsey noted that because of its profiled lip plate, it may be more comfortable for flutists who don't play much piccolo.  She said that often times with other piccolo headjoints, flute players may need to spend time rolling in or out to get the headjoint in the right spot.  With the Profiled piccolo headjoint, she said that one does not have to adjust.  She said, "You can pick up the piccolo, and the headjoint is right where it needs to be."

Piccolo headjoint styles.  Left to right: Classic, Wave, Profiled.