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."

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.

Cutting Piccolo Headjoints - The Wave Headjoint

Last week, headjoint cutter and flute finisher Lindsey McChord told us a bit more about the scraper blade, one of the tools she uses to cut metal flute headjoints.  Working with wooden headjoints requires a different set of tools and involves a much different technique.  In the video below, Lindsey gives us an overview of the process as she begins work on a Powell Wave style piccolo headjoint.

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