What you describe sounds quite close to the rectangular embouchure hole of my original HF Meyer flute, pictured below. The long axis of this embouchure hole is 11.4 mm, so the relatively straight portion of the embouchure edge is probably quite close to 8mm.Terry McGee wrote: ↑Mon Jan 01, 2024 5:23 pm It would be interesting to make or experience a "less-rounded-corners" rectangular hole with say an 8mm straight bit to see if we gain anything further, or start to lose because perhaps we can't service an 8mm wide strip, and it just includes too much waste space? Anyone got one they can try and report back on?
This flute plays very well. There isn't really a problem of losing because we can't service the wide strip. In fact, I don't think you need to service the whole strip. You could probably hit any portion of it and still get a nice tone. But it does have a subtly different tone to those early English flutes with the rounder embouchure. But of course, it also has a different bore, tone hole matrix, etc.
It is a lovely flute, just different in both voice and playing experience. I don't think I could really put into words precisely how it differs though. It is very payable, forgiving, loud, etc, but does it have that characteristic sound you are chasing that initially only exists in your mind's ear? For me, not quite. But we are certainly well within the realm of subjective preferences. I wouldn't claim that there is anything wrong with this flute. Quite the opposite, in fact. It is a design that inspired more copies than any other flute in history, probably by several orders of magnitude. It'll certainly work for ITM, but it isn't quite what I prefer for ITM.