For some time now I’ve been trying to create an ideal flute for ITM. Obviously this is a personal and subjective goal because there is no such thing
Of course individual players want different things, but what I really mean is that I’m trying to take note of the qualities that players value the most and blend them into a flute design that is affordable.
The feedback that I’ve received on my Pratten flutes over the last couple of years has been most gratifying, but my more contemporary design has not been to everyone’s taste and it wasn’t the most efficient in terms of my being able to produce them in a price range that is attractive. I set out to remedy that and I’m pleased to share the result of my efforts.
These are still very much the Pratten design. Powerful, clear voice that is great for session play. They are made from resin-stabilized hard maple that I have dyed to achieve an “old-timey boxwood” look. Nickel silver bore rings and integrated foot. The resin treatment makes for a flute with the density of African blackwood.
The unusual feature is the combination joint/tuning slide. I wanted to make a simple, two piece flute that was tunable. So I eliminated the barrel and I created a joint that is made from a nickel silver tenon that fits into a Delrin lined socket. This avoids having a metal-on-metal slide which would probably experience a lot of wear if the player were to take it apart every time they played. It is a precision fit so it acts as a very solid joint and a very functional tuning slide with the same minimized disruption that one gets from a fully metal slide. The only difference is that due to design requirements the metal tenon is in the flute body and the socket is in the head joint. This design does mean that the travel of the slide is somewhat limited, so really radical tuning adjustments are not possible. However, the player can comfortably get about 8mm of travel in either direction to sharp or flat the pitch, which should be plenty for most occasions. The metal and Delrin get along very well with one another, but the player does need to apply cork grease each time they assemble the flute but I'm guessing most of you are used to that.
The inside of the head and body are sealed with a clear coat marine epoxy so they are completely waterproof and require no oiling at all. Plus the bore is as smooth as glass and gives the flute superb response.
Okay, that seems like enough for the sales pitch
Here are some photos!
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