Chris Abell head joints

Irish Flute
1

Chris makes replacement headjoints for simple system flutes.
http://www.abellflute.com/head-joint.html

I’ve got one by attrition and it had been on a Pratten flute (original, of course)…and it was okay.

But i’ve set it atop this Rudall/Rose that came in from a “client” and…wow. I’m impressed. I’d never really paid any attention to Chris’ hj work…though I’ve played his whistles for years (and still do).

The hj is very much like a Healy in aesthetics…and I think Skip apprenticed with Chris (skip…true?), whom he’s known for years…but the Abell is quite good of a head piece. The one I have here – a very early #31 – uses arectangluar shaped embouchure with a bevel at the blow edge. But he does offer the typical oval, too.

Anyone else out there use an Abell hj on their flute?

dm

2

I’m interested too, I’m watching an Abell head on eBay now, to use on my Altus flute.

3

David,
I just posted two examples of an Abel hj on my (formerly your) Hudson Pratten. I happen to like the sound. Haven’t done any checking of tuning , but I do seem to have to pull it out about a 1/2 inch to be at a=440. Just experimenting with it so far…
Arbo

4

Grey Larson has a Chris Abel Head Joint on his Firth, Pond & Co flute. I was able to try in at a workshop a few years back. I was quite impressed with it. When I gave it a try the flute just came to life. This wasn’t the case with the other flutes Grey had with him to try. Often it take me awhile to find the sweat spot on a flute, but not with the Abel head joint I felt I sounded just like Grey.

Tjones

5

The Abel I have came with a Firth, Pond & Co. flute. Wonder if it’s the same as Grey’s?

6

I’ve played one of chris’s classical wooden flutes and it sounds very very good.

7

Jim, did it play at all like a metal flute? I’m trying to get a wooden-flute feel on my metal flute. Years ago I had a Casey Burns keyless flute and loved it.

8

I don’t know much about metal flutes, though I’ve played them.
Chris’s flute was all wood with boehm keys, it sounded very
lovely (exceptionally) in a wooden flutey way. How it would have sounded
with just the headjoint on a metal flute I don’t know,
but I think his work is immensely good. You might
write to or talk to Chris himself and ask what
he thinks. Nice fellow.

9

Thanks, I’ll write to him.

10

He’s a great guy, I recently ordered a high D whistle in Cocuswood…

11

His headjoints are really nice. I do prefer the oval one over the rectangular hole. It gives it more of a richer tone. It was also very easy to produce a nice sound on it. I was very impressed with it. That bevel on the blowpiece really gives it power and richness.

And yes, Skip Healy did work for Chris years back.