Just one - it is the best possible flute I can make. There are however
several options.
When I started up in 1983, in partnership with the silversmith and headjoint
maker John Webb, we decided to try to make a modern flute with some of the
characteristics of the best 19th-century instruments. We had in mind
particularly the flutes of Louis Lot, which were (and still are) much in
demand by the leading London players. These tend to have thin tubes and very
light keywork, which being made of silver is relatively soft and easily
damaged. The tubes of these old flutes of course need retuning before they
can be played in a modern orchestra, but there is little doubt that they
have a specially beautiful sound. Our flutes were therefore to be light in
weight, although strongly built, and rather different from the typical heavy
American flute of today. We wanted them to be as responsive as possible, easy to play and full of tonal colour.
Stainless steel has about 75% the density of silver, but as it is nearly
three times stiffer the actual amount of metal used can be much reduced,
while maintaining reasonable strength. Stainless steel is also much harder
than either silver or gold and extremely resistant to corrosion.
A further
weight reduction can be achieved by cutting away the top surface of each key
and inlaying a piece of hard polished plastic (inlaid keys are an optional
extra). As the weight of each key is reduced so is its inertia - this leads
to a more rapid response, and can be combined with lighter springing if
desired. A further advantage of the black inlay is a really nice feel, warmer and more secure than metal.
The normal Boehm system of pivoting is used, again to keep weight to the minimum while keys have
maximum freedom of movement. Point screws and rods are hardened to reduce
wear, a feature rarely found on other makes. The system can be described as partly "pinless"
because in place of some of the usual tapered cross pins to fix certain keys to
their rods we use hardened miniature socket screws. Pins are used for the more
permanent fixings such as the adjustment screw block in the right hand section (
see photo below in section on adjustment screws) This lightweight keywork definitely has a beneficial effect on both sound
quality and responsiveness; the tube seems to become more resonant and
articulation is easier.
Stainless steel is cheaper than silver (although not much!) but it is very
hard to work. Different methods have to be used, such as laser cutting. The
increased labour costs offset the small saving in material costs.
I use mostly a 442 scale devised by William Bennett. Woodwind tuning is always a compromise but this scale seems to be about as
good as it is possible to get. It has certainly satisfied many leading
players who have commented favourably on it. I have derived from it a 440 version and a 444.
I notice that you don't make headjoints. What is the reason behind that?
Do you recommend any particular make to go with your flutes?
The reason is partly historical: when John Webb and I started he did all the
silver work and was well known for his excellent heads. He has now retired,
and I don't consider myself a good enough player to test a head properly as
work proceeds. The world is awash with good heads nowadays, and most of my
customers either already own a favourite head or like to trawl the shops at
leisure. Few professionals play with the same make of head and body anyway!
Choice of head is obviously very subjective, but I can safely recommend
those of Ian McLauchlan who offers a wide selection. He can be contacted via
his own web site or at Just
Flutes, Croydon, UK (tel +44-(0) 20-8662-8400).
Yes indeed. Provided the keys open far enough a covered hole flute is just
as good as an open hole one, and costs the same. Open hole flutes are
more prone to leakage. See The Flute
Ferret
The offset arrangement is mechanically more reliable and for most people
gives a more logical finger position; in-line G can be quite a stretch. The
in-line pattern is possibly more elegant, more French and slightly lighter.
Split E mechanisms are not often found on in-line flutes owing to the
possibility of sticking keys, although with good engineering this problem
can be overcome. I offer a semi-offset G model which attempts to please
everybody and has become my most popular
All steel keywork detail with no black inlay. 
Nearly all my customers have been either professionals or music students,
but I wouldn't want that to sound exclusive: some of them have been amateurs
and even one or two beginners! A number of my flutes are played regularly in
top British orchestras.
Yes they do. I have done many experiments with synthetic materials, but long
ago came to the conclusion that wool and skin work best and give
the right sound. Cup design is crucial and mine have perfectly flat machined
seatings for the pads. This makes padding easier and much more reliable.
There is therefore no need for high tech pads, good quality standard ones are
fine. A further improvement has been to redesign the open hole pad grommet,
so that it is easily removed without damage to the pad. (Most other grommets
I have encountered have been difficult to remove without deforming the pad or
even nicking the skin). These improvements also make it less likely that
leakage can occur around the back of the pad. This kind of leak is not
detectable by the usual methods so often goes uncorrected. See The
Flute Ferret
Adjustment screws have acquired a bad name for three reasons: they are usually placed too near the key axis which in combination with a coarse thread means that a small turn of the screw is geared up to a large movement of the key, so accurate adjustment is very difficult and short-lived. The second reason is that they tend to work loose, and the third is that they always have pointed ends which soon bite through the little plastic cushions, which results in mechanical clatter.
The alternative, screwless clutch found on most handmade flutes works well until adjustment is required. This usually involves tiny bits of cigarette paper, a good deal of expert's time and probably bad temper. The original French design where the clutch is placed right up under the key is still found on many modern flutes. Such poor geometry at least provides a steady income for the repair trade!
I have tackled these problems to produce an adjustment screw which really works. It has a special fine thread, is set as far as possible away from the key axis and has a broad contact area with the clutch plate. Each screw is carefully fitted to ensure the correct turning torque. This is an engineering solution resulting in a quiet, positive action, which can easily be adjusted with great precision when necessary.
Yes, several variations are possible particularly of footjoint keys.
Naturally I do my best to provide my customers with exactly what they need.
These flutes have been around for a long time now, since 1983 in fact, and
many have gone abroad, so some of the repairers have learned to work on
them. The only practical difference is that stainless steel is harder than
the more usual metals. I offer a free service within the first year of
purchase and recommend an annual service after that. All mechanisms in
constant use suffer wear and tear but in general the stainless steel action
is proving highly reliable and long lasting. (See the Service link for further details.)
