Custom wooden headjoint?

Does anyone have any wooden headjoint, which didn't come with your flute?

I play an old system flute and my wooden headjoint has had it. Needing a new one, but I don't where to get these.

I tried a Guo flute headjoint, but these don't fit. None of the flute centre heads fit and the shop tell me its because my flute is too old.

My headjoint is a double tube - the inner one is 19mm, and the outer tube is 25mm.

Is there an affordable custom wooden headjoint maker who could make something like this?

travel2165
(260 points)

What do you mean by "affordable"? What is your price range?

Custom wood headjoints don't come cheap! But you can definitely get a quality headjoint for about US$650 -- and up. They can be fitted to most flutes.

Check out the following list:

http://www.larrykrantz.com/woodmake.htm

Tonehole
(48 points)

thanks...thats a good place to start!

Affordable means I can afford it. I'll get looking.....!

flutesforlyf
(8 points)

Try contacting this guy - http://template.webbyman.net/candelaria/theproduct.html . Excellent headjoints, I think they start at $300+ and can be silver with wood lip, etc.

Zevang
(491 points)

I have a DiZhao wooden headjoint. Mine has a silver end to fit the tennon of my Muramatsu EX-III.
I was very lucky, because I just experimented both together and they just fit! No adjustments needed.

I don't know if Mr.DiZhao makes the headjoint you need, but I think it's another option for you to try. I'm very happy with mine.

torontoflutist
(4 points)

Howel Roberts makes some beautiful wooden headjoints. I think the Flute Center of New York used to sell them.

www.flutestudio.com

contra448
(686 points)

From waht you say your flute almost certainly has a conical body with a parallel bore head. The modern Boehm flutes have cylindrical body & tapered head. This means that even if you did find something that would fit it is 110% certain that combination would never play in tune. You will need to find a maker to produce a suitable head or keep looking on that well known internet auction site for one.

Tonehole
(48 points)

I hate this website. Everything I write, hangs, and then gets lost when I refresh.

Thanks. The Howell flutes are out of my league. I'm only Grade 8 standard and not conservatory standard!

Thanks for the post - yes I've given up trying to find a flute headjoint (off the rack) to fit. The intonation is worse at the third octave and I don't think it's possible unless I pay a lot.

In any case, I've decided to get a baroque traverso, so I'll get rid of my keyed flutes.

musicman_944
(255 points)

I agree with contra448 that you will not be able to find a suitable replacement that will work and play in tune. In your original posting you said your headjoint has "had it". Could you elaborate - is it broken, cracked, or what? I would bet that your wood headjoint has a metal liner inside it - is that correct? Even if the wood is badly cracked, it CAN still be repaired.

Tonehole
(48 points)

Thanks.

The metal liner of the headjoint is cracked - it goes all the way up.

I've been told that it's not worth repairing and I should just get a new one.

__________________________________________________________________________

Well I've settled on a baroque traverso. I decided to get a student traverso from Aulos in the meantime.

I realise (now) that my broken flute was almost baroque sounding - sweet, and subtle, with warm colour throughout, but without the delicate shading.

The Aulos plastic Stanesby is really good, but I'm failing the 3rd octave F/Fsharp. The instructions do say that is very difficult to do, but I'm surprised it's really this difficult.

When I tried a number of Rottenburgh and Kirst models, there was no problem with the 3rd octave F/Fsharp, but these were much more expensive.

Does anyone else play baroque traverso have any ways around this?

The prices of wooden headjoints are really high. I guess they are specialist equipment. I don't think it's worthwhile contaminating a new headjoint with an average old flute, so I'm going to start from scratch.

Thanks.

Custom wooden headjoint?

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