Geoghegan Headjoints

Geoghegan Headjoints, created by engineer Michael Geoghegan, employ some of the most innovative techniques and materials used in flute construction today.

With a variety of unusual metals, fastening materials, and modified cork assemblies, Geoghegan headjoint modifications are designed to improve pitch consistency across all three octaves and enhance the ease of tone color shifts, tonguing, and octave jumps while preventing splitting or cracking notes.

Additionally, Geoghegan offers the special Elan headjoint - directed towards the young beginning player, the Elan focuses on easing intonation troubles and smoothing embouchure transitions.

The Innovations

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Metals

Geoghegan headjoints can be constructed of the more usual sterling silver and 14k rose gold, but they can also be constructed of propietary tantalum and niobium. These two metals are refractory metals - metals with similar qualities to gold, silver, and platinum, but with greater density and hardness.

TANTALUM Exclusive to Geoghegan headjoints, Tantalum provides a unique tonal spectrum. This headjoint produces both a sweet and a pure quiet sound in all registers - though it can switch on a dime and produce an enormous sound when needed. The range of dynamics and tone colors are greatly exaggerated.

NIOBIUM An alloy that is slightly lighter than Tantalum, with the same tonal characteristics but less overall weight and power.

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Power Bands

The lip plates of Geoghegan headjoints with power bands are not soldered to the tube - instead, they're held securely in place by the bands. This is necessary for Tantalum and Niobium, as these metals cannot be soldered, but standard silver and gold headjoints can also be constructed with power bands.

The use of power bands instead of soldering both preserves the tube quality - enhancing resonance - while adding more weight and depth to your sound.

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Cork Assembly

Geoghegan cork assemblies are unique among flute headjoints. With brass in the crown, and an added brass weight in the assembly, Geoghegan headjoints are heavy. This added weight greatly enhances resonance tone depth.

Geoghegan assemblies are also made without cork. Instead, high-quality rubber is used for consistency and ease of maintenance, and will last for years without needing special attention.