Headjoints

Renowned for producing the trademark Altus sound, Altus handcrafted headjoints are offered with three different cuts and a variety of tubing material including .925 Sterling silver, .958 Britannia silver, .958 seamed Britannia silver, .997 Pure Silver, Altus .946 Silver™, and 14k Gold**. Options include 14k Gold riser, 14k Gold lip plate and riser, heavy wall tubing*, and 18k Gold or Platinum Atsui plating.

Headjoint Cuts

The Altus Classic Cut – Known for producing the classic Altus sound, the Classic Cut provides warmth with a pure tonal center and excellent projection with flexibility and an infinite color palette.

The Altus Z-Cut™ – Has an open and free sound with a darker tonal color. The Z-Cut™ has a more rectangular embouchure hole with minimum over and undercutting, producing a quick response without sacrificing flexibility and control.

The Altus V-Cut – is capable of producing exceptional depth without sacrificing flexibility. The V-Cut is one of Altus most powerful headjoints, and features a high front wall and steep angled lip plate.

Alloys

Sterling 925 Silver – Comprised of 92.5% silver, Sterling has long been the industry standard for making high quality flutes.

Britannia 958 Silver – A traditionally created silver alloy composed of 95.8% silver. The remaining common metals balance a dark, rich tonal color without sacrificing brilliance.

Altus 946 Silver™ – The proprietary Altus Limited (AL) alloy combines silver with the world’s finest precious metals. It is a perfectly engineered blend consisting of 94.6% silver and 18 precious metals, including small amounts of platinum and gold. Inspired by the preferred metallurgy of the great French flute making tradition, Altus silver was designed specifically for seamed tube creation. Altus silver provides the correct silver blend for extensive hand forming and represents the high art in flute making available today. This results in a flute capable of producing a wide array of complex tonal colors.

Pure 997 Silver – The exclusive powdered Pure Silver (PS) tube is made possible only through highly innovative sinter technology. Normally, pure silver is too soft for successful flute tube production because it requires trace amounts of harder metals in the alloy to give it sufficient strength. The traditional method of creating a melted metal alloy results in pure silver tubes unsuitable for flute making. Sinter technology creates hard tubes of pure silver by compacting the silver under great pressure without melting it into a soft alloy. This unique process produces a dense and brilliant hard silver tube with supreme projecting qualities.

14K Gold – This karat is the most widely preferred gold alloy with sufficient density allowing a standard thin gold tube. 14K gold’s tone color is dark and warm and its response is both flexible and pure.

Tubing

Seamed Tubing – Made from a flat piece of metal that is rolled, hand planished, and then seamed.

Sintered Tubing – A process unique to Altus where powdered silver metal is compacted at a higher temperature to fuse particles together directly into a rigid tube.

Extruded Tubing – Metal is drawn over a mandrel through a precise die to form a tube. This construction is the modern standard in the flute industry.

Atsui Finish

In Japanese, Atsui means hot or deep, powerful, and strong. By adding a layer of precious metal, many unique possibilities can be created to deliver unprecedented power infusing intensity into any score. The existing tube is clad with a thick layer of either 18K Gold or Platinum.

* Not available on .958 Britannia Silver Seamed, .997 Pure Silver or .946 Altus Silver™

** 14k Gold headjoint prices are available on request.

This 30 degree angled headjoint by Bertrem Flutes is an ergonomic solution to the physical pains that could come from playing a transverse flute. Adjusting the angle down 30 degrees eases tension in the shoulders and wrists. 

Bertrem's design, with this silver angled headjoint, allows the flutist to play more comfortably while still projecting their best sound. 

This vertically angled headjoint by Bertrem Flutes is an ergonomic solution to the physical pains that could come from playing a transverse flute. Adjusting the angle down to a complete vertical angle eases tension in the shoulders and wrists, allowing the flutist to play directly in front of them. 

Bertrem's design, with this silver angled headjoint, allows the flutist to play more comfortably while still projecting their best sound. 

Brannen Brothers Headjoints are based on the research and designs of their late Vice President emeritus, Albert Cooper. Each model listed can be ordered in one of the headjoint styles described below.

Headjoint Cuts

Epoch

This headjoint is the most projecting and responsive style of the Brannen headjoint styles and the least resistant.

Modern Cooper

This headjoint is powerful, free-blowing and extremely responsive, especially in the low register. It covers a wide range of tone colors.

Modified Cooper

This headjoint is a combination of Classic Cooper and Modern Cooper elements. It is responsive with a full tonal color palette. It offers slightly more resistance than the Modern Cooper Style.

Lillian Burkart has an international reputation for headjoints that spans decades. Her devotion to her loyal clientele has converted many Burkart headjoint players into Burkart flute players.

By listening to the needs of flutists, Burkart has developed an awareness of changes in players' sensibilities regarding sound production and response. This awareness drives the design of the headjoint. The Burkart design allows for flexibility in embouchure cut, enabling our headjoint maker to meet the varying demands and tastes of all players.

Whether your need is for a powerful, rich headjoint with projection in the orchestral environment, or a sweet and intimate sound for chamber music, the appropriate headjoint is made at Burkart.

A wide selection of metals and geometries allows us to offer the player a palate of timbral colors. These include silver, gold and platinum tubes, multiple choices of riser and lip plate material and choice of style (cut).

Headjoint styles:

S4 - This embouchure, derived from a traditional style, produces a pure, warm sound. It is noted for its flexibility in air stream direction and expressiveness, evenness in all three octaves, and effortless articulation. The stability and ease of play allow for nuances within a wide pallet of color for a sound full of brilliant richness and depth.

M2 - This unique cut is Lillian Burkart's most innovative. The air stream is quickly excited and the player achieves exceptional response and projection. The embouchure shape focuses the tone, resulting in a clear, clean, and very directed flute sound. All three octaves have a ringing resonance and a dark core. The M2 model provides an unprecedented dynamic range and powerful low register.

Each Lillian Burkart designed, African grenadilla wood, piccolo headjoint meets our requirements for acoustical warmth, hardness, density and, with proper management, stability. The world's finest grenadilla is selected for the Burkart piccolo headjoints. Our aging process is unmatched and includes selection, curing, turning, drilling and, most of all, time. Headjoints are available in the following cuts.

Burkart - The rectangular shape of this embouchure is slightly overcut at the sides of the embouchure hole for an open, "flute-like" sound that blends well in ensembles. A most flexible headjoint style, it can be pushed to the extremes of fortissimo high notes without being shrill, and can produce a colorful, sustained diminuendo.

Clarion - This relatively small embouchure hole, with modest rounding of the edges, is reminiscent of early French and German piccolos. The tone it produces is very focused and sweet. For players using a small aperture when playing, it will have the most stable, clear tone of the various headjoint styles.

Wave - The headjoint profile is carved with a slightly higher front wall (the blowing edge) and lower back wall against which the chin rests. It produces a very rich, clean, projecting tone, with easy control of dynamics. The low register is very focused, enabling good projection and articulation.

General - Emanuel Headjoint

The Emanuel Flute, introduced in 1991, is known to top flutists as an instrument that both delights and challenges. With carefully studied, faithfully rendered design, and consistently precise construction, Emanuel’s flutes and headjoints allow the professional player to explore their full dynamic and expressive range. The Emanuel Flute’s colorful sound projects well in demanding orchestral settings, and blends its singing tone in ensemble playing of all types. That’s the simple claim that was made in 1991, and it remains true today.

Emanuel Arista builds flutes like no other instrument-maker in the United States today. Flutes are commissioned by, and built for, an individual. Emanuel doesn’t assemble flute components brought in from unnamed manufacturers and doesn’t dilute his time or energy with outsourcing. Flute parts are designed and produced in Emanuel’s home-based workshop.

Models and Pricing - Emanuel Headjoint

Upgrades - Emanuel Headjoint

General - Geoghegan Headjoint

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

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.

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.

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.

Models and Pricing

For well over 200 years, handmade wood piccolos from the Philipp Hammig workshop have been recognized as instruments of superior design, innovation, and craftsmanship. Acclaimed for their rich, deep tonal character, Hammig Piccolo headjoints are crafted of the finest seasoned African Grenadilla and Cocus woods. Choose from any of the headjoint styles or cuts shown below. Cocus wood piccolo headjoints are only available on Cocus wood piccolos and are not sold separately.

Headjoint Styles - Hammig Headjoint Piccolo

Models and Pricing - Hammig Headjoint Piccolo

Redesigned in 2011 with the help of Bickford Brannen, Eva Kingma redesigned her alto flutes, creating a light and elegant mechanism. The keys feature open holes, one of the only alto flutes of its kind. This allows for different timbral affects and fingerings, opening a whole new range of repertoire for the alto flutist.

The body and headjoint of the flute are solid silver with soldered tone holes, and padded with Straubinger pads. To limit the weight, silver-plating is used for the mechanism.

Kingma & Brannen Open Hole Alto flute #170 has pointed arms, a B footjoint, and both straight and curved headjoints.

Please inquire further for availability.

J. Rainer Lafin's Lafin Headjoints enjoy a top reputation worldwide, thanks to their maker's deep attention to detail and his experience with top musicians under Karajan, Nicolet, and others in the Berlin Philharmonic and Berlin Orchestras.

Late in the 20th Century, Lafin came to the States and worked with Brannen Brothers' Albert Cooper to develop his signature headjoint, then returned in 2008 to spend significant time training Brannen Brothers headjoint makers to craft Lafin Headjoints to his exacting professional standards. These are not Lafin-style headjoints or Brannen-Lafin Headjoints; they are authentic Lafin Headjoints, made in signature style with the Adler Wings.

To this day, Lafin constantly experiments with new ideas to improve the playing characteristics of his headjoints. As a result, the actual design of Lafin Headjoints changes slightly with some frequency in an ongoing effort to make flutes play even better.

Tube and Lip Plate Metals

All Lafin headjoints come standard with 14k rose gold Adler Wings and 14k rose gold risers, with an optional upgrade to a platinum riser. However, the tubing material, lip plate, and crown can all be customized.

STERLING SILVER The lightest and most brilliant of the tubing options, with plenty of shimmer. This can be paired with a sterling silver lip plate or a 14k rose gold lip plate.

15/85 Combining the characteristics of silver and gold, this 15% gold/85% silver alloy offers a very direct response and great carrying power, with plenty of brilliance. This can be paired with a sterling silver lip plate or a 14k rose gold lip plate.

14K ROSE GOLD A distinctively Lafin choice, 14k gold features a very warm, modulating sound. Paired with a 14k rose gold lip plate.

18K ROSE GOLD Offering the warmest and most carrying sound of the Lafin metals, Rainier Lafin describes his 18k headjoints as 'incomparably charming'. Paired with a 14k rose gold lip plate as well as a 14k rose gold crown.

22K YELLOW GOLD A well-balanced richness and warmth combine with extreme brilliance and projection, with more available nuances. Paired with a 14k rose gold lip plate as well as a 14k rose gold crown.

PLATINUM With a very individual personality, the platinum headjoint offers the artist much more resistance, but rewards with the largest carrying quality. Paired with a 14k rose gold lip plate as well as a 14k rose gold crown.

Adler Wings

Adler Wings are small winged-shaped plates of metal - in this case, 14k rose gold - placed on either side of the emouchure hole to improve low harmonics and responsiveness without damaging the high register. A modified form of the Adler Wings are found on Muramatsu's Tsubasa headjoints and on some custom Powell headjoints.

Mancke Flute Headjoint - 14k Gold tubing, lip plate and riser with a Sterling silver crown.

14k lip plate and riser: Traditional gold sound; tends toward darker tone and a more complex interior sound.

Platinum riser: Tends towards a darker, harder sound and crisper response.

Mancke Flute Headjoint - 14k Gold tubing with Cocobolo wood lip plate and riser, Sterling silver crown and cork plate.

Wooden lip plates tend to add some aspect of their wooden sound to the headjoint.

Mancke Flute Headjoint - 14k Gold tubing with Cocuswood lip plate and riser, Sterling silver crown and cork plate.

Wooden lip plates tend to add some aspect of their wooden sound to the headjoint.

Mancke Flute Headjoint - 14k Gold tubing with Grenadilla wood lip plate and riser, Sterling silver crown and cork plate.

Wooden lip plates tend to add some aspect of their wooden sound to the headjoint; this grenadilla lip plate is the traditional wood, typically with full sound and good projection.

Mancke Flute Headjoint - 14k Gold tubing with Kingwood lip plate and riser, Sterling silver crown and cork plate.

Wooden lip plates tend to add some aspect of their wooden sound to the headjoint.

Mancke Flute Headjoint - 14k Gold tubing with a Mopane wood lip plate and riser, Sterling silver crown and cork plate

Wooden lip plates tend to add some aspect of their wooden sound to the headjoint.

Mancke Flute Headjoint - 14k Gold tubing with Pink Ivory wood lip plate and riser, Sterling silver crown and cork plate.

Wooden lip plates tend to add some aspect of their wooden sound to the headjoint.

Mancke Flute Headjoint - 18k gold tubing, 14k Gold lip plate and riser with Sterling silver crown and cork plate.

Mancke Flute Headjoint - 9k Gold tubing with a 14k Gold lip plate and riser, Sterling silver crown and cork plate.