Lindsey's Flutes

Powell Silver Handmade Custom

If you follow our Flute Builder blog, you're probably familiar with the name Lindsey McChord.  Lindsey is a flute finisher and headjoint cutter for Powell who has shared so much with us on the flute  and headjoint making processes.  In addition to her flute-making skills, Lindsey is also a professionally-trained flutist. She majored in flute performance for her undergraduate and graduate studies, receiving her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of New Hampshire and her Master of Music from the Longy School of Music.  Lindsey is a devoted Powell player, but we were curious about the history of her flutes -- from her days as a beginner until now.  How many did she have?  What were they like?  We sat down with Lindsey to find out...

Lindsey began playing the flute in the 5th grade, and at that time, her school provided her with a traditional student flute with closed hole keys.  She told us that, unfortunately, it didn't make playing the flute very easy, sharing, "I'm surprised I even chose to stick with the flute!"  But, luckily, she did, and she found a private teacher who encouraged her to get a step-up flute.  She went to the local music store and picked up an intermediate model of a popular student brand.  This flute, however, had a sterling silver headjoint and body.  She recalled more of the specs -- "silver-plated open-hole keys, split-E, offset G, and a B foot."  Another feature of the flute that caught her eye was the gold-plated, engraved lip plate.  Although this was an intermediate flute, it got her into college and made it possible for her to play very advanced repertoire.  

After her freshman year of college, Lindsey knew it was time for a professional, handmade flute.  She traveled to the Powell shop in Maynard, Massachusetts, and once she picked up a handmade Powell Custom, she noticed a huge difference.  She said the Powell made it "apparent just how hard I had been working with my other flute to get it to work for me," and it was definitely time for a professional flute.

Lindsey told us that when she initially visited the Powell shop, she was able to take a .018' heavy wall silver Powell Custom out on trial.  She knew it was the right flute for her, commenting that it "had the right amount of mass and felt like a real instrument in my hands."  She had tried .014' silver flutes from other flute makers and felt that they were simply too thin.  Lindsey felt that the silver was perfect for her -- it had a big sound that was also a bit darker. It was never shrill or bright but also not too dark.  She told us that she fell in love with a silver Boston cut Powell headjoint with a 14k riser, noting that this riser gave the flute an added darkness that made it perfect.  Although she selected that headjoint right away on her first visit to the shop, she told us that she "came back many times to see if there was anything else, but that was always the one."  

After much time with the demo and several trips to the shop, Lindsey ordered a brand new .018' silver Powell Custom.  She was able to pair it with the Boston headjoint that she loved, and she was also able to get one additional special customization. Lindsey told us that she had trouble reaching the D# key, so she asked if Powell could make that one key just a bit bigger so that she would be able to reach it comfortably.  She said that Powell agreed and that it was no problem at all.  So, Lindsey was set with a truly customized flute suited perfectly to her!

During the process of selecting a flute at Powell, Lindsey worked with Christina Cobas, who is now Powell's Marketing Director. You may recall seeing Christina's name in a previous post we did about her own "history of flutes," which you can read by following this link to the post, titled "Christina's Flutes."   Lindsey said, "I really enjoyed working with Christina, and I thought the customer service at Powell was terrific.  It really made a difference." We're so glad that Lindsey found her perfect flute at Powell and even happier that she came to work for Powell -- making flutes that will be "the one" for many more flutists!

"Silver and Gold" with Paul Edmund-Davies

There is a rather large selection of materials when it comes to flutes – and headjoints.  The multitude of choices between silver and gold (along with the different karats and types such as rose or yellow gold) can make choosing your flute and headjoint a daunting task.  Some flutists then wonder if one type of material is better than another.  Luckily, we had the chance to speak with Powell artist Paul Edmund-Davies about this topic during his recent visit to Powell…

Paul has two Powell flutes – one silver Custom and one 19.5k Custom with a 14k mechanism.  Just like tone holes or any other option on a flute, one type of material is not better than another – the materials are simply different.  Silver and gold each have their unique characteristic qualities, and Paul appreciates these qualities and differences.  From his perspective, he finds that in his own playing, the silver sound is “closest to the human voice,” and the “brilliance of gold is breathtaking.”  And, as he said, it all depends on the player and the player’s preferences.

Powell Custom 19.5k with 14k keys (left) and Powell Custom silver (right)

However, for flutists who are currently playing a silver flute and considering moving over to gold, Paul presented several suggestions on how to experiment with gold.  Since it can be a huge change to shift over to a gold flute, he finds that Aurumite® is a “very good middle ground to investigate gold,” given its composition of one layer of gold and one layer of silver.  In terms of “experimenting” with gold, he suggested the following:

1) Try your silver flute with a silver headjoint that has a gold riser.

2) Try your silver flute with an Aurumite headjoint.

3) Try your silver flute with a gold headjoint.

Even with Aurumite, you will have choices.  The “Aurumite 9k” and “Ruby Aurumite” have rose gold on the outside.  The “Aurumite 14k” has silver on the outside and 14k rose gold on the inside.  Moving along with the progression of steps Paul suggested should, however, give you a logical method for testing just how much gold is right for you!

Purchasing a New Instrument

Cindy Ellis

By Cindy Ellis

Congratulations! You have made the decision to invest in your future as a musician and upgrade your current instrument…and now you have a bewildering array of products to choose from so more decisions need to be made. How to make sense of it all? Here are a few tips!

1.     Decide on a Budget: I always wish that there was a fairy godmother who could wave her wand and grant us the instrument of our dreams…since our dreams know no boundaries, the budget would not be of any consequence! However, back to reality: most of us do have to work within a budget, so realistically decide how much money you have to spend. You will be able to upgrade within your economic means as there are so many instruments to choose from today. It also helps to consider where you are in your musical growth: is this a step up instrument for a high school student? (in other words, are you moving up from your first student flute)? Are you upgrading because you are serious about your studies and need an instrument that can take you into the college audition phase? Are you in college and buying your first professional flute? Are you an amateur buying your first ‘grown up’ flute now that the kids are out of college? Each scenario is different so the process of purchasing an instrument will be different.

2.     Prioritize: it’s not just about options! Getting an instrument that is fully made of precious metals is perhaps the most important thing you can do to improve the quality of your tone. If that is not in your budget, then at LEAST get a solid silver head joint. A fully handmade flute is usually higher priced due to the labor involved, but it is usually a higher quality instrument. Once you make these decisions (which will be determining the instruments prices) there are some options to consider on the body: Open hole (French model), B foot, Offset G key (especially if you have smaller hands), C# trill key (I LOVE this feature as the high G-A trill is superb as a result of this key), and D# roller key.  An open hole flute is really the standard of most professionals today: in fact many contemporary effects require open holes.

The low B foot adds not only the ability to play one note below middle C, it adds the ‘gizmo’ key or high C facilitator, automatically, and the added 1.5 inches of silver give the flute a warmer sound in general. The offset (as opposed to inline) G key is ergonomically helpful and a wonderful option for all to consider: it just feels better to me. IF you have money in the budget for the C# trill, then by all means go for it, and the D# roller is absolutely wonderful to have: I never knew what I was missing before I tried it!

3.     More about Metals: Why the difference? Silver is the most common metal for flutes, but gold, platinum and combinations of metals are available. Some manufactures offer just the riser (the back wall of the embouchure hole) in different metals: it is amazing the difference a platinum riser can make, without the price of an entirely platinum head joint. Gold is lovely to look at but make sure that you are able to handle a heavier metal: it takes more air pressure to make this vibrate. If you are a more experienced player, try a gold headjoint on a silver body: this combination brings you the best of both metals. Some manufacturers layer the metals to get a similar effect.

4.     Keep an open mind: Don’t get ‘tunnel vision’ to a particular brand of flute. Have a trusted friend or your teacher listen to you across the room, and evaluate the flutes without knowing the brand: the results may surprise you. Also, try used flutes: a fine used instrument is less expensive and although maybe not as shiny as a new one, can be a terrific way to find a great flute or piccolo at a reasonable price.

Happy Instrument Shopping!

* To learn more about Cindy, click here to visit her website and here to visit her Powell profile page.