Most flutes are manufactured with drawn and rolled tone holes. The process involves punching a small pilot h
ole in the flute and using various types of tools to form the tone hole by pulling metal up from the tube. Then the top is milled flat, and the top of the hole is rolled off. Once a flute maker sets up for drawn holes, it is a very efficient and economical way to produce the holes.The process of making soldered holes involves machining the actual hole, then soldering it to the body tube. Once mounted, the hole in the tube is milled out. Makers use different materials to solder the holes. Older flutes are mostly soldered with lead solder. Lead allows for the easy repair of tone holes, but lead usually requires more frequent repair as often leaks form as the lead deteriorates. Silver and Gold solders are used commonly today as a response to the joint leakage problems, but repair of bent tubes and so forth are much more involved. Good news/bad news.
Soldered holes are indicative of the highest order of flute making because of the extra time element involved.Flutes with soldered holes usually range upwards of $8500. This discussion then is of less interest to those buying instruments in lower prices ranges since it is not an option.
People do not always agree on the sound difference between the two. This is partly because one cannot easily compare an instrument with soldered holes and the same exact flute with drawn holes. I'll take a shot at it though. In my experience, the drawn hole flutes play a little freer - with more abandon let's say. The soldered hole flutes play with more reserve. Some musicians view soldered holes as resistant and dark. This is often desirable. Sometimes not.
Wall Thickness
The thickness of silver flutes will usually vary between .014" and .018". Fourteen thousandths considered thin wall, sixteen thousandths being medium wall, and eighteen the heavy wall. In foreign made instruments, we see the metric equivalents which roughly correspond. Metric sizing may result as half steps between the American gauges. 14k and other solid Gold flutes are usually .012".
The thinner wall instruments tend to play "lighter." that is freer and brighter and a little more lively. The heavy wall instruments play with more resistance and darker. The choice is another matter of personal preference, and one cannot disregard the interplay between material, design and wall thickness. For example, a .012" gold tube flute will probably sound darker than a .018" sterling tube. Most flutists settle into the .016" as it covers most of the musical requirements of the majority. Most of the flutes we sell therefore are .016" and as you view the catalog you will see which models offer optional wall thickness.
Gold Springs
Because of the cost of gold, gold springs are found a
s standard on only the more expensive instruments. We can install goldsprings on any model at your request (and at your expense). On most other instruments, the makers use stainless steel. The stainless is very reliable and has a decent feel. I do feel the gold is superior in the feel department though. My experience is that the gold can be adjusted to a lighter tension and still behave as a spring should. I also find that the gold spring offers the same resistance throughout the range of the keys' motion. The resistance increases on a stainless sprung key when pressed.French Arms
The arms of the keys connect the key "cup" (which holds the pad) to the key hinge tube. A typical key has an arm that connects to the back side of the cup. French arms connect at the back and across the top of the key ending in a nice point in the center of the cup. French arms are not found on the keys that have open holes.
French arm keys look elegant and sometimes are dismissed as a cosmetic attraction. I love the look myself, but I carry my respect for the feature beyond good looks. French arms are indicative of a higher level of flute building. They require more skill, time, and more precision. I feel a company that uses pointed keys also needs better technique for padding the instrument because the assembler can not tilt the key to and fro to achieve a proper seal. I find that the musician can play with a nice light touch because the arm takes the pressure of the fingered key and applies it directly to the center of the pad-not the back.
Adjustment screws
Most flutes being built currently feature strategically placed adjustment screws. When the screw and its surrounding lug are made with a fine thread and fitted properly, the system works reliably. When its made poorly, the flute goes out of adjustment easily and is hard to adjust. Poorly made flutes have given adjustment screws a bad rap.
Flutes built without adjustment screws are more time consuming to manufacture and therefore are the more expensive instruments. These instruments require that the servicing technician be highly skilled. There are few technicians who are qualified to service handmade flutes and an instrument can be compromised by poor repair work.
Scale & pitch
Many people confuse scale and pitch. It's easy to see why. Pitch is the frequency at which the instrument is designed to play its best (in tune). The old standard at which flutes were built is A=440, that is 440 cycles per second. Today's standard is A=442. I think you will find that an A=442 flute will play well between A=440 and A=444 without noticing any great difference in intonation patterns.
European orchestras often tune sharper than their American counterparts and therefore the A=444 flute will primarily be used there. Americans are tuning a little sharper than previously and some orchestras do tune at A=442. Even at A=440, a 442 flute performs beautifully. As a result, we feature flutes built at A442. We occasionally have new A=440 instruments and of course many used instruments we offer have been built when A=440 was the standard.
I think of the scale of the instrument as the relationship of the tone holes to each other, the size of each hole, and the distance of the tone holes from the embouchure. The significance of the scale cannot be understated. A good scale will help the musician play with better intonation while expending less effort. The scale is largely responsible for the quality of "the voice" of each note on the flute. To achieve the quality of sound, and the required intonation pattern, some compromises are inevitable.
No one perfect scale exists. Most of the better flute makers develop a pattern of hole placement that differs slightly from their competitors. Some start with a scale that is widely accepted and try to improve upon it. Others approach it mathematically, laying it out with formulas that work at least theoretically. Regardless, the flute maker will need to apply the results of experimentation and feed back from musicians.