Just got a custom flute head joint from Kessler's music for $200 brand new. They are solid silver and were re-cut by master maker
Chris McKenna. All of a sudden all three octave ranges on the flute just pop out. I wasn't having any luck before.
Suzy asked me why I bought it, so I had her try her stock gemeinhardt head and then try the McKenna. Better sound, more volume and wow! So I ordered the last one Dave Kessler had for Suzy. I've always heard what custom heads can do for a flute but I hadn't really bought into spending the money to find out. For $200 though, I got a steal of a deal and Dave's not gonna do any more of these.
Funny thing, three of the flutes in the
WCB want to try the head now. Too bad they aren't available anymore.
I have a flute. Sometimes, if someone calls for
The Hustle, I will pick it up and play it. But, anything beyond that is beyond my skill levels these days.
Once, before they went bust, I visited a local bastion of the Brook-Hays empire. Whilst there, I browsed through some odds and ends in their "wind instrument room", and amongst all of the saxes and suchlike, there was a nicely crafted wooden box containing a flute head joint, brand and model long since forgotten.
I picked it up, applied my pathetic flute embouchure to the gleaming lip plate, and blew, curious if my dim memories of the limited flute training I received, this while playing an endless production of
Carousel many years ago, were still present in some portion of my hindbrain.
It was as if I had been born to play the flute! The resultant note that sounded was stable, sweet, liquid and pure as the driven snow. Thinking that I had lucked into what had happened, I moved it away, put it back to my lips, did the whole "bunny spitting rice" thing with my mouth again, and blew. Same result.
No matter how quickly I constructed my embouchure, or how I whipped the head joint up to my lips, I still produced traverse head flute magic - without the flute. I debated purchasing the thing, but I play so little flute that I just could not justify the purchase price. But, it convinced me that the head joint is a large part of successful flute playing
But, if flute playing ever becomes a critical issue for me, I know where to start...