A question for those who own or have played gold flutes

[cflutist]

So I received my new flute today after a 5 month wait. So far, I like it very much, it is very responsive, has a great scale, and allows many different tone colors. Still trying the tame the beast as they say.

IMO, it puts my Haynes to shame, not so much because it is 14K, but rather in the way it plays, especially the low register ... it is so effortless when I had to really work at it before. Plus the intonation is better.

A special thank you to all of you who answered my questions on this thread. And SK, you were correct, this flute is fabulous IMO.

One comment about the Split E, My Haynes had an "underslung" Split-E so that it was invisible from the top. I prefered the Clutch Style Split-E that SK has, but Brannen puts those only on Inline-Gs with no C# Trill.
If the flute has an Inline-G with a C# Trill, or an Offset-G, then you get the wraparound arm. Not a biggie I guess, but I prefered SK's clutch style Split E because I think it has a cleaner look.

[pied_piper]

Wow - It's a beauty. I'm sure it sounds wonderful.

[cflutist]

I don't know about this A=442 though.

My 1972 Haynes is A=440 pre-Deveau scale (it was flat in the low register).

I'm pulling the headjoint out about one quarter of an inch (maybe a bit more) to tune to A=440. Is the right? A check with the tuner shows some of the third register a tad sharp, but the first two registers are in tune. Of course it probably is me too.

How long does it take to get used to a new flute?

I'm going to check it against my Gemmy which I think is A=442 also because it too is shorter than my Haynes.

One other thing, this flute is heavy compared to my Haynes. My thinwall (.014" is all they offered back in 1972 if you wanted an open hole flute) Haynes is 15.2 oz while this flute is 17.7 oz (we have a scale that weighs to the .05 oz that my hubby uses to weigh ultralight backpacking gear). Now I see why they recommended silver keys as the gold keys would have weighed even more. I can tell the difference when I'm holding the flute. Let's just hope I can get through 3 hours of orchestra rehearsal.

[cflutist]

Wow - It's a beauty. I'm sure it sounds wonderful.

Thanks pp. I kept my Williams headjoint and sent it to Brannen for them to make the barrel to fit it. I believe you have a Williams HJ as well.

That's another reason why it is a little harder for me to adjust to this flute. I've been playing on my Haynes HJ for the last month and a half while Brannen had my Williams HJ.

When I first picked up this flute, I was cracking notes in the third register, probably because I was blowing too hard (which is what I have to do to get the Haynes to speak at times).

[pied_piper]

I don't know about this A=442 though.

My 1972 Haynes is A=440 pre-Deveau scale (it was flat in the low register).

I'm pulling the headjoint out about one quarter of an inch (maybe a bit more) to tune to A=440. Is the right? A check with the tuner shows some of the third register a tad sharp, but the first two registers are in tune. Of course it probably is me too.

How long does it take to get used to a new flute?

With my Muramatsu AD, which is A442, and my Williams HJ, when I play at A440, I have to pull out about about 1/4". I've adjusted my headjoint cork slightly to get the third octave in tune. It took me a couple of weeks to adjust to the Williams HJ and probably more like 2 months to really feel comfortable with it.

One other thing, this flute is heavy compared to my Haynes. My thinwall (.014" is all they offered back in 1972 if you wanted an open hole flute) Haynes is 15.2 oz while this flute is 17.7 oz (we have a scale that weighs to the .05 oz that my hubby uses to weigh ultralight backpacking gear). Now I see why they recommended silver keys as the gold keys would have weighed even more. I can tell the difference when I'm holding the flute. Let's just hope I can get through 3 hours of orchestra rehearsal.

As a doubler on flute, sax, and clarinet, weight has never been an issue for me. Compared to an alto or tenor sax, any flute is absolutely featherweight.

Thanks pp. I kept my Williams headjoint and sent it to Brannen for them to make the barrel to fit it. I believe you have a Williams HJ as well.

Yes, as I mentioned above. Are they making a sleeve for the headjoint or are they going to actually replace the barrel on the flute?

[cflutist]

pp,

They actually made a barrel to fit my Williams HJ. There is no sleeve. I sent them the HJ in early August. They were going to take measurements then send it back to me. But I told them I'd feel better if they kept the HJ so that they could play test the flute with my HJ before they shipped it to me. Brannen actually has some pretty good flutists on staff. The finisher has a Master's in Flute Performance and is working on his Doctorate. The CSR also has a Master's in Flute Performance. Both of them play tested my flute yesterday (and she told me she wasn't playing Mary Had a Little Lamb either).

This way I can stil use my Williams HJ on my Haynes too.

When I bought the Williams HJ, Carolyn Nussbaum burnished it to fit my Haynes. The Williams HJ is .012" while the Haynes is .014", hence the burnishing.

[cflutist]

Some more pictures, hubby practicing his photographic skills:

[cflutist]

A question about the Straub pads ... I think you guys were saying that they are very delicate and I should be super careful with them?

Also I haven't noticed the "noise" that some have mentioned.

[MissyHPhoenix]

Absolutely gorgeous flute! Congratulations!

[Zevang]

Wow, again congrats!

It's a peace of jewelry really.

[cflutist]

Thanks guys, I'm still trying to get used to it. For example, I keep hitting the Thumb Bb by mistake because it is a lot closer to the Thumb key on the Brannen than it was on my Haynes. You can see from one of the pictures that there is hardly a gap between them.


Zevang, two of my friends have Sankyo flutes and I find them to be really responsive as well. In fact, I thought they played a lot better than my old Haynes.

[Zevang]

Oh it's really true. When I first played the Sankyo at the orchestra I felt that I could blow really hard without any cracks and the sound could really project and be heard from the mass of sound. This was what I needed for a long time (at least 15 years), because my older flute (30+ years) is a really old design. It took me about 6 months to feel that I had some control over this new flute. And I'm still working on it 2 years later

The Bb key is really closer than usually was. But if we see from other perspective it seems to me that with time you will eventually find it more comfortable, because you won't have to move your thumb to much to reach this key. It's just a matter of time to get accostumed not to hit it when not needed. As usual... practice...

You really have a peace of work in your hands. It takes some time to get the most out of it but it varies from person to person. So, take your time and enjoy it just like that old bottle of wine you stored for years and suddenly it's time to open it and drink it. I think the comparison must be just like this, the more time passes, the better it gets...

[fluteguy18]

CONGRATS!!!!!!!

I love Brannen, but unfortunately they don't seem to suit my needs. Shame. I've only ever found one Brannen that suited me, but it wasn't the right time to buy.

You must post some audio clips of it for us.

[MissyHPhoenix]

I think the Brannen flutes are really lovely. I'd love to try one sometime, but in the meanwhile am very happy with my Prima Sankyo. It is 27+ years old and still playing beautifully!

[Zevang]

This is remarkable on Sankyo flutes. They last a life time... You just keep them oiled and change a pad here and there. They simply keep singing...
Mine is not so old, but I have colleagues that have them old and just love its long lasting.