Thin Walled Flutes
I have never seen it suggested before that a lip plate could affect the volume of the flute, other than when it is dropped.
How can this be ?
What would be wrong with a " mounded headjoint"? It would produce the needed chimney.You could even put a lip plate on top of your Mound !
You are only talking about a bit of plastic anyway !
How can this be ?
What would be wrong with a " mounded headjoint"? It would produce the needed chimney.You could even put a lip plate on top of your Mound !
You are only talking about a bit of plastic anyway !
I had a flute repairer make me some PVC fifes in an exotic scale.
He made a pilot without a lip plate and some with lip plate. The lip plated one is louder than the pilot, louder than all my bansuris, my Irish flute, louder than the whistles. It is basically a qualified A fife. It cuts above an amplified sitar, two guitars, a harmonium, two singers and tabla drums in ensemble.
Hows that for a personal confession?
When we perform on stage I can go out into the audience and do an intro. with it and be heard well. Couldn't do it with the pilot which is similar in all but the lip plate.
I have no experience with a "mounded embouchure". If it gives the volume that a lip plate does, the great. Perhaps a flute maker experienced in this and lip plates may comment.
He made a pilot without a lip plate and some with lip plate. The lip plated one is louder than the pilot, louder than all my bansuris, my Irish flute, louder than the whistles. It is basically a qualified A fife. It cuts above an amplified sitar, two guitars, a harmonium, two singers and tabla drums in ensemble.
Hows that for a personal confession?
When we perform on stage I can go out into the audience and do an intro. with it and be heard well. Couldn't do it with the pilot which is similar in all but the lip plate.
I have no experience with a "mounded embouchure". If it gives the volume that a lip plate does, the great. Perhaps a flute maker experienced in this and lip plates may comment.
Last edited by talasiga on Fri Feb 11, 2005 8:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
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You didn't read my post well, did you?andrewK wrote:Ah ! A fife.
I have heard it said of fifes that the volume is the least attractive feature.
Perhaps insomuch as there was a lip plate the fife approached a little nearer to a real instrument !
There is a fife without a lip plate and several with lip plate.
The ones with the lip plate are louder.
You said you had never heard it suggested that lip plates increase volume.
My experience demonstrates they do. Controlled experiment with same fife tubes with and without lip plate. Get it?
All the other instruments are softer including normal scale A bansuri (fife size), G flute etc etc. The larger flutes are softest as in Irish flute except for my low C bamboo flute which also has a lip plate. It has the volume of the fife! if not more.
Perhaps a flute maker could explain why?
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No. Talasiga. I said I had never seen it suggested BEFORE....
It is yourgoodself not doing the reading.
What of proper flutes played while the lip plate is off, or before they are fitted ?
I intend to have the odd lip plate fitted before long .To real flutes. I shall get the Flutemaster to make a controlled test if he doesn't split his sides laughing first.
It is yourgoodself not doing the reading.
What of proper flutes played while the lip plate is off, or before they are fitted ?
I intend to have the odd lip plate fitted before long .To real flutes. I shall get the Flutemaster to make a controlled test if he doesn't split his sides laughing first.
- Jon C.
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That would be thin! Like Terry said, there has to be some meat on it at the joints, but maybe just thicken it up at the socket? I guess we could use metal tube for the tenon as Terry suggests. The tuning is effected as the thinner wall sharpens the note, so that takes some tweeking. The raised lip plate can be turned, glueing delrin is a nightmare. Only one glue works: Cyanopoxy by Coolchem.Jon C., I am interested in your project.
What is the thinnest you can go with delrin?
Like, could you go down to 2mm (and have the embouchure supplemented with a lip plate) ?
Jon
Yes, that would not be a problem, I plan on doing a couple of different heads for it.andrewK wrote:Is there any reason, when making one of these thin plastic flutes,not to leave thick that part of the headjoint which would normally be occupied by a lip plate ?
This head is the more traditional thinned head. My question Andrew, with your vast collection of lovely old flutes, what was the ball-park depth of the chimney on the hole that is blown into, (aka blow hole, emouchure, pie hole...) of these classics from another era? I understan that the thinned head of the R&R sported a chiminey of, say 3.5mm?
Works for me!Now I know what to do if I have wrist trouble. Make a thin walled flute !
The thinned flute is with Mr Wilkes . I shall measure it next time I visit.
Robert Bigio would have the info at his fingertips.
3.5 mm sounds awfully shallow.The whole point ( or hole point ) of the thinned flutes is that they were thinned everywhere except where the depth was needed - the finger and mouth holes which were left proud.
Do look for inspiration to th Monzanis with the lightened headjoints.
( see my ivory one on the "what cocuswood looks like " page for the way the head is reeded except for the mouth area ).
The chimney on the ivory one is 5 mm -I have just checked it.
Robert Bigio would have the info at his fingertips.
3.5 mm sounds awfully shallow.The whole point ( or hole point ) of the thinned flutes is that they were thinned everywhere except where the depth was needed - the finger and mouth holes which were left proud.
Do look for inspiration to th Monzanis with the lightened headjoints.
( see my ivory one on the "what cocuswood looks like " page for the way the head is reeded except for the mouth area ).
The chimney on the ivory one is 5 mm -I have just checked it.
- Jon C.
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- Tell us something.: I restore 19th century flutes, specializing in Rudall & Rose, and early American flutes. I occasionally make new flutes. Been at it for about 15 years.
- Location: San Diego
- Jon C.
- Posts: 3526
- Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2001 6:00 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: I restore 19th century flutes, specializing in Rudall & Rose, and early American flutes. I occasionally make new flutes. Been at it for about 15 years.
- Location: San Diego
1.
NO COMMENT.
2.talasiga wrote:.........
A lip plate is much more elegant and adds volume.
3.andrewK wrote:I have never seen it suggested before that a lip plate could affect the volume of the flute, other than when it is dropped.
...........
4.talasiga wrote:........
You said you had never heard it suggested that lip plates increase volume.
........
5.andrewK wrote:No. Talasiga. I said I had never seen it suggested BEFORE....
......
NO COMMENT.
qui jure suo utitur neminem laedit