Headjoint stopper design and materials

[flutefry]

In discussions with Tom Aebi, he told me that he had redesigned the stopper for his flutes, and that they had a big effect on the sound and response of the flute, and that he would send me one.

It arrived a few days ago. I don't know if he thinks the design is proprietary, so I will just say that the obvious effect of the design is to greatly reduce the amount of space the cork occupies in the head joint (or increase the amount of air...). The old stopper occupied at least half the space between the end nearest the embouchure and the end of the head joint, whereas the new one occupies only a few millimetres all told.

My observations are that the response is better both between octaves, on rocking pedal motifs (BEdEBE, or BGdGBG), and on rolls and crans. The tone is more complex, noticeable everywhere, but for the first time I hear harmonics/overtones clearly in the second and third octaves, whereas before I found it hard to hear overtones in the high notes. On the whole, the response from different notes is more stable, so the low E which can be weak or muffled now blasts out like the low D-amazing considering that little hole. Finally, I think the flute is louder, but I'll know after I play some tunes with my friend with Hamilton. I wrote him with my comments, and he replied that my comments agree with others who have also tried it.

Robert Bigio also makes custom stoppers out of various materials. (Just google his name and flute). I have one on order, but it hasn't arrived yet. Dr. Bigio has some interesting links to those who have tested the effects of different materials and weights on perceptions of flute tone and response, but says cheerfully that he doesn't really know why they work, just that they work. He uses a different approach than Tom Aebi, but the net effect is similar-much more air in the head joint, but in addition the crown has a hole in it.

So this is just my person's experience, but I'd be interested to know if anyone can explain this, or has similar (or different!) experiences with stoppers.

Hugh

[Cork]

In discussions with Tom Aebi, he told me that he had redesigned the stopper for his flutes, and that they had a big effect on the sound and response of the flute, and that he would send me one.

It arrived a few days ago. I don't know if he thinks the design is proprietary, so I will just say that the obvious effect of the design is to greatly reduce the amount of space the cork occupies in the head joint (or increase the amount of air...). The old stopper occupied at least half the space between the end nearest the embouchure and the end of the head joint, whereas the new one occupies only a few millimetres all told.

My observations are that the response is better both between octaves, on rocking pedal motifs (BEdEBE, or BGdGBG), and on rolls and crans. The tone is more complex, noticeable everywhere, but for the first time I hear harmonics/overtones clearly in the second and third octaves, whereas before I found it hard to hear overtones in the high notes. On the whole, the response from different notes is more stable, so the low E which can be weak or muffled now blasts out like the low D-amazing considering that little hole. Finally, I think the flute is louder, but I'll know after I play some tunes with my friend with Hamilton. I wrote him with my comments, and he replied that my comments agree with others who have also tried it.

Robert Bigio also makes custom stoppers out of various materials. (Just google his name and flute). I have one on order, but it hasn't arrived yet. Dr. Bigio has some interesting links to those who have tested the effects of different materials and weights on perceptions of flute tone and response, but says cheerfully that he doesn't really know why they work, just that they work. He uses a different approach than Tom Aebi, but the net effect is similar-much more air in the head joint, but in addition the crown has a hole in it.

So this is just my person's experience, but I'd be interested to know if anyone can explain this, or has similar (or different!) experiences with stoppers.

Hugh

Well, I don't have anything quite like your experience, but it sounds as though you have discovered something new, in regard to head joint cork.

I, for one, am listening, and thank you for sharing your experience.

:-)

[Jon C.]

In discussions with Tom Aebi, he told me that he had redesigned the stopper for his flutes, and that they had a big effect on the sound and response of the flute, and that he would send me one.

It arrived a few days ago. I don't know if he thinks the design is proprietary, so I will just say that the obvious effect of the design is to greatly reduce the amount of space the cork occupies in the head joint (or increase the amount of air...). The old stopper occupied at least half the space between the end nearest the embouchure and the end of the head joint, whereas the new one occupies only a few millimetres all told.

Hi,
I don't quite follow you on "increasing the amount of air" by having a thinner cork. The placement is the same from the middle of the embouchure hole. I think with Robert Bigio's stopper he is counting on his 7mm thick stopper that is suspended on a O ring, will resonate through the crown that has the hole in it. Are you referring to the air on the other side of the stopper?
Thanks,
Jon

[Berti66]

similar experience here, also received tom's new stopper, few months ago: bigger more complex sound, louder, and greater response...
the first stopper was made out of delrin and the new stopper has a brass disc facing, like the lining of the head.
it makes a world of a difference........amazing what just a stopper can do!
was like having a different flute.

berti

[Flutered]

I have one of Terry McGee's flutes which has a thin stopper of some manmade material. Can be adjusted by means of turning end cap. Is is that sort of thin stopper you mean?

[Cathy Wilde]

Interesting! I've been curious about Bigio and his experiments for a while, but have never gotten around to spending the money to try one.

I'm assuming from your description you mean a smaller head cork in your Aebi, Hugh? The bigger "air-vibration chamber" idea makes sense, but I never thought you could do that without changing the tuning fairly substantially (like what happens when you move the tuning cork).

Boehm flutes have metal discs such as Berti describes. Makes sense to not have some deadening material like the commonly-used cork exposed when you're trying to boost resonance -- it'd be like hanging a padded panel in a live room (which of course can be good and in fact necessary in a recording studio, but maybe not so much in a flute?).

[tin tin]

I had some interesting stopper experiences some years ago: I used to have a blackwood Boehm head by Terry McGee, and I installed a Bigio stopper, which certaintly did give the flute a different feel and sound (more resonant and ringing). However, I ultimately wound up putting the original screw-cap and cork stopper assembly back in, and Jeff Weissman (Queens, NY) added a few ounces of weight to the assembly, which made the headjoint darker and more resistant. I also tried a Bigio stopper on my Copley & Boegli (although without the perforated end cap), but the effect, as I recall, wasn't substantially different from the original set-up. I think it was a bit more free-blowing, whereas the original stopper (also delrin, held in place by O-rings, but a bit heavier and without a groove) made the flute a bit more resistant. I'd like to try it again, but I lost the new stopper in a move...
It's interesting, if I simply remove the endcap, the flute plays differently than with it on (I prefer it on)--you can try this on lots of flutes; just unscrew or pull out the endcap (depending on design), leaving the cork/stopper in place. In fact, this seems to be how Robert Bigio stumbled upon his whole endcap/stopper redesign.

It's all very bizarre, how a bit of weight, or a hole in the endcap, or a groove in the stopper face can have dramatic effect on the playability of a flute. And what works/sounds good for one flute may have quite the opposite effect on another.

Here's an interesting article comparing the effect of different stopper weights and materials: http://www.larrykrantz.com/stopper.htm

[Cathy Wilde]

Thanks, Tintin! While I'm reluctant to mess with the stoppers on my wooden flutes, that reminded me to have another look at the stopper on my Forbes ... it's Delrin with two O-rings, a double-O-ring version of one of the stoppers Symington describes.

Hmmm. The flute sure is loud and free-blowing!

[Sillydill]

Hey Hugh,

The following is a picture of the stopper and cap from a Hoza wooden flute. Mark Hoza patterned his after Bigio's and uses it with his permission.



I like the stopper fine, but I'm not sure about the end cap. I think the Delrin disk does increase the projection and response. However, sometimes I get a buzz in the endcap (could be a bit loose) and it drives me crazy. I've simply cut a disk of cork that I place against the back of the Delrin disk to dampen the vibrations.

I harden nealy all of my cork faces in my flutes by painting them with super-glue. This also increases the flutes projection.

All the Best!

[jemtheflute]

I've done the superglue trick on some of the flutes and piccolos I've been doing up - though I can't say I've noticed it make any significant tonal difference. I did it chiefly to seal them and make them harder when pushed against by a cleaning or adjusting rod. I've also done a couple that I filed down a 10 Euro cent coin for and stuck it on as a face plate - but again, I'm not sure I can hear any difference. That of course has nothing to do with any cavity behind the stopper or communication between that cavity and the outside. I've played flutes with no (or lost) crown caps - and can't say I've noticed that make any difference either. Not so as one would say " Hey wow, this flute without a cap sounds so much......"

[Jayhawk]

Jem - I've glued dimes on corks and like you, was simply not sure it made any difference...except once when the glue failed and it somehow angled itself sideways in the headjoint - that made a difference, but not in a good way.

I may try the superglue trick...because I can always cut off the cork tip if I don't like it.

Eric

[I.D.10-t]

Skip Healy (on his Bb fifes) makes his stopper with a cork sleeve around a piece of wood (much like you would see on a tennon). I have often wondered why this is not the norm.

[Jon C.]

Skip Healy (on his Bb fifes) makes his stopper with a cork sleeve around a piece of wood (much like you would see on a tennon). I have often wondered why this is not the norm.

I would be concerned with a unlined head joint, that the wood may swell and crack the head. Delrin is pretty stable so should work. I am all for good old cork, especially after buying 1000 corks on eBay!

[Gabriel]

I experimented with cork thickness yesterday and cut a 3mm piece from the end of my flute's cork to see what happens with a thin cork. I didn't note any difference. Plays just as well as with the original cork which I put into the head piece again afterwards.

[Terry McGee]

I'll admit to being rather skeptical about the benifits of stoppers too, having done some experiments which seem to me to suggest there isn't much criticality about them. I use a delrin stopper, wrapped with cork, and with a brass screw back to the cap to permit easy and fine adjustment. I've also used plain cork, cork with a brass face, cork with a silver face, and delrin with an O-ring seal. I've tried flat faced stoppers, hemispherical-faced stoppers, and faces with stepped holes in the surface. I've even drilled holes right through stoppers and found it amazing that it didn't ruin the response as I expected it to! I think I have to concede the acousticians appear to be right - the stopper itself is of little significance, the important bit is the cavity formed between stopper and embouchure hole.

How can I be sure? I can't. To be sure, you have to do double blind testing. Somebody other than the player has to load and adjust the stopper, and pass the flute to the tester, who therefore will not know which stopper is fitted. The tester passes the flute to the player, and collects the responses. If anyone can carry out this process and achieve repeatable results, they will have my full attention!

Terry