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Most student flutes are nickel silver alloy that is plated silver, however, there comes a time in the player’s musical journey when they want to demand more of the instrument with regard to tonal colors and flexibility. The Solid silver head produces a dramatically clearer tone over the plated head. The solid silver body and foot produce a warmer tone than the silver-plated. Most manufacturers will identify the areas that have precious metal content by stamping “Silver” “Solid Silver” “925” on the parts that are sterling silver.

We use both coined silver tubing which is 90% silver and sterling silver or “925” which is 92.5% silver.

Yes, the solid silver produces a warmer tone than the silver-plated.

The “B” foot joint is longer and has an extra key on it. The standard concert flute comes with a natural three-octave range from low C [C1] to top [C4], however, the more advanced and professional player can occasionally be found ‘up in the gods’ playing C#4. Advanced flute music may however contain a low ‘B’ which is too low for a normal concert flute to play. This is when the B foot joint is needed.

While a flute with a C foot joint has a bright and resonant sound, a flute with a B foot joint has a more dark and glossy sound. Because of this, flutes with a B-foot joint are sometimes selected for their tonal characteristics rather than a technical reason. The B-foot joint also reduces the tendency for the instrument to play sharp in the third register, while increasing the darkness of the third register tone- color so it better matches the lower register.

The split e has been around for many years. One of the many high notes on the flute is the note E in the third octave; one of these key systems can make that note easier to play. Since the E note is widely used in beautiful melodies of classical and romantic period works along with technically demanding modern music this key system is quite useful.

Gemeinhardt offers both the split E and the E-disk. The disk is a half moon shape that is soldered in the lower G tone hole, which helps to reach this note. With the E mechanism the G key is split and a bar on the F# key pushes down the lower G the upper G remains open. Most students find the addition of either is beneficial.

A flute with inline keys means all the keys that the player manipulates with their fingers are in line. A flute with offset keys means the G key, operated by the left-hand ring finger, is off-center and not in line with the other keys. This means an instrument with an offset G is easier to operate for players with smaller hands.

Note: there is no acoustical difference between the two styles. Many players prefer the offset G keys because it feels more natural to them. It is purely a matter of personal choice.

Padding a flute is the single most important process in making a flute play at its best. A well-padded student flute will play better than a badly padded professional flute. Pads are made of felt, backed by very thin cards, and covered by a natural membrane.

The role of a pad is to quietly close off a tone hole completely, creating a hermetic [air-tight] seal with the least amount of effort. If a pad is not seated [fitted or leveled] correctly in the key cup, it will cause an air leak that will affect the formation of the note it produces when closed, as well as every note below that pad. The hermetic seal made by the pad is therefore the single most important factor in tonal production.

This process continues to constitute a large proportion of Gemeinhardt’s workshop labor hours during instrument construction. Highly trained professional padders do this process.

The flutes with key cups without holes are called closed holes or plateau instruments. The flutes with holes in the keys are called open holes or French flutes. The closed-hole or plateau-style key cups do not require the player to cover the cup entirely with the fingers. The key covers the tone hole to prevent air from escaping. In contrast, the key cups of an open hole or French “ring cup” that has a hole in the center the player must cover the hole with their finger.

While it takes some training to be able to accurately and consistently press on the tone hole with the open holes, you can directly feel the air vibrations through your fingers. This means you can produce finely nuanced sound and a more resonant tone, which will carry better, and it provides the ability to use special fingering. With the open hole keys, it is possible for the advanced players to control their intonation by changing how their fingers cover the tone holes. It encourages good hand position development, which in turn improves technique.

Taking into account some of the points previously listed, a flute manufactured to be the greatest benefit to the student will come from a manufacturer who takes seriously the importance of the head joint, and padding process. A new flute student will require a flute that blows very easily and with a minimum of resistance. The Gemeinhardt 2SPmodel is universally renowned for these qualities.

All are beginning model students, closed holes, C foot joint, and silver-plated flutes. Differences may be the head joint, key cup design, and other minor manufacturing processes.

Both models are conservatory (step-up) flutes and have the same body, head, foot, and keys, the 3B LTD is supplied with the gold plated lip plate.

Both models are conservatory (step-up) flutes and have the same solid silver body, head, and foot joint with silver-plated keys. The KGB Special has different style key cups than the 3SB and is supplied with a gold plated lip plate.

We have provided comparison chart on our serial number look up chart page on our web site under resources.

We require all Warranty repair requests and inquiries to go back through the dealer that you purchased your instrument. We do this because we do not have access to information such as who a dealer sold an instrument to or when they sold it, which dictates the warranty period. If it is found to need warranty work the dealer will contact us.

The head joint is singularly the most important part of the flute, not only for sound production but also for tuning. Flute makers continually strive to make the “perfect” head joint, however, because this is such a subjective topic, the “perfect” head joint will probably never be made.

Broken down into 3 different parts, the head joint tube, the lip plate [where the musician lips rest] and the chimney or riser [linking the lip plate with the head tube and lip plate] most head joints give different strengths and tonal widths in various parts of the octave depending on the expertise of design and manufacture. It is vital for the new player or beginner to purchase a flute with a head joint design that gives easy tone production.

There are many reasons for the different head joint characteristics of the flute manufacturers = different parabolic curves, varying embouchure sizes, angles, and depths. What can be said with certainty however is the student will advance more quickly and to a higher standard if they play on a flute with a good quality and responsive head joint. It must be stressed that the quality of design and head joint varies widely from brand to brand. It is therefore vital to the new player that they purchase a flute from a manufacturer with a specialist flute reputation. Gemeinhardt has that reputation.

The purchase of a flute with a little-known brand name based solely on price may not be the best long-term decision. Student flute head joints are usually silver-plated. When the musician becomes more advanced other models are available in solid silver.

The Solid Silver Head joint produces a dramatically clearer tone than a plated head joint.

Gemeinhardt custom head joints incorporate the most advanced innovations in design and construction to offer flutists a variety of tone colors and resistance levels. Crafted by skilled artisans, these head joints promise outstanding performance when paired with Gemeinhardt flutes. Gemeinhardt offers six distinctive solid silver head joints available in standard or thin walls. Additional features for the solid silver head joints would be a solid gold riser, gold plating, or specialized engraving. Whenever a Gemeinhardt conservatory or professional flute is purchased with a solid silver head joint, it is possible to exchange the head joint at the time of purchase for any other Gemeinhardt solid silver custom head joint at no additional cost.

Head Joints offered:

J1 SP – Offers the least resistance of the silver-plated head joints. It provides an extremely quick response in the low register while retaining a free-blowing high register.

J1 SS – Solid silver head joint that offers the least resistance of the head joints. It provides an extremely quick response in the low register while retaining a free-blowing high register.

H1 – (Discontinued) Is the result of research focusing on the angles of the front and back walls of the embouchure hole. Its ease of response makes it particularly well suited for the beginner, yet it has a rich dynamic tonal palette that the professional can explore.

M1 – (Discontinued) Produces a full, warm sound that is color-balanced throughout all registers without sacrificing quickness of articulation in the lower register.

K1 – (Discontinued) Will offer somewhat more resistance than other Gemeinhardt head joints. As a result, it provides a sound that projects brilliantly. It is extremely responsive in the lower register and lends itself particularly well to very soft playing in the high register.

S1 – (Discontinued) This head joint combines brilliance with a rich dark sound and is capable of superb projection. The response is quick in all registers and extreme dynamic contrasts are readily achievable.

NG1 SS – The NG1 SS is the latest innovation in Gemeinhardt flute head joints. It’s designed for the professional, and yet the modified lip-plate and riser allow the aspiring student the opportunity to begin on a head joint they may play throughout their entire musical career. This flute head joint offers ease of response and articulation that are afforded and accompanied by an uncompromising ability to create the sound, tone, and colors you desire.

NG2 SS – We are proud to introduce to you the newest Gemeinhardt professional head joint. It intertwines what is tried and true in the history of head joint making with the evolving demands of modern flutists. Inside the rich color of every note, a plethora of tonal expressions and possibilities await your exploration.

The U curved is a head joint for the standard model flute that has been curved into a U shape so the instrument is more compact. This is so people with a small body frame can hold the instrument without having to reach beyond his or her capabilities.

No, there is no effect acoustically; it can help deter reaction to nickel silver or silver. Some just prefer it cosmetically.

Yes, there is a darker quality sound than with a solid silver riser.

No, acoustically no difference from the solid silver lip plate, it can help to deter reaction to silver. Some just prefer it cosmetically.