Once the tenons are wound with thread, the keys made,
polished, and fitted to the flutes, the instruments
are fully assembled and ready for the most delicate
and final stage of their manufacture that will turn
them into musical instruments. We carefully shape the
interior walls of embouchure and toneholes with specially-made
tools, checking our work against moldings taken from
original instruments, to produce exactly the right tone,
intonation and response. This process often takes several
weeks of work, as tiny changes critically affect the
instrument's playing qualities. And even after inspection
and delivery, the story is not over yet: as we mentioned
above, the flute is not "finished" until its new owner
has played it in, kept it oiled, and sent it back to
us for re-reaming . . .
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