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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 . . .

Key fitting


Text and images copyright © 1997,1999, 2001, 2008 FOLKERS & POWELL, Makers of Historical Flutes
PO Box 148, Hillsdale NY 12529-0148 USA
TEL: +1 518 828 9779