A Clean Tenon is a Happy Tenon

Ever feel like your headjoint has mysteriously become harder and harder to fit smoothly into the barrel? It may seem perplexing, but there is a very simple and likely culprit that can really make the headjoint excessively tight.  What might it be?  Grime! 

Headjoint tenons and the flute's barrel can accumulate all kinds of dirt and grime from everyday wear and tear.  As things get dirtier and it becomes harder to assemble the flute, some people are prone to grease up the headjoint tenon with something like cork grease or other lubricating oils and creams.  Don't do it!  The creams, greases, and oils will build up on the tenon and inside the barrel, attracting more dirt, dust and grime.  If it becomes difficult to assemble the flute, forcing the parts together could lead to damage.  So, make sure to keep your headjoint tenon and the inside of your barrel clean.  What do you need for this?  Well, just a simple, untreated microfiber cloth.  To clean the headjoint tenon, simply wipe the outside with the cloth.  For the inside of the barrel, cover your finger with the cloth and gently wipe the inside of the barrel.

Tenon fit issues are not restricted to headjoints, though.  Think about your body tenon and footjoint.  Has it become increasingly difficult to put the footjoint on?  Grime strikes this area as well – both on the body tenon and inside the top of the footjoint. Also, make sure to resist the temptation to put any type of grease, cream, or oil on the body tenon.  Just as is the case with the headjoint tenon, these lubricating substances will attract more dust and dirt and then build up on the body tenon and inside the top of the footjoint.

So, make sure to keep things from getting grimey.  Keeping your tenons and the areas where they connect clean (inside the barrel and footjoint) is a simple strategy for helping your flute stay happy and healthy!

"Setting-Up" a Flute

A#, G#, and D are keys which people may prefer to have "set-up" differently.

Flute players often have preferences for the way their flute "feels" in terms of key heights, spring tension, and headjoint fit.  Flutes can be "set-up" by repair technicians to meet the preferences of their customers.  So, what exactly is involved in setting up a flute?  We spoke with flute finisher Lindsey McChord to find out...

Lindsey told us that "set-up" adjustments are easy to do on a finished flute.  Here at Powell, she sets-up flutes during the testing process.  She mentioned spring tension adjustments and key heights/angles as two main areas that are part of this process.  For instance, she said that if the player has a light touch, the flute can be set-up with lighter spring tension.  Contrarily, if the flutist has a heavy touch, the flute would be set-up with higher spring tension.  Lindsey tries to keep a slightly lighter tension on keys that are connected to other keys -- for instance, A# anf F#.  She said that if one of the connected keys already has a heavier spring tension, the A# and F# would feel even heavier, so she lightens them up a bit.  In terms of key heights, she mentioned that they can also be adjusted.  In some cases, it may be the key height and/or angle.  For example, when Lindsey purchased her Powell, she asked to have the C1 key raised just a bit.  Many people will also have preference for the G# key -- some people want it to be straight, and some people prefer more of an angle.  The A# key is also one that people might have preferences for in regard to the key's height and angle.  Players may have additional requests for key size, too.  In Lindsey's case, the D# key on her footjoint was a stretch for her, so she asked to have the key made slightly larger.

Finally, headjoint fit is a large part of the set-up process.  Some people like a looser fit, and some people prefer a fit that is tighter.  When it comes to headjoint fit, there is no gauge.  It is simply a matter of feel.  Both Lindsey and Rebecca Eckles, Director of Quality and Service, prefer to have the headjoint fitting smoothly and securely, so that the body will not drop off should someone grab the flute by the headjoint (which, by the way, you really don't want to happen!).  Lindsey shared that the headjoint fit is certainly subjective, but since flutists tune with the headjoint (pushing it in and pulling it out constantly), the fit is definitely an important part of the set-up process.

Yellow arrow points to C1, which people may have set-up differently.