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About Student Flutes
Student flute is a term used by many to indicate an inexpensive instrument. At Flute Tree we believe a student flute needs to be more than simply low priced. There are important criteria which must be met for the instrument to give the beginner a good chance of becoming a player and ensure fair return when it is time to sell the instrument or trade up to the next level.
Ease of blowing
Making a sound on a flute is probably the most difficult aspect of beginning to play the instrument. Frustration at having difficulty in blowing is sure to result in a beginner quickly giving up the instrument Quick articulation and free blowing are terms which may be used to describe a more forgiving instrument which will still play loudly despite the air not being accurately directed across the headjoint.
Strength of construction
Over twenty years of repairing all brands of instruments has given us a rare insight into the construction of the various flutes available. Based upon their ability to withstand the knocks and bangs we must take for granted with a beginner player, the brands we have selected have proved themselves to be the most durable and repairable instruments available.
Reliability of adjustment
The flute is a very precise piece of machinery with fast moving parts and many exact simultaneous movements necessary for it to perform correctly. The ability for us to continue to service, adjust and regulate the flute continually returning it to as new playing condition is essential. The brands chosen are selected for their ability to be repaired and guaranteed for years to come.
Quality of tone
As musicians, the ultimate criteria for us is the beauty of the sound made by the instrument. Control over volume is needed for a loud, audible low register and a soft rich high register all our models are chosen for this flexibility. Peoples tastes do vary and there is no one correct flute sound so we offer brands exhibiting dark thick timbre through to brands with bright and light tones, all staying within the free, less resistant playing style needed by the student player.
All student flutes come complete with Cleaning rod, Cleaning cloth, Case, Case cover and 12 month guarantee!
About Intermediate Flutes
Intermediate Flutes offer the mechanical and sonoral options of the professional instruments but at a lower price. We have narrowed your choice by ruling out unreliable, badly made and poor sounding flutes and leave you to select from Australia's largest selection of the top brands in the world.
Configuration
All options are usually available at this level. Plateau/Covered hole keys, or the French/Open hole cup. Offset G, In-Line G and additional keys such as Split E mechanism, B foot joint are available on most models for trial and comparison.
Tonal Response
The substitution of solid silver tube for the body and/or headjoint helps the player to develop a bigger more complex tone with greater projection. Though true, a poor design is not improved merely by constructing it from a precious metal, the design and manufacture must also be of a higher standard. The Woodwind Group has simplified this choice by selecting only the brands offering a true, quality, intermediate level flute at a realistic price.
Headjoint
At this level of instrument you have the option of selecting from a wide range of headjoints. It is more the rule than the exception that a player will choose a different brand headjoint to the flute body.
Mass produced headjoints are machined in a very simple manner following a design that is made to sell the instrument, Free blowing and easy to articulate the headjoint plays very well particularly at the first trial but it does not offer a lot of room for improvement in flexibility and development of tone.
JLF handmade headjoints are played by professionals and students throughout the world. The hand cutting of the blow hole allows us to specifically tailor the response and tone characteristics, offering a sound that is good today but also has room for development as you practice and improve your embouchure control.
About Semi-Professional Flutes
Semi-Professional flutes are of a professional standard of construction employing a variety of metals from silver tube and high quality silver plated keys through to "Y" arm solid silver mechanism
Brands and Manufacturers
The Semi-professional range leaves behind the manufacturers of student level instruments and assures you of a high quality instrument usually with the same specifications as hand made flutes but with slightly more machining involved so as to limit the high costs of labour intensive hand crafting.
Materials and mechanisms
Most mechanisms of intermediate flutes are made from nickel or German silver. This does not contain silver but is a brass with a small nickel content added to make the mechanism harder. This is then silver plated. By making the mechanism out of true silver and not silver plating, semi professional flutes offer more opportunity to repair damage and wear to the mechanism. The malleable nature of sterling silver allows the repairer to stretch and re shape the keywork without fracturing or the need for re-plating thus greatly prolonging the instruments life span.
Timbre and response
Any instrument in this range may be purchased with confidence knowing them to be of a very high standard of construction. All the instruments offer a flexibility of tone to develop your own character of sound but each brand does have a different starting point or base from where the player starts. From the bright vibrant Sankyo sound through to the dark rich sound of the Muramatsu.
Accessories
All semi-professional instruments come complete with cleaning equipment: Wooden cleaning stick, swab and polishing cloth, case and manufacturers case cover. A Reunion Blues cordura flute bag (Value $110.00) is provided where manufacturers case covers are not available.
About Professional Flutes
Professional Flutes are instruments which meet the exacting standards set by the professional player. Keywork and resonating tube is made out of precious metal offering a large palette of tone colours and durability. This range of instrument is where JL Flutes Australia excels. Drawing upon our extensive knowledge as flute makers, and our personal relationship with the worlds leading flute makers we are able to offer the largest selection and variety of professional instruments in Australia.Precision construction
This quality of instrument affords tighter tolerances in construction, greater quality control and an overall level of fine attention to detail which ensures the player an exact feel, increased accuracy of adjustment and the ability to fine tune the spring tension and movement of the keys.
Regulation
The accuracy of parts assembly makes the simultaneous movement of many of the keys much more accurate resulting in the most exact regulation possible. Many of the high level professional flutes also eliminate adjusting screws enhancing the ability for long lasting high precision adjustment.
Silver/Gold mechanism
Precious metal keys give durability not found with inexpensive base metal and silver plating. As an instrument ages the tubing can be stretched removing any wear and thus giving the instrument a limitless life span.
Configuration
Professional instruments offer an extended range of optional mechanisms: C# trill, G to A trill, half offset G etc.
About Alto and Bass Flutes
Pitched in G and has a wonderfully rich mellow tone and along with the BASS FLUTE is a very popular extension of the flute players artillery
Tonal Response
Available in both straight and curved models our current stock is the brighter and more penetrating straight design, carrying the rich timbre of these instruments further and louder.
About Piccolos
Selection is particularly difficult. Usually played as a second instrument the demanding embouchure requirements of the picc. make it difficult to assess the tonal qualities of each brand unless the player is quite accomplished in playing the instrument. We have taken the advice of professional piccolo players and stock the models offering the best intonation and tonal response in each price range.
Configuration
The primary concern of the piccolo player is to be able to play all the notes required by the composer, not as easy as it may sound on the piccolo as the acoustics of some of the instruments make many of the high register notes particularly difficult. To overcome these problems, we stock brands with additional E mechanism and the helpful G#/C mechanism
Tonal Response
Many piccolos have a total lack of low register and/or a thin top end. The piccolo's chosen by John Lehner Flutes are selected for their big round low notes and broader sweeter top end. Our professional models also come with a choice of headjoint design.