I discussed this with one maker a while back, and I definitely recall that he said that in his case (at last report, and that was also a while back, he still didn’t make keyed footjoints beyond Eb) the holes in his long footjoints didn’t correspond reliably with C# and Cnat, but were there solely with the sonority theory in mind. I like to expect that his positioning of them was the result of study and subjective experience, but about that I neither recall asking, nor if he mentioned that part of it, or if he even believed any of that lore and just made them to satisfy the customer. I seem to recall that the last was actually the case, though…but I might of course be mistaken. The memory banks only solidly dish up the low C#/Cnat issue on his flutes.
“Voyages de foie de mouette” !
Sacre bleu!
@ Ben. D’ya think Roly would approve?
I don’t know, but if I had to take a wild guess I’d say that having the C & C# keys hanging over the holes would change the pitch to some extent. Using that line of reasoning I wouldn’t expect the bottom holes on an 8-holed keyless flute to be in the same position they’d be in if the flutes had keys there. Or for that matter would they even be the same diameter as on a keyed flute?
Yeah, sorry, but that’s the stuff I don’t remember from the conversation, if it came up at all. At the time I wouldn’t even have had the keywork experience to think about it. All I remember is what he told me about his design. We were discussing unkeyed, not keyed, long feet, and my question was essentially an idle one.
But for what it’s worth, if we take my own 8-keyed flute as an example for part of what you’re wondering about: my C# and Cnat keypads are set rather low, but according to my ear the bottom D isn’t the flatter for it compared to higher setups. I had it both ways, in fact (especially in one instance not from the maker after some guy - a professional instrument repairman, no less - did a careless job of polishing the keywork on a buffing wheel with the keys still attached to the damned flute and it came back to me with the C#/Cnat pad cups bent up - and not equally, mind you. 
). If I were a maker myself, I’m sure I could contribute something substantial to your questions. But I’m not, and these are things that I’m not qualified to give informed opinions on.
Just to clarify (AGAIN - since the last time this sort of issue was discussed)
The “C# hole” is actually the vent for the note D. So that hole must necessarily be a hole that is part and parcel of the D major articulation of the flute.
Therefore the proper purport of Nano’ s reference is that the last hole and the opening at end of the flute may not be accurate C# and C vents.
Right. So other details aside, the next hole down, and the terminus, on an unkeyed long foot would probably be less subject to stringency of placement or proportion, common sense tells me. But again, I’m not a maker.
I think he’d glare murderously at you for taking his (half) native tongue in vain.
Talasiga wrote:
Therefore the proper purport of Nano’ s reference is that the last hole and the opening at end of the flute may not be accurate C# and C vents.
I have a Dixon poly conic keyless flute in four sections. According to Tony it was an early and discontinued model. Upon close examination I would surmise it was somewhat experimental as well. The two “vent holes” are quite close together and at the extreme end of a rather long foot.
The bell D is slightly flat, but comes in when pushed. Closing the supposed C# hole does not give a true note, nor closing off both C# or C render a true C. Removing the foot altogether curiously renders a rather true Eb.
Clearly the design of the foot has been ‘jiggered’ with from the original small hole RR it appears to be based upon. Or so it would seem to me.
Bob
I can’t imagine that Doug’s flutes would have any need for an extended foot joint. I would get that if I liked it, but the sound of the non-foot-jointed flute is great and the weight is so light there’s no need for balance.
As for easy fingering, the cylindrical flute has a disadvantage from the start.
The offset third hole, for either hand, is an option.
As you will need to tell Doug that you want the embouchure backwards, you can also request the offset to the other way.
You can’t go wrong getting one of Doug’s flutes.
Personally I don’t like the offset “D” but I do like the offset “G”. Rather long arms…my bottom hand does not come at the flute from an angle…or…if it does it is the wrong angle 
No takers for gull liver pate, then? How disappointing…
Damn. I love trying exotic new things, but that would be illegal fare in Minnesota, so sorry. For the life of me I can’t figure out why the winged garbage scows are protected, for there surely seems to be no lack of 'em in the McDonald’s parking lots.
You missed it two posts of mine up-thread, Nano. I really thought the Guru (if no-one else) would have swooped ( 
) on that one - has he been on holiday or something, or just moderat(or/e)ly preoccupied?
I didn’t miss all of it; I caught the “foie de mouette” bit but my French is abysmal and I assumed that talk of gull’s liver in a flute thread had to be due to my lack of understanding Gallic idiom. So I moved on, feeling left out. 
And yes, we mods are quite preoccupied in our capacity of late. Vexing.
Eggs. And not-so-Swift chickens?
It was all food to me. And therefore all the more French for it. 
Left-hand vs. right-hand playing was mentioned. How common is a universal embouchure which can be blown equally well (or fairly so) either right or left-handed?