About adding keys

Irish Flute
1

Here’s a question I’ve been wondering about: I’m aware that some makers who use post mounted keys are willing to add keys to their keyless flutes (or add more keys to a keyed flute if desired by the owner.) Do any makers that use block mounted keys exclusively ever add keys to their flutes? My thought is that with modern adhesives and the precision with which many makers/restorers can restore broken flute parts, it should not be so difficult or risky to add a block as it once was. Certainly it is not unusual to replace at least a portion of a broken key mounting or guide block on an antique. Thoughts?

2

I’ve seen John Gallagher do this, so I assume others can as well…

Pat

3

i had j.Gallagher add keys…he said he could add blocks or pillars mounted on a plat (like some french flutes) …i chose a pillars.

4

Eilam:

I played your flute, dude - nice! That’s the one you had me checking on last summer, right?

Pat

5

yes, it’s a great flute.

6

Eilam, which flute is that?
David

7

For the OP

For block mount, I believe at least one maker will take the old body as a trade in for a block mounted body on his keyless flute, and I have seen blocks left in place so that latter they can have a slot and key added, but I wonder if adding a block (other than for restorative purposes) would be cost effective. I also wonder if there are additional issues with adding keys to a flute that may have been optimized to play without them.

8

For a repair of a damaged block, I would certainly consider gluing in a new block. To convert a keyless flute to a block-mounted keyed flute, my preference is to replace the keyless body sections with new block-mounted keyed ones. The keyless sections can be combined with a new head joint to make a “semi-used” flute. It could make sense to add a block if someone wanted one additional key on an already keyed flute that they were fond of. This would be difficult for an E flat key because you’d be working over the thin tenon section of the foot joint. I’d also be concerned about the long-term performance of the adhesive - the maker should really be thinking in terms of a life time of centuries for the instrument.