Here’s the question: when playing in a session, how far out do you pull the headjoint to be in tune with others? I typically am in tune at 1/2 an inch, at the minimum. SOmetimes I need to extend it farther.
I’m just trying to get a sense of whether I am a “sharp” player or all of Michael’s flutes are tuned like mine.
Depends very much on temperature, my embouchure for the day, etc. Howerer, I’m usually somewhere between your 1/2 Inch and fully retracted, never more that 1/2 inch at least.
Hi.
I had the same problem. I used to put a lot the slide out. The player has a lot on on influence on that. Ask another player to play with your own flute and look at the slide position, that will tell you if you are a “sharp blower”, like me, or otherwise the flute is very sharp. I am nowdays doing some exercices to try to avoid this a bit, all is in the embouchere, almost all.
Cheers!
Serafin.
Hi!
I have one of the early M&E’s and I need pull out the headjoint slightly over a 1/2 inch to be in tune. I think it is the way the flute is tuned as other players that has used my flute have had to pull out the head about the same distance, i.e. it’s a too big difference to compensate with the embouchure.
I haven’t noticed any difference related to room temperature and I dont think
that normal temperature variations should have any effect on a poly flute.
Cheers!
edit:
I agree if you were talking about tonality or sound characteristics.
It would be interesting to know how many semi tones a skilled player could change the pitch by adjusting the embouchure and still be in tune through both octaves. 
/MarcusR
My M&E R&R is in tune with the tuning slide closed at A=440.
My M&E original model is in tune with the tuning slide extended about 1/4 inch.
–James
For some reason my original post implied that this might have been a “problem” - I haven;t seen it that way, just as an interesting phenomenon.
I can play along with highland pipe CD’s by pushing the joint in completely and rolling out the flute, which is kinda cool 
Ditto on both of mine.
Only 4 or 5 mm on my M&E R&R .
I’ve had my M&E for about 2 weeks now, so we are still getting used to each other. But it’s about 3/8"
7mm 
I move the headjoint out 1/4 inch or thereabout, I blow mostly down into the embouchure hole and i hold the flute in what is known as the nichollson grip,
most players tend to blow against the far edge of the hole but with most of the air going over the edge, this is the reason they will have to move the head out about a half inch as they are blowing a little sharp,
when you blow more down into the hole you will get a deeper fuller tone and you wont use as much air, try it and see what i mean.
I pretty much do the same thing as Glinjack only I use pipers grip and turn in the head joint. So I am also at about 1/4 inch.
Me slide is out 1/4 inch on both an old keyless and a R&R. But the real question that puzzles me is, why do all the M&E flutes play so easily? Someone please venture an openion. Is it that he is so much more capable than other makers in voicing the embochue and tone holes? Don’t say it is because his flutes are polymer because his cocobolo and blackwood flute play just as easily.
Nelson