All,
I’m sure this subject has come up before so, could someone point me to a thread on the pros/cons of a lined/unlined head joint?
Thanks,
Tony
Well, lined and unlined sound different. It’s hard to describe exactly how different, but unlined heads might tend to be more mellow than lined. There are different materials for the lining as well . . . brass, nickel silver, sterling silver . . .
Some folks think lined headjoints are more likely to crack than unlined. Despite the evidence, it seems to me like it’s mainly anecdote, and the lining may or may not matter for that. You see, the idea is that the timber expands and contracts at a different rate from the liner, and if the wood contracts fast . . . CRACK! At least, that’s the theory.
Makers do all kinds of things. There are fully-lined headjoints, the ones like when you see a flute pictured and you see silver in the embouchure. They nearly invariably have tuning slides (I can’t imagine why anyone would line the head and not do a slide, but hey, anything’s possible). There are partially-lined headjoints, à la Tom Aebi, Chris Abell, or Terry McGee. They have a short tube of metal to allow for a tuning slide, but the tube doesn’t go as far as the embouchure hole. There are also unlined headjoints . . . these invariably have no tuning slide, but the makers often compensate a little for that by lengthening the top tenon of the flute to allow for some play.
Lined headjoints are heavier than unlined. A totally unlined headjoint doesn’t allow for as much tuning. A partially-lined headjoint can be tuned, but has the sound of an unlined.
I tend to feel like lined headjoints have an edgier tone, or a “clearer” tone, than unlined ones. Depends on the flute and the embouchure, too.
The whole question, though, is a pretty advanced one; you should try to get experience playing them all to see what you like.
Stuart