New McGee Headjoint

Irish Flute
1

Hi all,

Recently acquired a new headjoint. For the past four years or so I’ve played a left-handed Hamilton 4-key. It’s a bit of an old one. I think he made it back in '88 or '89. Anyway, it’s a pretty decent flute but I’ve never been all that satisfied with it. It has all the negative aspects of a modern Hamilton (takes 2 1/2 lungs to play) without many of the positive ones (i.e. it doesn’t make the floor shake). The low D in particular is pretty thin and the embouchre hole makes for quite a bit of noise when playing. For a while after I first got it, I thought the problem was me–“Ah, well, this is a pretty big-holed flute and all. I’m just not used to it.” However, any time a Grinter, Olwell, or new Hamilton would come through my hands at a session, I’d realize after just 30 seconds or less that they were all much more comfortable and satisfying to play than the flute I had been playing for years.

Note–just to clarify, we’re talking about a pretty old Hamilton here; not a new one (i.e. one made in the past, say, five years or so). I tried a recently made Hamilton a while back and they really are some of the best flutes out there. If you’re looking for a flute with volume in spades, accept no substitutions.

Anyway, now that I am no longer a starving college student, I finally decided to do something about it. I may not be broke but I didn’t feel like laying down a couple of thousand dollars on a new instrument either, so I decided to see how much a difference it would make if I just got a new headjoint. I decided to go with one of Terry McGee’s new “modern” eccentric head models. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous about this in spite of the laudatory praise Terry usually gets on this forum. I had heard one of his flutes before but never played one myself and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

My chief concerns were that the new headjoint would be a.) intended too much for a beginning player (i.e. easy to play but lacking depth) and b.) would make my flute sound too “boehmy” in character. Well, I got the new headjoint a few weeks ago and what can I say but…

Wow…

It’s like playing an entirely different animal of a flute. Plays great across all three octaves. Louder, rounder, clearer tone. True, it can get a decent tone with just a weak embouchre, but if I play it as I normally would play my Hamilton, the thing just absolutely roars.

If you’re in the market for a new headjoint, I’d recommend Terry’s work wholeheartedly.

2

May I ask what shape of the embouchure you have?

I´m waiting for a keyless R&R refined in boxwwod from Terry. Went with the eccentric head and “two-semicircles” embouchure. Will receive it next week I think :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:.

/Peter

3

Hey Pitchfork:

I too recently have a new eccentric bore headjoint for my rudall and I agree–it;s an awesome headjoint with an embouchure I fell is very flexible. A lot of volume increase compared to the wilkes headjoint it replaced.

the wilkes headjoint however is a very good headjoint if you like the original-style rudall embouchure, others have played it and it sounds great. But for my embouchure with the two semi-circles just suits me more. Anyone want to buy a nice Wilkes headjoint?

I can 100% testify to Terry’s repair and headjoint work. Top class. Really.

G

4

To chime in on this thread, the head joint makes the flute. I too have a new head made for an old flute, and the result is fantastic. In this instance the maker is Chris Abell. His work is most excellent. Chris cuts a mean embouchure hole. He sent out four head joints to try and I was to chose one or none if they didn’t work out. If I had the cash I would have kept two of them in different cuts. As anyone who whistles will tell you, Chris is great to work with. And his being here in the States simplified the process of fitting and turnaround time.

5

I personally found the tone of Terry’s flutes lacking in balls, depth and character… horses for for courses I suppose.

A second head joint is a nice change to have every once in a while. I was using an E flat head joint (from the slide up) on my D flute for a while… when I recently changed the heads back I’d forgotten what I thought was so good about the E flat head? Just different (well the E flat head was inferior in terms of strength of tone achievable, but that is obviously not everybody’s entire agenda).

I wouldn’t generally advise such head swapping (or flute swapping) to somebody who was working on building and focusing their embouchure though. One flute untill the lips are built up sufficiently makes a lot of sense to me… that and lip weight lifting.

Regards,

Harry.

6

I think Terry’s flutes are nice, too, but I have to second the nice comments about Chris Abell’s headjoints. Once I get my very own digital camera (hear that, Santa?) I’ll take a picture of the one he made for my R&R. It’s great. I also got a couple to try, and ended up with a modern-cut embouchure, thinned headjoint in . . . pink ivory, of course! It’s a blast to play.

Stuart

7

I too have felt that Terry’s flutes sacrifice in tone and irish ballsiness for a purity of tone, volume and balance. That’s just the choices he makes–which he admits–and people choose them or they don’t. But his work is excellent, and in my case, the headjoint has brought the Rose back to the Rudall and the tone is quite stunning. VERY rudallesque.

8

I’d be of the opinion that he’s simply trying to make them easier to play at too great a tonal sacrifice… this from someone who’s played manys the Rudall, good and bad.

It is of course all a matter of choice, and I wasn’t criticising his choices in doing it, just the result. I’m not trying to tell anybody to stop or that they are wrong, I’m just offering my opinion on what are incresingly very expensive items. They should be discussed, criticised and (if applicable) condemned constantly to aid the prospective buyer.

Purity of tone, volume and balance are all relative to your own opinions… and how you can play the thing, I think that all these properties can be had in a broader tonal spectrum from other makers aided by a sound, trained embouchure. Odd to think that it’s largely in the minutae of cutting and shaping one little hole.

Regards,

Harry.

9

Hi everybody,

Just thought I’d get back to you on all this.
The embouchre style is a huge rounded rectangle.

I waited until I had played the flute for about three weeks before I said anything about its characteristics. I wanted to really get a chance to get used to it before I formed any definite opinions. The new headjoint has not turned my flute into the most tonally expressive thing I’ve played by a longshot. It has, however, improved the tone, responsiveness, and volume of the instrument by quite a lot. It is, if anything, more reminiscent to me of a recently made Hamilton now in its character.

Sure, in the future, I would love to buy a new flute altogether (ain’t sayin’ by who, but probably not McGee) but for now, this will certainly suffice.