Tuning up flat bottom D shortening foot

Irish Flute
1

Hi

I’ve an older Sam Murray flute that has a flat bottom D that I’d like to sharpen up a touch. I’ve tried a modified Sam Murray flute owned by Stephen Doherty that plays lovely. I understand the modification to be the foot being shortened a touch. I’ve contacted Stephen to get the dimensions of his flute… ie distance from edge of foot to D hole etc and I know a craftsman ready to do the job for me. I just need to know what are the critical measurements and what other mods or pitfalls I should be looking for.

Any advice is welcome.

Any flute makers willing to offer advice or a price to do the job are more than welcome.

Thanks

Andrew

2

Don’t know how experienced you are. Lots of rudally flutes have a flat low D and are meant to be blown in tune.
One lifts one’s chin or rolls out the flute. It can take quite a lot of getting used to. I don’t know if you’ve done this.
I would be very conservative
about modifying a flute–also is the second octave D in tune as things are? If it is there is the possibility that
physically modifying the bottom D will get you a sharp second octave D, which is much harder to deal with.
If the low bottom D is the flute’s only problem, you might want to grapple with it longer.