| C# Trill Key | Open Hole | B/C Foot |
| G Hole donut | Split E | Off-Set G |
| D# Roller | Pinless Mechanism | Headjoint Style |
| Tube Thickness | Metals Options | Pitch |
Carolyn Nussbaum and her flute-team give us some guidance on available options
More great descriptions of options for your custom flute from flutemaker Jonathon Landell.
Today I would say that a custom flute could simply mean a handmade flute with your choice of extras like additional keys or a silver body with gold keys, and your choice of a head joint, or it could mean that you have an injury and needed to have something made a special, unique way just for you.
I would also say that there are many, many flutemakers who would be delighted to work with you to meet your needs. Whether you want a specific metal, headjoint cut, engraving, or a silver flute with gold keys and on and on. Check out these websites as a start for high end custom flutes:
Burkart Flutes & Piccolos
Their Flutes have options like tube thickness, gold springs, pinless mechanism, D# Roller, Convertible B/C Footjoint, engraving and custom keys in addition to a variety of metals.
Your Burkart Piccolo can have a G# Facilitator, a Vented C Key or 14K gold mechanism. You say, what??? Better take a look at this website.
Their website also includes videos on flute and piccolo making. They have a build your custom flute or piccolo on-line form.
Burkart offers Mancke flute and piccolo headjoints in a number of styles.
Brannen Brothers Flutemakers, Inc.
Were you looking for a Brögger Mekanik or a Kingma System ? Here is where you will be delighted to find these options.
“The revolutionary Kingma System Flute offers a complete quarter-tone scale and unique multiphonic venting. This innovative design is the result of extensive collaboration between Dutch flutemaker Eva Kingma and Bickford W. Brannen, founder and former President.”
Their huge list of options is shown on their website including – In-line, off-set and half-off-set and Pitch options including A = 440, 442, 444 or 446.
There is even a special Key Extensions page showing possible modified key work, which can be ordered for your current Brannen flute as well.
Wm. S. Haynes Co.
In addition to multiple headjoint designs and metal offerings, their custom line also includes the Q Series flute designed with input from James Galway and the Q Fusion Flute which has a 9K gold outer tube and a sterling silver inner tube.
Jonathon Landell Flutes
Jonathon approaches flute making not only with a craftman’s excellence and a musician’s ears but also with an artist’s eye. A Landell flute will touch you on so many levels. His site includes artist reviews of his flutes, and performances on his flutes so you can hear their sound. Jonathon also offers a number of flute making and repair courses. Offerings are shown on this site. Did you say you wanted to make your own flute???!!!
John Lunn
Hop on this site to see the video of The Owl & The Pussycat flute and hear it being played!! He is truly an artist in silver with an amazing talent, outstanding creativity and an imagination you won’t believe.
Powell Flutes
Speaking of custom metals, here’s choices for you! Powell Flutes will make your flute in:
| Platinum | Grenadilla Wood | 18K Rose Gold |
| 19.5K Rose Gold | 14K Rose Gold | 9K Rose Gold |
| 10K Yellow Gold | Ruby Aurumite | Aurumite 14K |
| Sterling Silver |
And if you feel like you want to investigate some more flute makers, I would check the commercial members of the National Flute Association and for your perusing pleasure here is a huge, international list from Wikipedia with links included.
Two corrections to this list for which I have personal information:
Alex Eppler passed away so he is no longer active as a flutemaker. His headjoints can certainly be found for sale.
The company Flutemakers Guild, Ltd., London is not even listed. They do not seem to have a web presence and I am not sure if they have anyone making flutes any more. Please see the information about this company under Flutemakers on this site. These instruments and headjoints are exceptional and I would vouch for any of these as a previously owned purchase.
There are many flutemakers around the world making beautiful instruments. We are fortunate that many are available from U.S. flute sellers as new or previously owned. Check out these businesses for much, much more information:
Dryad’s Touch
Please take a minute and go to the website listed below and look at the close-up pictures of the unique flute called the Dryad’s Touch by flutemaker John Lunn.
Just in case you have been saving up and want a one-of-a-kind, piece of art here is one of John Lunn’s masterpieces:
John Lunn’s “The Dryad’s Touch” – a masterpiece of 18K green gold with vine and leaf artwork intertwined and integral to the mechanism of the flute, nature inspired artwork design of cobwebs, a turtle, flowers and leaves on the keys, 14k gold leaf-trill keys, soldered tone holes, French (open hole), pointed key arms, offset G, B footjoint and additional D footjoint. The only flute in the world like it, “The Dryad’s Touch” is a magnificent artwork with no equal. Completed in 2009. Pre-owned.
Lunn “The Dryad’s Touch” – 18K green gold, specialty engraving, offset G, D/B footjoint $55,000.00 USD
Non-Custom Specialty Flutes
See Custom Headjoints here on the Flutecentric.com website to be introduced to the Drelinger “UpRight” headjoint allowing you to play you flute in a downward position like a clarinet and the “Swan” headjoint from Flute Lab which allows you to play you flute in at a lower angle.
Jupiter flutes have a number of models designed to make the reach down the flute shorter – for younger or smaller build students or those who made need to bring the headjoint closer to their body. Thanks Jupiter.
The new loop concept and the patented Waveline™-Flutes are a refinement of JUPITER’s endeavor to encourage young players to pick up the flute. This concept is now available in different sizes and ranges, which are perfect matches for the bodies of young players of different age groups.
Video of this flute being played – it is in German: You can see it and hear it.
Jupiter Flutes – Model JFL700WD Student Flute with Wave Line Headjoint
Available through Flute World
See the Viento Left-Handed Flute –
Wooden Modern Concert Flutes
Many makers now have a MODERN wooden flute in their offerings. These instruments usually have all the extra keys available just like custom silver, including new scales and additional headjoint options.
Abell Flutes
Powell Flutes
Flute Center of New York
We carry the new wooden Boehm flutes from Powell, Sankyo, Yamaha and Di Zhao and we have vintage wooden flutes as well.
Be sure to keep reading below in Unique Flutes for some really unusual flutes.
Unique Flutes
So I own a crystal flute, a tin whistle, a Native American flute, flutes from Bali and Laos, a recorder, a Renaissance style flute and an antique 8 key flute which I had restored. I have them because they interest me for art and history sake as well as for music.
What else is out there? What else might appeal to you so that you could include the sound in your music making?
McNeela African Blackwood Flute with Foam Lined Box
Designed to a modified version of Pratten’s Perfected flute by Boosey & Co, this McNeela wooden flute delivers the characteristic Pratten big sound but with greater ease and at its current price beats all other premium wooden flutes on sale, hands down.
Key Features of the McNeela African Blackwood Keyless Flute
- Powerful sound full of character
- Takes air easily
- Very Responsive
- Beautiful intonation, complex overtones & big volume thanks to the African Blackwood
- Little adjustment needed to keep it in tune
- Strong low D
- Effortless 2nd octave
- Tuned to standard concert pitch A440
- Cork Lapped Joints
- Key of D
- 8 tone holes (2 are decorative)
Grenaditte C Flute
See video on their website – Irish style music being played
The Grenaditte C Flute is the perfect flute for the professional musician looking to improve tonal quality while simultaneously reducing instrument weight and enhancing feedback in a way not possible with traditional metal flutes. Grenaditte is an advanced composite material with the same density as Grenadilla wood and extremely light weight. Density is the key to amazing tone. The tone from one of our Grenaditte flutes can be described as 30% wood, 30% metal, and 40% Guo. The Grenaditte line truly has a sound of its own.This is Grenaditte. This is the FUTURE.
- Grenaditte headjoint and body
- Weight:340 g / 12 oz
- Hand cut embouchure
- Open holes / Inline G key
- Low B footjoint with gizmo key
- Undercut tone holes for accurate intonation
- Textured exterior for better grip and wood-like appearance
- Includes aluminum case, shoulder bag, and cleaning accessories
Schiller Frankfurt Elite Copper Flute
Schiller Frankfurt Elite Copper Flute w/Engraving Brand New $997 +$18Shipping
Painted Flute
Or maybe you just want a hand painted flute for the fun of it:
J. Nuvo: Custom Arcylic Fantasia II Concert Flute
Collector’s item – Available on Amazon.com; 24K Gold plated mechanism; Optional light system
J. Nuvo Flutes
Company Mission: Bring music to all children.
Their flutes come in different styles and are washable and colorful. Nuvo student: Flute choice in top 8 student flutes of 2016. Reviews by professional flutists of the Nuvo flutes.