Nickel Silver – Nickel Silver actually does not contain any Silver. Also known as German Silver and white Brass, this alloy of Copper, Zinc and Nickel is used throughout most student model instruments. It is also the choice for key work on mid-level instruments in order to keep costs down without sacrificing sonic qualities.
Silver – Silver is the most common material used in flute making. Many different alloys of silver are available. When the silver is designated by a number such as 950 or 998, this indicates the silver content. For instance, the 950 Silver used by Nagahara flutesis 95.0% Pure Silver. The 998 Silver used by Burkart flutesis 99.8% Pure Silver. Generally, higher pure silver content adds more resistance, which can lead to a slightly warmer or darker sound. Here are some common Silver alloys being used in flutemaking.
Coin Silver – Typically 90% Silver (sometimes 80%). Since Coin Silver is more prone to tarnish than other silver alloys, it is often plated over.
Sterling Silver – 92.5% Pure Silver. This metal serves asthe standard of fine flutemakers worldwide.
Britannia Silver – 95.8% Pure Silver. Thissilver provides a slightly darker tonal quality than sterling. It is available on several Altus and Miyazawa models. Altus callsit Britannia and Miyazawa calls it 958 Silver, though the material is the same. The name Britannia derives from the fact that this metal served for coinage in England from 1697 to 1719.
.946 Altus Silver™ – This alloy consists of 94.6% silver and 18 precious metals, including small amounts of platinum and gold. Exclusive to Altus, it possesses many of the rich tonal attributes of the old French master flute makers, most notably Louis Lot’s famous flutes. (Text provided by Altus flutes.)
Trained flute specialists will help you discover the unique tonal characteristics of different flute materials.
Aurumite – Consists of a Gold tube fused to a Sterling Silver tube. This is a Powell trademark name and they use a patented technology to produce this metal. Tonally, Aurumite leans towards the dark, lush sound of solid Gold.
Gold – Gold flutes are prized for their warm tone. Denser than Silver, when alloyed with other metals(Copper, etc.) Gold is also harder. Different karat tells of the volume of pure Gold to alloyed metals. Don’t confuse this with carat, a weight measurement for gems. Gold is normally alloyed with Copper, but can be alloyed with Silver and other materials as well. The higher pure Gold content, the darker, warmer the sound. Pure Gold is 24K, but this metal would not easily form tubes, etc. Most practical alloys are 14K or less. Price follows purity.
Alloy – An alloy is a metal created by combining two or more metallic elements. In flute making, alloys change the density of the traditional silver tube creating varying levels of resistance and often a larger color palette for the performer. Flute makers have developed proprietary blends such as Altus Silver™ which combines 94.6% silver with other precious metals such as gold and platinum. Haynes offers a 5% gold alloy model, Brannen flutes are available in a 15% gold alloy, and Burkart introduced a 5% platinum alloy flute. Each of these alloys has it’s own unique character and a broad spectrum of tonal possibilities.
Platinum – A pure element and extremely dense material, platinum embodies a dark, liquid sound with pristine clarity. With a solid fundamental core, platinum has an intense, penetrating quality and is the ultimate in power and depth. (Text provided by Miyazawa flutes.)
Grenadilla – This term is used to describe a number of different strong, dense woods that are used in instrument making. The wood most makers use is African Blackwood, or dalbergia melanoxylon, which grows in central eastern Africa. Piccolos, clarinets and oboes are commonly made from grenadilla. Modern wood flutes and headjoints often use this material as well. Flutemaker Chris Abell best describes the sound: “The pungent, reedy tone produced with a wooden flute is unequaled in any other material. While the brilliance of tone produced in the metal flutes is exquisite, there is a quality of sound, a dark rich fullness in the wooden instruments, which the metal flutes can only approach…”