Altus Japanese Handmade A9 Flute

Description

Altus A9 Flute

Model: A9
Series: Standard Series

The Altus A9 is heralded as the premier beginner flute in the Altus lineup, setting the stage for an enriching musical journey. This model features a newly engineered nickel silver seamed tube, specifically designed to deliver exceptional projection quality, making it an ideal choice for new musicians eager to explore the world of flute playing.

Materials

• Lip Plate & Riser: Crafted from sterling silver for a comfortable playing experience.
• Headjoint: Made of Britannia silver, renowned for its rich tonal qualities.
• Body & Footjoint: Composed of nickel silver, combined with a silver-plated mechanism for durability and enhanced aesthetics.
• Tone Holes: Designed with drawn tone holes, ensuring improved sound clarity and resonance.

Product Design Philosophy

At Altus, our mission as flute makers revolves around creating instruments that serve as true partners to every player. We prioritize interaction with musicians to better understand their needs and preferences. This ongoing dialogue not only fosters trust but also allows us to refine our craftsmanship, ensuring that our flutes are reliable extensions of the artist’s voice. Our commitment to understanding various musical expressions informs our design and manufacturing processes, making each instrument a unique embodiment of artistry and technical prowess.

Material Selection

We pride ourselves on offering a diverse range of silver options, allowing players to select materials that resonate with their individual styles and preferences. The following silver types are available:

1. Sterling Silver (925): The most common material, containing 92.5% silver.
2. Britannia Silver (958): A higher silver content (95.8%) for a more refined sound.
3. Ag997 Pure Silver: Composed of 99.7% silver, processed using innovative powder metallurgy for superior quality.
4. Altus Silver (946): A proprietary blend created to emulate the tonal qualities of vintage French flutes, featuring 94.6% silver along with other carefully selected elements.

Each material possesses unique density, hardness, and ductility, leading to distinct differences in the flute-making process and ultimately enhancing the overall performance, tone, and harmonic structure.

Tubing & Metallurgy

The unique properties of each material significantly influence the flute-making process. The A9 utilizes a seamed tube construction, a method inspired by the techniques of esteemed French flute makers. This process involves rolling, shaping, and soldering a single sheet of metal, resulting in a more complex and labor-intensive tube compared to conventional drawn tubing.

• Seamed Tubing Benefits: As the flute is played, residual stresses within the metal gradually dissipate, allowing the molecular structure to evolve into a more optimal arrangement for sound production. This method contributes to superior projection and tonal clarity.
• Powder Metallurgy: For pure silver flutes, advanced powder metallurgy techniques are employed. This method allows for the use of high-purity silver, which traditionally would be too soft for standard production. Powder metallurgy not only enhances sound quality but also increases the instrument’s durability.

Altus Scale

All Altus flutes are built upon our proprietary Altus Scale, developed in collaboration with world-renowned flutist William Bennett. The scale is the result of years of meticulous research and is designed to meet the harmonic needs of players.

• Tonal Quality: The Altus Scale is meticulously crafted to ensure excellent intonation, precisely tuned harmonics, and balanced registers. A key feature is the soldered C# tone hole, which is vital in the Boehm system for producing the C# note and venting other notes effectively.
• Ideal Conditions: The design of the scale assumes a specific key height and a headjoint draw of 5mm, within a temperature range of 21-23 degrees Celsius to maintain optimal performance.

Key Mechanism

The A9 features an innovative key mechanism that emphasizes both precision and smooth operation.

• Design Features: Unlike conventional key post designs, the A9 employs a combination of tapered convex and conical concave shapes, enhancing the connection between parts and promoting smooth key action. This sophisticated design, typically reserved for high-end models, is implemented across all Altus flutes to ensure a refined playing experience.

Soldered Tone Holes

To enhance the longevity and performance of the flute, Altus utilizes an 80% gold alloy solder for its tone holes.

• Durability: Conventional solders can develop gaps over time due to wear and environmental factors. In contrast, gold solder maintains structural integrity, ensuring consistent sound quality for years of use.

Posts and Ribs

The rib design plays a crucial role in the flute’s sound production.

• Wide Rib Construction: All Altus flutes feature wide ribs that make direct contact with the sides of the tone holes, as opposed to conventional designs that set the ribs back. This approach minimizes unwanted vibrations, enhancing the instrument’s tonal characteristics and resonance.

Springs and Key Pipes

• SP-1 Springs: The unique SP-1 springs, made from an alloy of precious metals including silver, gold, and platinum, provide excellent elasticity. This results in a light and responsive touch, making playing effortless.
• Key Pipes: The key pipes on our all-silver models are crafted from high-purity silver using powder metallurgy. This construction enhances durability and reduces the likelihood of twisting, contributing to the overall reliability of the mechanism.

Altus Product Catalogue