Hi. I have a question for you all experienced flutist: what are the benefits of a wooden headjoint? Is it SO different, the saound I mean?
So, what would you choose, and mainly, why: silver flute + wood head? or silver + silver? or wood + wood?

I`ve never seen anybody play a silver flute with wooden head joint but you never know.Although you should get a lovely soft tone or strong on metal flutes i believe you get a much more mellow and earthly tone on wooden flutes. Hmmm.......i wonder silver+wood=weird sound

it is becoming more common, listen to Nestor Torres, it creates a new color on your flute, as do many headjoint styles and materials

Some wooden headjoints have a sound which is well within the range of sounds from metal headjoints.

If there is a difference between two different headjoints it is 99.9% to do with the shaping of embouchure area, and head taper, not the material. It so happens that the basic thick-cylinder-no-embouchure-plate-shaping and smallish, roundish embouchure hole of the old wooden flutes did give a characteristic sound, and SOME modern makers may be emulating that "fuzzier` sound by incorporating such shaping. However the same result could probably be achieved in metal. The `fuzzi-ish` sound of many Gemeinhardts comes to mind.

My advice is to focus on the SOUND you want, and the head that will provide it, not the material!

I`ve yet to see a metal headjoint designed similarly to a bamboo one yet... so wood will have to do if you desire some unique sounds to your flute.

Though I have encountered wood headjoints that sound no different than metal so you really need to experience them yourself (bring a tape recorder or a friend that plays!).

A guy in a flute choir I used to play in would switch between his metal and wood headjoint every now and then for different pieces... and he always sound exactly the same on either one. But he heard a difference... I hope.

I have never ever heard of a wooden headjoint....honestly!!

They`ve only recently been picking up in popularity. But many manufacturers now offer a wooden headjoint option.

http://www.orpheusmusic.com/Howel_Headjoints/howel_headjoints.html