Does plating on the inside of a flute headjoint hake any difference in the sound? I just wanted to know if there is supposed to be a difference in sound compared to a non-plated sterling silver headjoint (My headjoint has 2 layers of 24K gold plated on and in it).

No, it does not. It is simply a marketing ploy.

Micron: "People believe what they want to believe though, and what they believe, they tend to make happen. Get a gold flute and you will make yourself practise enough for it to sound good."

EXCELLENT and precisely to the point. This is the only statement we need when answerng this question! Someone needs to put it in bold lettering on the header of the main page!!

I have read one scientific study (Society of Accoustical Engineers)that showed some change to an instruments overtone series dependent on build materials. The difference was only noteworthy (pun intended) on the fat end of musical instruments..eg. Baritone Sax.

I found no difference in sound but for anyone who wears foundation that interacts I know with my silver flute and produces a black smudge mark some other flutits with the gold lip plate didn't. When I was looking for a flute the salesman told me this which sounded fair enough b/c I would get smudge marks with silver and I thought well maybe the gold would help that but then he said do I FEEL a difference when I tried the gold lip plate. No I didn't! I stuck with silver b/c I liked the way it looked. My skin is very sensitive so some people interact and others don't but it's almost allways if I have foundation or any type of lotion. And if I just washed my face. I have oily skin. Would a gold lip plate would help? I'm not sure. Maybe. But sound as the others said no. AND I physically felt no difference with gold and silver lip plate. What was that about! See it sounded like half the sales guy said was right but half not. Like the hair salon with the shampoos this will make your hair scalp grow I don't know what to believe sometimes!

I had a very well know jazz flutist and good friend in my shop today with many things. One was fitting a bamboo headjoint (metal sleeve) to her Sankyo flute. (nicely made bamboo headjoint too might I add)

Guess what???...Sounded like her regular sterling headjoint.

Kara, Gordon, and everyone else......Yes, Marketing hype....Right on!

Joe B

that's right Joe, Galway would sound like galway on any flute he plays, it is the WAY he plays, I did a demo for the sales staff for Jupiter in Taipei on the silver plated and all silver flutes, basically, they heard the sound darken and come into focus as I started playing the better flutes, but they all sounded good and were easy to play...