Hi guys, I need your opinions for a new headjoint for my Altus 807. I know that every headjoint is different, and that I have to test the headjoint personally, but at where I live, I do not have a lot of opportunities to try out different headjoints. Thus, I'll love to know whether any of you guys have succeeded finding a headjoint for your Altus, or just recommendations in general for a new headjoint. Thanks a lot!

Hi, if you don't mind my asking, why in particular do you need a new headjoint? Are you looking for something specific in terms of tone or projection? Do you feel you've outgrown your silver-plated Altus head? Or do you just fancy a change of sound?

Hi, I'm looking for a change of sound, cos I think the plated Altus head is sounding a bit too bright for my liking, and I prefer something less free-blowing. So basically I'm looking for a headjoint with a warmer sound and some resistance for me to play around with.

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And yes, not to mention that I do not have enough money for a new flute, so getting a new headjoint will be a cheaper 'step-up' alternative!

If you like the Altus in general, Try one of their sterling heads with a solid Gold riser.

You'll get both the warmth and resistance you need. And it should fit without any problems...

Joe B

I agree with Joe, they make a good headjoint and offer several cuts, if you want to go with more of a custom headjoint, I like david Williams

Some of these are quite pricey, but as you did not list a specific budget, I thought I'd toss them out there:

Lafin
Drelinger
Ian Mclaughlan
Emanuel
Tom Green (I know he's not a headjoint specialist, but he still makes some magnificent heads)

Any of these, or a solid silver head (possibly with a gold or platinum riser) from any other reputable maker (Powell, Haynes, Muramatsu, etc...) should give you more darkness as well as increased resistance.

Sorry for duplicating the part of Joe's post about gold risers and such...I must have missed it somehow as I was scrolling down!

After a bit more pondering, I'd like to also add Oleg, Landell, and Goosman into the mix.

Hi guys, thanks for all the suggestions! I'm sorry I forgot include some details in my original post. My budget is around $1000, and for that amount I probably cannot get a brand-new custom head, so I'm ok with a second hand one. Personally, I'm leaning towards the Altus 95.8 silver, the William sterling and the Modern Cooper sterling. Of course, my dream headjoint will be a Lafin, but that's out of my league

The fit is an issue to me, as I know that Altus flutes are notoriously hard to fit, and I do not really want to mess around with the tenon to force a fit. I value all your suggestions, and I'll love to hear from fellow Altus users who are using custom heads and can tell me how they think of it. Thanks!

And one more question if you may. What advantages does a seamed tube offer? Cos I'm also thinking about the Altus 95.8 seamed.

Have you considered getting a wooden headjoint? They don't come that cheap (I saw some $250 ones, but the quality might be doubtfull), although if you shop around $1000 might still get you a decent one. They should definitely give you more warmth and resistance. Alternatively, Mancke (in Germany) do silver heads with wooden liplates and risers.

you need to find a dealer where you can try different headjoints, all this advice may wind up confusing you in the end, many dealers and headjoint makers will send out their headjoints for you to try on trial, that way you can do so without sales pressure, you also need to see what will work with your flute

The question about the seamed heads strikes me as one that has several possible answers, just like the debate swirling around what the optimal material is for a flute, or whose scale to use. I personally cannot hear a major difference from the seamed tubes, but some people certainly believe there is a difference, and the argument for them runs that it was the original way to produce flutes, the way employed by Louis Lot and the other old French makers, and the extra time required to produce a seamed head creates a more resonant instrument with more depth of tone, and a wider range of potential tone colors to draw from. I personally believe that the cut of the headjoint, and then the material that the headjoint is made of have more impact on the sound, but you should test a couple of the seamed heads if possible in order to formulate your own opinions.

Hi guys, thanks for all the replies! I'll try to look out for the headjoints you all recommended, and try my best to test out as many headjoints as possible.