Today I bought a new backup flute: Muramatsu EX (it's just arrived from Japan today) ...Tonight I compared it with my old flute Sankyo Artist 401 ...and found Sankyo is only loud and powerful ...while Muramatsu EX is very very resonant !!...I know now why James Galway said EX is a good flute, He also said in his blog that he still likes EX


Sankyo Artist 401:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2W5yecqz2A

Muramatsu EX:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA6yMxGyz58

Forgive me, I am not fully accustomed to Muramatsu's sound-producing point yet, because it is more outward than Sankyo's(Sankyo is rather inward) ...so my EX sound is not sweet yet...but I can feel its sound is very sweet and resonant.

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more details:

Sankyo Artist 401: full silver, keys silver, open hole, offset-g, B-foot, split-E

Muramatsu EX: headjoint silver only, plated body and keys, open hole, offset-g, B-foot, split-E

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Picture:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y12W9rCMDaU

Congrats on your new flute. It's always exciting to get a new instrument.

I played on a friend's Sankyo and really liked it. Found it to be really responsive. In fact I have two friends that have Sankyo flutes.

At a Masterclass in July, there was a lady with a Platinum Clad Muramatsu (don't know which model). That flute was beautiful to look at and had a beautiful tone too.

Thanks Cflutist, yes, you are right! I forgot to mention, yes Sankyo is also responsive. Both are good flutes. My rubbish camera and youtube file conversion can't show much the difference. But when I play I can feel and hear the big difference between these 2 flutes. They are completely different characters. Sankyo is like a man, and Muramatsu is like a woman to me. lol.

James Galway play all 16 of his flutes, and the world poll rated EX the second best sounding flute:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0n3n3N3SOY

Yay!

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EX was the second flute he play tested. I can't believe a plated flute actually plays better than his expensive gold flutes, lol.

i prefer the woman lol

I don't really like the sound of most of them, to be honest. I guess there's a reason my headjoint is a custom wood one. Most recent flutes just sound too bright and forward to my ear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU7X2o6PTfI
A conical bore makes a huge difference in the sound, IMO.

But back to the original post... Yes, the Muramastu is a typical "modern" design. The Sankyo is somewhere in-between, IMO. I guess it's what type of music that you are playing. Some designs and sounds are better for orchestral or studio work, and others are better for live or solo work.

Tonight, I test on my Wood headjoint (China made) and my Bamboo Headjoint (China made) on my old Yamaha 211 body:

Wood Headjoint:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uygQxJwPOA

Bamboo Headjoint:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd_PK7w1ZKQ

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Photo:
http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad112/pyrioni15/DSC01971.jpg

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You know how much they cost? only US$120 each, so cheap, yay!

So you have three flutes?

A backup flute, and a backup of the backup flute?

Lol, yeah, you can say that, haha.

My first flute at 9 years old: Jupiter S501 (I obtained ABRSM grade 5 merit with it, and won one junior championship)

My second flute at 11 years old: Yamaha 211 (I obtained ABRSM grade 8 distinction and Trinity ATCL distinction with it, won 2 champions with it)

My third flute at 12 years old: Yamaha 313(but my teacher said it had intonation problem, so I never used it again)

My fourth flute at 15 years old: Sankyo Artist CF401

My fifth flute at 16 years old birthday last week: Muramatsu EX

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Now I have 5 flutes and many headjoints including Jack Moore handcut headjoint.

Actually I had 6 flutes, I had two Yamaha 211, one was for backup for orchestra travelling only, seldom used (backup only), I later sold to 8notes friend - joseluis

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Jack Moore headjoint:

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad112/pyrioni15/DSC05038.jpg

man you have to clean that JACK MOORE headjoint lol

Yeah, lol, but I seldom use it, if I clean it, it gets tarnished again very soon.

Its response is very very poor although it gives sweet tone.

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It has weird cutting, as you can see from the photo, its EH is flat at the far end, but it's round at the lip-plate side, it's like a marriage of French cut (round) and American cut (flat). The end result is sweet and colorful and projective, but because of this odd shape, air is very difficult to focus, and causes the response very slow.

Curious if you considered any of the Boston makers like Powell, Wm S. Haynes, Nagahara, Brannen, Burkart, or Williams, etc?

"Curious if you considered any of the Boston makers like Powell, Wm S. Haynes, Nagahara, Brannen, Burkart, or Williams, etc?"

They are too expensive But my grandma agrees to buy me a very good flute if I can enter a Conservatory in UK or Paris 2~3 years later.

Most American cuts have square shaped EH, I am not used to square EH yet, (I have Powell headjoint tho), they are very loud and powerful and projective, good for orchestras - because orchestras always require loud and projective sound.

But square EH gives too much overtones(upper partials) - because too many sound-producing points and breaking points, losing the sweetness and delicate control.

If I want loud sound, now the Japanese made Sankyo is very loud with NRS-1 very-high-riser headjoint.

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Generalizing: American flute is like shouting, Japanese flute is like singing.

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I am not saying American flutes are not good, actually, all my teachers are using Powell, because they are orchestra people. Most of the orchestras in the world are using American flutes or Powell.

It is just the market requirements are different. With so many American students jointing the school bands and orchestras, they need louder and projective sound. But in Asia, it is generally preferring sweeter sound than loudness or projection.

Powell boston cut not only is a square cut from the outside:
http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad112/pyrioni15/DSC01979.jpg

It is also sqaure in the inside (square undercut) :
http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad112/pyrioni15/DSC01980.jpg

Pyrioni,

Is your Jack Moore HJ silver plated or solid silver? If it's solid, I know an awesome way to get it clean.

Take a tub, fill it with hot water (not boiling, but almost too warm to touch). Put a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of the tub, and then sprinkle about 4 ounces of solid laundry detergent over the foil. Place the headjoint inside (after removing the cork, of course)- let it sit for about two minutes. Take it out, rinse thoroughly with a cloth. Should take off most, if not all, of the tarnish.

I wouldn't suggest this if it is only silver plated.