I was fumbling across the net and I noticed the Kessler music store has this new Gemeinhardt 50 series flute there. Aren`t these just European flute models? (the scale being A=442)

Does A=442 have an advantage over A=440... other than how much you can push in your head joint to tune to a A=442 orchestra if your flute was A=440.

Is this an equivalent of the music industry making CDs too loud.

Kessler store desc:
Gemeinhardt 53SHB
Gemeinhardt 50 series version of the 3SHB. 50 Series features a Powell style headjoint and Powell tuning scale (A=442).

the scale of A=442 is often used in older music and in some european orchestras , until recently the berlin phil was probably the most famous group to use the scale but i believe they and most others have since reverted to the normal scale.

As far as I know, A=442 is pretty standard around the world now, possibly excluding USA.

Some major manufacturers have even succumbed to making A444 instruments for the European demand.

The specification of A440 or A442 is actually almost meaningless. There several other parameters which affect pitch, so any specification about the overall pitch of an instrumnet must also include specs for these other parameters, such as:

Type of embouchure, i.e. angle of air stream and how much the embouchure hole is covered.

Speed and flow of airstream (which affect volume, which affects pitch)

Air temperature (Affects pitch a lot!)

Altitude. (Distance above sea level affects pitch - quite a lot)

Air humidity.

How much the head is pulled out from the body.

I have NEVER seen a specification of the sort, "This flute has a pitch of A440 when the head is pulled out 4 mm, the air temperature is ...., the flute is played at sea level, ....... etc"

Has nybody here seen such a specification?